87. How It Works: Basketball Scheduling

Creating a nonconference basketball schedule is a game in and of itself. Few have learned to play that game better than Eric Musselman and his staff. Everything in his program is about finding competitive advantages—whether it’s through using advanced analytics, marketing or, in this case, scheduling. And the guy making it all happen is director of basketball operations Anthony Ruta, who is tasked with crafting a schedule that will help the Razorbacks reach the NCAA Tournament. The amount of work that goes into putting that puzzle together is fascinating. And, make no mistake, it is a puzzle. So how does Arkansas use scheduling to build a competitive advantage? From building depth charts for every team in the country to projecting where teams will finish in their conference…this is how it works.