The NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will capture national attention in March and April as teams compete in the single-elimination events. Rice University experts are available to provide insight on key storylines, from athlete mindset and performance to injury prevention and sports analytics.
Sports betting and fan behavior
Expert: Hua Gong, assistant professor of sport analytics
Related topics: Legalized sports betting, fan engagement, sports analytics
Expertise includes:
- How legalized betting is changing March Madness viewership
- Bracket participation and gambling behavior
- Social and economic effects of sports wagering
- Data trends in fan engagement during the NCAA tournaments
Injury prevention, fatigue and recovery
Expert: Anatolia Vick-Kregel, senior assistant director of health and well-being
Related topics: Conditioning, injury prevention, athlete recovery
Expertise includes:
- Short turnaround recovery between tournament games
- Late-season fatigue and injury risk
- Load management during postseason play
- Evidence-based conditioning for basketball athletes
Sports psychology and mental resilience
Expert: Amanda Perkins-Ball, associate teaching professor and sports medicine adviser of kinesiology at Rice; performance consultant for Olympians and USA Track & Field athletes
Related topics: Sports psychology, athlete mental health, collegiate athletes
Expertise includes:
- Mental preparation for single-elimination tournaments
- Performance anxiety and clutch moments
- Team cohesion during postseason play
- Student-athlete mental health during high-stakes competition
To schedule an interview with any of the experts, contact Andrew Bell at andrew.bell@rice.edu and Marcy de Luna at marcy.deluna@rice.edu.