Wharton Sports Analytics Journal

Open Access ยท ISSN 3070-4065

FALL 2024

College Basketball: An In-depth Study of the “Foul Up 3” Dilemma

AUTHOR

Julian Zapata-Hall, The Ohio State University

ABSTRACT

Within college basketball, the decision to foul or not with a 3-point lead (the “foul up 3” dilemma) significantly impacts teams. A single fouling decision can directly determine the outcome of a game or even an entire season. Within this research project, I take a novel look at the “foul up 3” dilemma. As opposed to using time as a blocking factor, as previous studies have, my research focuses on generating a coachable strategy that outlines the superior fouling decision for each moment in time.

About the Wharton Sports Analytics Journal

ISSN 3070-4065 (Online)

The Journal is published by the Wharton Sports Analytics and Business Initiative and features original student research at the intersection of sports, business, and analytics. Explore the Journal.

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