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Lambert High Students Win First Place at 2025 Wharton High School Data Science Competition
A team of students from Lambert High School in Suwanee, Georgia, clinched first place during the second annual Wharton High School Data Science Competition, a global, virtual event that attracted more than 490 teams from 34 countries. Hosted by the Wharton Sports Analytics and Business Initiative (WSABI) in collaboration with the Wharton Global Youth Program, the 2025 competition challenged participants to analyze more than 5,300 NCAA Women’s Basketball games, applying data science techniques to rank teams and predict game outcomes.
The winning team, aptly named Full Court Analysts, featured juniors Shivam G. and Samhitha K., and sophomore Ethan B. Each member brought unique strengths to the table: Shivam, an aspiring computer science major with a penchant for soccer; Samhitha, a Tae Kwon Do black belt passionate about mathematics; and Ethan, a varsity basketball player and Minnesota Timberwolves enthusiast.
“We knew each other through various clubs and activities in school and decided to combine our strengths,” the team shared. Their collaboration was facilitated by their AP Computer Science teacher, Ms. Stephanie Beaulieu, who served as their advisor and provided invaluable support throughout the competition.
To help get student teams up to speed, WSABI created a number of online learning resources, touching on everything from coding with ChatGPT and working in Google Sheets, to overviews of basketball statistics and more. After weighing their options, Full Court Analysts elected to use Python, a general-purpose programming language.
The first step of their project was to get the provided data sets analyzed in Python. From there, they ideated to develop models for ranking the top 64 teams and predicting the outcomes of select postseason games. The students said they completed most of their analysis during a handful of intense working sessions, whose long hours were fueled by plenty of pizza. “Testing different models and picking the best one without much information proved to be challenging,” recalls Shivam.
Their selected approach ended up emphasizing simplicity and interpretability, focusing on metrics like point differential and strength of schedule. “Sometimes less is more,” said Shivam. “A simpler model can outperform a more complex one. As a team, we learned that it is important to make sure all team members are on the same page.”
Through their teamwork and shared understanding of the task at hand, Full Court Analysts passed the first major threshold and were accepted as semifinalists along with 24 other teams, before finally reaching the top five. Up next? Presenting their work virtually to a panel of high-profile judges that included Adi Wyner, Professor of Statistics and Data Science, and Faculty Co-Director of WSABI, Sam Garofalo, Basketball Data Science Lead with the NBA and WNBA, Dean Oliver, Senior Stats Analyst at ESPN, Neil Paine, Independent Journalist and Sports Data Analyst, and Liana Valentino, Lead Data Scientist at Nike.
No pressure. Full Court Analysts admitted “we felt confident that we understood our projects and methods well, but we were a bit nervous presenting.”
While they can’t be sure if the judges picked up on their nervousness, one thing is certain – the quality of their work came through loud and clear; the judges awarded their team first place.
“We were all in shock and excitement after finding out that we won, as all our hard work paid off. While we didn’t expect to win, it was truly a magnificent experience,” the team said in an interview with WSABI. “The experience overall gave me a better idea on how to work on a team with people with such different skillsets,” said Ethan. “It also taught me many things about data science I never knew about before. I will definitely apply what I learned about teamwork from this competition to my actual basketball team.”
Samhitha added, “I learned that beneath the randomness of games and factors beyond teams’ controls, there are patterns consistent across teams and regions.”
As they look to the future, each team member has ambitious plans, looking to turn their winning fortunes with the Wharton High School Data Science Competition into a larger pattern of success. Shivam aims to major in computer science or electrical engineering, Samhitha plans to study economics and applied mathematics, and Ethan is interested in pursuing economics, all while applying the teamwork and analytical skills honed during the competition.
By combining technical skill with strong teamwork, the Full Court Analysts have proven what’s possible—and set a high bar for what comes next. To see Full Court Analyst’s full methodology, click here. To learn more about the Wharton High School Data Science Competition’s inaugural winners, click here.