There is a generally incoherent language babbled on the Allen Fieldhouse floor during Kansas University basketball games, and it isn’t by the players setting screens or the officials calling fouls.
Heck, the players and refs would draw a blank trying to figure this stuff out.
“J 30 G 12:21,” one barks.
“Y 25 Y 10:39,” says another.
Such codes set off a furious tapping of a laptop keyboard, which translates to statistics that are splashed all over newspapers and the Internet during and after the game.
Three Kansas University workers – Mason Logan, Tom Jones and Mike “Kato” Koehler – are responsible for an overwhelming amount of statistics during the game. The action never slows down so the trio can catch up, making their job as demanding as any.
Every rebound? They got it. Every assist? Check. Turnover? Done. Steal? Affirmative. Missed bucket? They don’t miss it.
Think about how many statistics need to be kept, and the fact three guys – with the help of a “scribe” who serves as a backup in case of computer problems – are responsible for all of it, while it happens, is pretty remarkable.
The crew insists, though, that the process is quite simple. The three learned the language of “Stat Crew Software” that KU and most schools use for statistics. Jones and Koehler then are responsible for barking codes at Logan, who constantly has his nose buried in the laptop to keep up.
Logan, sitting courtside, doesn’t even get to watch the action. And he has one of the best seats in the house.
“I have to go home and watch the replay,” he quipped, referring to Sunflower Broadband’s tape-delayed telecasts.
So, what does “J 30 G 12:21” mean? Easy. Jumper by No. 30, Julian Wright. Good. 12:21 left on the clock.
Y 25 Y 10:39? Three-point shot by No. 25, Brandon Rush. Three-pointer good. 10:39 left on the clock.
Nearly every letter on the keyboard stands for something. T is turnover. K is a block. F is free throw. Z is made field goal in the paint on a fast break. R is missed field goal followed by a rebound.
There are other workers across the court from the three who are in charge of the shot chart and miscellaneous statistics. But the main event comes from Logan, a KU associate media relations director; Jones, a former media relations graduate assistant; and Koehler, a former basketball manager.
“They’re like my safety net,” Logan said of his partners. “They’ve been doing it so long, and they’re so good at what they do. It makes my job easier.”
It’s not always easy, though. There was that time just before Christmas 2002 when a computer malfunction spit out bizarre statistics during the Kansas-UCLA game. That prompted coach Roy Williams to wonder aloud if the stat keepers had drunk too much eggnog during the game.
Logan said a minor problem popped up about once a game, either from a computer freezing up or another malfunction. That’s where they consult the scribe, who’s written all of the barked orders down and can let Logan know what the last several plays were once he gets the hitch straightened out.
Usually, stats finish off each day without any real problems – a testament to teamwork among the three.
“It’s all communication,” Jones said. “We help each other. A lot of times you’ll have a ref standing right in front of you or a coach in front of you. That’s when Kato can come in and help me.”
The trio’s future is always season-to-season. All have been doing it for several years, but Koehler and Jones work on a volunteer basis. Soon enough, family priorities will reign supreme.
“I say every year is my last year,” said Jones, who has a 4-year-old and a 6-year-old. “I’m very lucky that my wife is very understanding and into basketball, too.
“I’ll do it a couple more years. As long as they want me.”
