Syracuse basketball scores another stellar hire; Eugene Tulyagijja named data analyst

As we all know by now, the landscape in collegiate athletics is rapidly evolving, requiring Syracuse basketball and other 'Cuse teams to adapt and adjust.

Amid ongoing conference realignment, the transfer portal's explosion, the ushering in of name, image and likeness opportunities, future revenue sharing and other factors, college sports is going to continue changing, for better or worse.

When it comes to Syracuse basketball, I believe that head coach Adrian Autry is the right person to lead this program, because he accepts, recognizes and understands everything that's going on these days in college basketball, and where the sport is headed in the future.

To that end, SU Athletics recently announced that SU alum Eugene Tulyagijja has been named a data analyst with the Orange, and this is just another smart hire by Autry, in my humble opinion. Tulyagijja, by the way, earned a bachelor's degree in sport analytics from Syracuse University earlier this year.

Syracuse basketball head coach Adrian Autry keeps making great additions to his staff.

According to a press release, as a data analyst, Tulyagijja will support the 'Cuse coaching staff and front-office operations within the Orange program. His responsibilities will include providing "in-depth, on-court player analytics, advanced scouting, and detailed coaching performance study," per the cuse.com statement.

Tulyagijja will also be involved in players' NIL evaluations, help to identify high school prospects, and assess student-athletes within the transfer portal. All of these components are extremely important in today's college sports landscape.

Already, Tulyagijja has an impressive resume. Since November of last year, Tulyagijja has prepared pre-draft analytics for William Morris Endeavor, a global entertainment agency. In the summer of 2022, Tulyagijja served as a data analyst with the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers.

While working on his undergraduate degree at SU, he was an analytics intern with Syracuse basketball and was also a head student manager with the program beginning in September of 2021.

For more than two years, Tulyagijja has produced a basketball analytics blog, with content including post-basketball scouting, analytics, draft reports and scouting reports. He was also an analytics writer for Sports Illustrated's draft digest from August to December of last year.

In late June, 'Cuse alum and former NBA scout Alex Kline was named the general manager of Syracuse basketball, a new position with the squad where he is focused on scouting and recruiting, former student-athlete engagement, NIL, transfer-portal management, and institutional fundraising, per a release from SU Athletics at the time.

Tulyagijja's hire was a terrific move by the Orange. The same goes for the addition of Kline over the summer. These professionals and others on Autry's staff - including assistant coaches Allen Griffin, Brenden Straughn and Dan Engelstad - give the 'Cuse exactly what it needs as a foundation for long-term success in the fast-changing climate of collegiate athletics.