In his first two seasons with the Rockets, Hinkie served as Special Assistant to the General Manager where he worked closely with former GM Carroll Dawson. Prior to joining the Rockets, Hinkie advised two NFL teams on draft strategies and ways to use statistical analysis to improve decision making. Hinkie also has experience as a consultant for Bain & Company, a leading global-strategy consulting firm. In addition, he worked in private equity and venture capital where he led diligence teams and provided strategic direction for his firm’s investment companies.

Hinkie graduated from the University of Oklahoma and was named one of the top-60 undergraduate students in the country by USA Today. He also holds an MBA from Stanford, graduating with highest honors as an Arjay Miller Scholar.

Steve Ilardi is a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Kansas, and former statistical consultant to the KU men’s basketball team under Roy Williams. With the support of assistant coaches Jerod Haase and Ben Miller, Ilardi developed and implemented an adjusted plus-minus model of player evaluation at KU, one similar to the models independently developed by Dan Rosenbaum and Jeff Sagarin. In his ‘day job’, Ilardi is a clinical researcher who has worked to develop a novel, lifestyle-based treatment for depressive illness.