Outstanding Owls

at Kennesaw State University

By Kennesaw State University

February 6^th, 2026

This Black History Month, Kennesaw State University will turn the spotlight on outstanding students poised to write new chapters of history on campus and beyond. Throughout February, we’ll be adding new Owls to this space, who are making outstanding contributions to their communities.

Anaya Tention

When Anaya Tention talks about data, she speaks with the same curiosity and intention that guides her work. A senior majoring in data science and analytics in the College of Computing and Software Engineering, Tention has spent her final year at Kennesaw State University researching an area most fans only notice after the fact. Her work examines how NBA players recover from injuries and what data can reveal before problems escalate.

“I didn’t really have a background in current sports, but I thought it would be fun and a big learning curve,” she said. “I was discovering the story as I went along, and that’s what kept me interested.”

A native of Marietta and a graduate of Marietta High School, Tention completed the research as part of her senior capstone project. Working alongside two classmates, she studied whether changes in a player’s workload after returning from injury could help identify a higher risk of re-injury.

Portrait of a young Black woman in a dark blue blazer and white shirt, smiling slightly. She has long, straight black hair and light skin. The background is plain white.

Using data pulled directly from the NBA’s official database, Tention analyzed game history, box scores, and injury reports before cleaning and formatting the information for analysis. The project relied on three performance metrics, with Tention focusing on net player rating, which measures how a team performs when a player is on the court compared to when they are off.

“It’s a very noisy metric,” she said. “It depends a lot on team lineups and context, so it wasn’t the strongest predictor. But it was still a giant step in the right direction.”

One of the most striking discoveries was how differently players responded after returning from injury.

“I had some players where their performance was constantly below average, and others who came back and just kept improving,” Tention said.

A Black woman coach observes basketball players practicing in a gym. She holds a tablet and pen, looking thoughtfully at the players shooting hoops.

Using predictive models and trend tracking tools, the research team explored whether performance dips could serve as early warning signals. Tention emphasized that the goal was not to keep athletes off the court, but to support smarter workload management and rehabilitation decisions.

“If we can get ahead and adjust workloads or rehab plans much sooner, it takes into consideration the health of the player,” she said. “Something that looks small can actually go much deeper.”

Tention presented her findings at KSU’s Analytics Day, where she earned first place for the second consecutive year. Although she admitted feeling anxious at first, the experience quickly became affirming.

“At first it feels like you’re being judged,” she said. “But once you realize people are actually interested, it turns into telling the story of your work.”

Mentored by principal lecturer Michael Frankel and associate professor Austin Brown, Tention found inspiration in seeing how passion and expertise can intersect across disciplines.

“When you have a passion for something, you can apply your skills to that field,” she said.

Beyond the classroom, Tention completed a data science internship with The Home Depot and accepted a full-time position with the company following graduation in May. She will join the organization this spring as a data science analyst.

During Black History Month, Tention’s story reflects a legacy of curiosity, resilience, and forward progress. By using data to ask better questions and prioritize athlete health, she is helping shape a future where analytics serve people as much as performance.