A graduate of John F. Kennedy High in Sacramento, he holds a degree in economics and statistics from UC Davis plus a Master's in Exercise Science and Health Promotion from California University of Pennsylvania.
Now in his fifth year at CRC, his move into basketball is an interesting tale.
"I was a better baseball prospect," he explained. "I'm 5-foot-6."
He also had a passion for math, statistics and the introduction of metrics beyond the baseball basics of batting average, runs batted in and the like -- the now famous narrative highlighted in by the book and film "Moneyball."
This passion dovetailed quite nicely as the gauging of quantifiable performance has moved into basketball in a big way.
Podesta was also involved -- "a little" -- in the AAU basketball scene with evaluating prospects.
With basketball, in-depth statistical analysis has been slower to catch on but executives such as Houston General Manager Daryl Morey employ such research. Butler's Brad Stevens is another numbers guy. It's not a matter of denying the qualitative but an in-depth addition to quantitative efforts.
Measuring the likes of per possession values alongside various other elements from a numbers-don't-lie perspective is simply now here to stay. It's looked at as another evaluation tool in both determining player value and in game-planning for opponents.
Podesta first met Giacomazzi when the former took the latter's basketball class at Cosumnes River College. The intent was to stay in shape.
It turned out to be so much more.
Some time passed after the class concluded and Podesta gave Giacomazzi a call, asking about his awareness of any employment possibilities.
They got to talking and eventually on came Podesta to the CRC basketball staff not only to take the lead in recruiting but in extensive game tape player analysis.
"One reason I love doing this is James. He has an open mind and he's open to change, making adjustments offensively and defensively," Podesta said.
As for the players, Podesta offered "they accept such an analysis. To be successful, you have to be a successful communicator but we break down film, develop statistics and perform analysis and show what we find to the players. It's all about honest performance, contributions and development. We understand we are not a final destination for our players; we want to be a stepping stone to getting them where they want to be, and to get their education paid for. Our primary responsibility at this level is player development, so an honest assessment of where each player is in the development process is essential. So we have to have the hard data that illustrates value."
Podesta can also measure pairings and groups of players to determine who and which is more proficient. It's raw data becoming reality.
Take this to the bank: such will become a valuable recruiting tool once this type of analysis becomes better known and that this will become the norm for four-year college staffs staffs, especially those with higher levels of funding.
"We're still limited due to the small sample size of data we have to evaluate our opponents, but we can still utilize statistical analysis to get a better sense of who we are as a team," Podesta said. "It provides another perspective in assessing team performance and individual value."
Turning to a different element, here's some of what Podesta looks for when he is wearing his CRC recruiting hat.
"I break it into halves, the high school season and the AAU season. One important area to look at is how a player finds and embraces his role. With AAU, some kids who are shooting 20 times a game in high school need to accept a different role in AAU. Is he willing to do so? Is he motivated and playing just as hard?"
Podesta continued, "whether it's in high school or AAU, there is value anytime in watching a player. I'm a big fan of both. Value can even be found in watching practices."
To a query about a kid playing in an out-of-the-way location and what he should do, Podesta offered, "Exposure is absolutely huge. If you're in a rural area, you have to play AAU ball."
He also advocated appearing in showcase events because "now through summer, we live in high school gyms."
Recruiting at the community college level is different than at a four-year institution. The turnover due to the timeframe is much more prolific and it's also a matter of identifying talents who are not going to be NCAA qualified or who have been overlooked or need more time to develop.
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