With March comes one of my favorite things. Building my bracket. Given our huge database of stats I figured I could approach things a little differently this year. No gut checks. No choosing the coolest mascot or my favorite color. This is a journey in data! OK, maybe I'm the only one geeking out on the data around here but stick with me.
I started my plan by looking at what stats this season were the most indicative of a win. For my bracket selection I'm using the top 5.
Field Goal Percentage (2pt & 3pt)
Average Amount of 2pt Shots Made per Game
Field Goal Percentage (2pt)
Average Offensive Rebounds per Game
Average Assists per Game
For each match up I compared the 5 values and gave each winning stat 1 point.

I decided play by the numbers no matter what. I had to steady my shaky hand has I chose Longwood over Houston. Sure it is a crazy pick. Maybe crazy happens and I pick up the W. Here is the end result.

We are just a few games in as I write this but we will see how it all plays out. For next year I will factor in at least 2 more things. For one, strength of schedule has to play a part here. It is much easier for Longwood to post up big numbers than a Big 12 school who is going against giants every game. I also need to factor in injuries. Kansas is a great example of a key shooter not playing in the tournament. What do you think I could have done better?

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