The data behind March Madness

By: Clark E.
Year: 2020
School: Villa Park High School, 9th grade
Division: Senior

March Madness is a men’s college basketball tournament run by NCAA. It was created in 1939 and has been attracting many viewers over the course of its life. It works by putting teams against each other in a bracket, and as the bracket narrows down to 1 team, the winner is decided. Brackets are divided into 4 regions, or corners, and these teams compete until the winners of each corner play each other, and the winners go to the National Championship. The bracket of the tournament is decided by the NCAA and is usually released around March 15. This tournament attracts millions of viewers each year and there is an estimated 7 billion dollars put in bets and wagers across the USA annually

The data I found on March Madness allowed me to make observations and learn more about predicting a perfect bracket. Although the odds may be 1 in almost 4 trillion, this science fair let me find shortcuts and important insights on how to create a winning bracket. Using these shortcuts and insights, my odds of winning my March Madness pool and increased substantially, and over the next few years I am willing to put my money on the fact that this will only get better and better.