Last year we created a formula-based March Madness tournament picking challenge with several potential meaningful statistics to use to generate a winning formula. While fun, the exercise proved that the winning formula doesn't depend on logical inputs.
This year, we challenge you to pick the best bracket using some less conventional stats. The winner will pick the best bracket by predicting the winners based on their uniform color, nickname/mascot, and the length of head coach’s name.
The categories and selections to rank are:
Jersey Color: Black, Blue, Green, Purple, Red, Yellow, Other
Nickname/Mascots: Bears, Birds, Cats, Dogs, Fighters, Other, Other Animal, Peoples
Length of the head coach’s last name.
Your challenge is to rank these factors to pick the winners in this year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament.
We have adapted our bracketology spreadsheet to select a winner in each game based on your ratings. This time, your ratings will choose winners round-by-round instead of picking the whole bracket at once.
Your Inputs:
Re-assign the numbers in Yellow, and send us your lists. Any real numbers will work. All categories are summed and the highest composite selects the winner. Use the attached spreadsheet as a guide to predict how you might do.
Scoring: Points are awarded for your ratings selecting the winner in each game. More points are awarded for later rounds. Here is the scoring:
First Four Games will not be picked
1 Point for Each correct pick in Round 2 (Round of 64)
2 Points for Each correct pick in Round 3
3 Points for Each correct pick in the Round of 16
4 Points for Each correct pick in the Regional Finals
5 Points for each correct pick in the National Semi-Finals
6 Points for correctly picking the National Championship
The winner is the person with the highest composite score. However, if you use any diabolical methods to determine your ratings, please send those in. We love to hear them.
To enter, send your rankings to GeekChallenge@dmcinfo.com. The Rankings are the three lists of numbers in yellow on the main tab in the attached spreadsheet. You have until the games start on Saturday, March 23rd to get your entry in. Good Luck!
Some fine print:
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We have done our best to ensure the accuracy of the spreadsheet. However, color for any team may change from day to day, and we will use the actual color worn in each round. When teams wear White, then the colored jersey they wore in a game most recently dictates their color.
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The colors listed represent a color family. For instance, the Yellow family covers Gold, and Red family covers Maroon.
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The Mascot/Nickname category was decided by the authors using a combination of mascots and nicknames. For instance the Aggies from NC A&T are categorized by their dog mascot, but the New Mexico State Aggies are just a People.
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If two teams have equal rankings, we will break the tie for you by picking the underdog as determined seed or AP ranking. There are a few teams who have identical categories and cannot be given different ratings. In the event a match-up occurs between two such teams, everyone will automatically pick the lower seed and the game will not impact the overall standings.
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Decisions of the judges on all categories are final.
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