A Davidson College math professor in North Carolina says he’s found a formula that will give March Madness basketball fans an edge in picking their wins this year.
Professor Tim Chartler is due to unveil his secret mathematical finding in Manhattan on Thursday, the New York Post reported. While he says it’s not foolproof — it is a significant leg up on the pure guess method.
“You use math, but you have to use intuition as well,” said Mr. Chartler, in the New York Post.
Some of his equations factor in teams that do well on the road. Others take note of the 3-point shooting successes of players, or of the overall toughness of team schedules.
“Your strength of schedule is always going to be the main ingredient to everything,” Mr. Chartier said, in the New York Post. “And that’s the same with all the other factors, too.”
Mr. Chartier said he’s been having students in a couple of his classes evaluate teams since 2010 — with one student, Daniel Martin, finishing the 99th percentile of ESPN’s bracket contest one year. This year, the bracket contest has been made even sweeter. Quicken Loans, backed by Warren Buffett, announced $1 billion for anyone who guesses the perfect NCAA bracket sheet, the New York Post reported.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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