Let the (March) madness start: Tournament tips from our local bracketologist

Prof. Tim Chartier, Joseph R. Morton Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science at Davidson College, specializes in sports analysis and has worked with students over the years to develop ranking methods that help fans to get closer to their difficult -to -understand goal. Here, Charti and Ellis Sriram '26 Data -based knowledge for basketball fans of women offer prospective bracketers.

Tips for the men's tournament will come soon!

What percentage of the top seeds did the Final Four?

In the last four an average of 2.30 seeds of number one in the last four, 0.77 two seeds, 0.47 three seeds and 0.23 four seeds have been in the last four. The average seed in the last four is 1.92, and since Covid four seeds have not done the last four.

During the same period for the MBB tournament there is an average of 1.53 one seed, 0.80 two seeds, 0.43 three seeds and 0.40 four seeds in the last four. The average seed in the last four is 3.08, and since Covid has reduced this number to 4.25. There has been no three seeds in the last four since 2021, and from 2014 to 2024 a four-seed man had not done the final four.

How often is a 5-12 aminiation?

On average, there is an increase of 0.90 5-12 each year, since Covid came up to 1.25 5-12-ups per year.

In 2024 there were 0 5-12 upsets, which was the first time since Covid. The MBB tournament has an average of 1.53 5-12 heights per year, since Covid has fallen to 1.25.

Has a 16 seeds won?

A 1-16 surprise has been annoyed since the WBB tournament expansion, which was struck against Stanford 71-67 in the first round of the 1998 tournament.

By 2018 there had been no 1-16 angered surprise in MBB when UMBC Virginia defeated 74-54. Since then, another 1-16 surprise has been annoyed than the FDU 2023 Purdue defeated 63-58.

How close are the reviews for top teams this year compared to other years?

The top three and top 5 are far closest, and the range of the TOP 10 and the top 30 is the closest in the date area. We may have a wild trip!

If you have made a bracket of seeds, how many years would WBB MBB beat?

If you create a bracket in which the higher seeds with ESPN evaluation rules wins, the WBB clip would surpass the MBB clip in 77% of cases and have won every year since Covid.

In addition, the WBB clip would have won the last 9 tournaments and 14 of the last 15.

Further information:

No team that is not a top three has ever won the WBB tournament.

Both two seeds and three seeds are unbeaten in the first round of the WBB tournament.

All data is based on the post-expansion WBB March Madness (since 1994).