Podcast: Pure Bracket Wisdom

Pure Bracket Wisdom is a daily podcast that gets you ready to win your pool in 2019.  Episodes are about 10 minutes and cover bracket strategies as well as preview top teams.

1. How to predict March Madness

If you want to win your pool, analytics can help, especially with the most important decision in your bracket. This is my story of how I started making tournament predictions.

2. The one thing you must get right

Analytics can help you win your pool, but not if you screw this up.  Steph Curry and a 3 point shooting contest serve as an analogy to understand this crucial point.

3. Michigan

John Beilein’s teams had traditionally featured brilliant offense. So why is this program now a defensive juggernaut, with questions about whether they have enough offense to make a deep run?

4. Virginia

Tony Bennett has another terrific team in 2019. One player in particular stands out. But does last year’s catastrophic upset as a 1 seed to a 16 seed matter?

5. Gonzaga

Gonzaga has the NBA level talent to compete with the best teams in the nation. But how does one account for their weak in-conference schedule?

6. How to think contrarian

To win larger pools, you need to go against the public and think contrarian.

7. Kentucky

Kentucky might not be the best team in the nation by the analytics. However, there is one predictor of tourney success that likes the Wildcats and has them ahead of Duke, Virginia and Gonzaga.

8. Three point shooting teams

Live by the three, die by the three. Should you avoid picking three point shooting teams as champion? The data behind this question.

9. Duke

Duke was the favorite to win the tournament. Then Zion destroyed his shoe and hurt his knee. How do we evaluate this talented group of freshmen?

10. Bracket analysis

Does any favorite have an easier path to the Final Four? Which region might be the most interesting?