Harlan County High School mathematics students have been utilizing the NCAA Basketball Tournament to learn about probability and statistics.
Students in Mr. Jacob Carroll’s Algebra I classes have been in one of the school’s many computer labs this week to study performance statistics of players and teams, picking a probable method to determine who will move forward after each game and will continue on to the Big Dance in San Antonio on April 7th and gain the crown of 2025 NCAA Champion.
Students are using a variety of methods, including those that are basketball related and non-basketball related, explained Carroll.
For example, some students use points per game, steals or rebounds to predict a game. Other students have used a variety of non-basketball related statistics including color systems, rolling dice, teams listed in alphabetical order, and even a simple coin flip for each game in the 63-game bracket.
“I’m finding that there is no one method that is above all,” said Carroll. “Based on the year, any method can be better than another depending on the tournament. That’s the difference in theoretical and experimental probability.”
Carroll said the objective of the subjects we learn in the school is to attempt to apply them to the real world. The best case of probability is to apply it to such an event as the NCAA tournament.
Brackets must be submitted to Carroll before noon today. Already he is seeing a variety of projected champions.
“There is no one predominant team. There are a lot of different teams projected to win… That is where the difference in the systems comes in.”
One student’s bracket has Duke and Florida in the title game based on team colors, while another has Yale going through based on points.
Another student utilized the method of “cutest guys” and tagged Kentucky for the title. “She did pick ‘cutest guys’ as her method and had Kentucky winning it because of Trent Noah.”
First place winners from each class will be receiving a free meal from a local restaurant, while second, third, fourth and fifth place winners will get bonus points and homework passes.
Carroll said he enjoys seeing his students have fun while showcasing the skills learned in class.
In his first year at HCHS, Carroll said he hopes to continue the project in future seasons. He began the study while teaching at Red Bird High School for the past three years.