Are you ready for March Madness, the annual NCAA Men’s basketball tournament? Math plays into this annual event in more ways than you might think. Some of the most popular posts of the past four years have been those celebrating March Mathness, the math behind the sport of basketball! Check this blog regularly for more…
Read MoreWe continue our series of fun March Mathness problems this week. Here are two that were submitted for the Final Four. Gonzaga and South Carolina will play each other in the Semi-Final on Saturday. In the last round Gonzaga beat Xaviar 83 to 59. South Carolina beat Florida 77 to 70. Determine how many points each team…
Read MoreThe teams that made it to the Sweet Sixteen are very different. Some have posted high scores in post season, some low. But they are all winners. Can you find the mean, median, and mode for points scored per game by the teams in the Sweet Sixteen? Team Game 1 score Game 2 score Wisconsin…
Read MoreHere are some fun math problems to share with students: 1. NBA games have 4 12-minute quarters. College games have 2 20-minute halves. Which games are longer, NBA or College, and by how much? 2. The tournament started with 64 teams. Of those, 48 have been sent home. How many teams are left? 3. College players use a basketball…
Read MoreI am from Minnesota and yes, I am a graduate of the University there. And I am upset. I’m upset at the upset of the #5 seeded Golden Gophers at the hands (large hands) of the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders. It was one of two upsets in the first day of the tournament. It…
Read MoreAs we prepare for the actual games, some folks out there are having special fun with the 68 teams. USA Today presents a ranking of the teams according to their team name and mascot. We figured why not add a little math to that fun. Share the link with your class and ask these questions and…
Read MoreSome of the most popular posts of the past three years have been those celebrating March Mathness, the math behind the sport of basketball! Many of you sent in your own math problems for posting. These included scores, records of teams, distance teams have to travel, the basketball court itself, even the numbers on the player’s…
Read MoreThe past two years, we devoted the march blog posts to celebrating March Mathness, the math behind the sport of basketball. Many of you sent in your own math problems for posting. These included scores, records of teams, distance teams have to travel, the basketball court itself, even the numbers on the player’s jerseys. Math…
Read MoreA study released in the this month’s issue of Sports Illustrated magazine reveals that colleges with “bird” mascots have done better than those with animals, fantasy figures, or humans for mascots. Here is how it shapes up Mascot Winning Percentage Birds 58% Fantasy figures/inanimate objects/weather 52% Canines and felines 47.9% Other Beasts 46.5% People 41.1%…
Read MoreLast year, we devoted the march blog posts to celebrating March Mathness, the math behind the sport of basketball. Many of you sent in your own math problems for posting. These included scores, records of teams, distance teams have to travel, the basketball court itself, even the numbers on the player’s jerseys. Math plays into…
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