Predicting March Madness with IBM Watson Analytics

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Ian BalinaWATSON ANALYTICS EVANGELIST

[email protected]

Predicting March Madness with IBM Watson Analytics


Agenda• Intro to Watson Analytics• Data Preparation• Predictive Analysis• Comparison of Predictive Model• Predicting 2016 March Madness

© IBM 2015 #WatsonAnalytics 3

IBM Watson

To focus on bringing Watson to market, three key areas were identified:

• Natural language processing• Hypothesis generation• Evidence-based learning

Trained using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning algorithms to sense, predict, infer, and in some ways, think.

The Watson you know that won Jeopardy! is now an IBM brand for a next generation of cognitive computing solutions.


How does Watson Analytics fit into the family of solutions?

Watson Analytics leverages Watson’s unique cognitive capabilities in three ways:

1. Provides semantic recognition of concepts in your data such as time, place, and revenue.

2. Identifies recommended starting points for analysis and targets for prediction.

3. Enables interaction in natural language allowing for the exploration of data through simple questions like you would ask a colleague.

Watson Analytics is a cloud based smart data discovery tool from IBM Analytics


Data Preparation

• Source - http://bit.ly/1nPJqma

• Seasons – 2001-2015 men’s college basketball seasons

The hardest part of this analysis is finding the data and merging data sets

• Combine all 15 seasons into one SUPER data set

• Add two columns for Final Four and Championship teams for each year


Predictive Analysis

Top Predictors for Final Four teams

I uploaded the SUPER data set into Watson Analytics and set Final Four and Championship as the targets to predict

Top Predictors for Championship Teams


Historical Comparison of Predictive Model


Predicting 2016 March Madness

North Carolina Predicted Winner


WatsonAnalytics.com – get started today!


Explore

Continue to ask questions about your data using

natural language

Click on the new insights provided by

Watson Analytics and explore the text and

visual results


Explore

Share images with your peers,

or email it to your team


Explore

Add in data points and see things

differently using the visualization menu,

data filters, color pallets and more


Predict

Additional insights

discovered for you

Pin your results for use in

dashboards and storytelling

Automated data visualizations

Identified predictors of your target

analysis


Predict

Additional tabs for further predictive

insights

Pinning for dashboard and

storytelling

Top decision rule determined for

highest percentage of

Wins


Assemble

Include graphics, corporate logos

and more to personalize your

view

Create dashboards and

infographics from your pinned

objects

Select from a wide array of

templates and color schemes

Data & Analytics

Predicting March Madness with IBM Watson Analytics