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We’ve gone mad for college hoops
March 15, 2012
It's
March Madness
and many basketball fans are turning to the web to research teams, coaches and players to build the perfect bracket. Being sports nerds ourselves, ever since the seeds announcement on Sunday we’ve been heads down in data, and with just a few hours left until first tip-off and brackets close, we’re attempting a buzzer beater: could search volume be a good indicator of game outcome?
We looked back at basketball search trends
to see how Google would have performed if it had submitted a bracket for the past few tournaments. We've had our hits and misses over the years but in the spirit of the games and curiosity, we’ve decided to reveal
our picks for the 2012 tournament
based on search volume. Check back often to see how we’re doing.
Along with our official bracket, we’ve collected all the ways you can use Google to make your selections and stay connected with your teams and fellow fans throughout the tournament. Explore the full list on our
College Hoops 2012
page.
Connect
Join ESPN college basketball analyst
Doug Gottlieb
, along with fellow fans, in a series of hangouts beginning March 21 on the
ESPN Google+ page
to discuss bracket picks, game highlights and who the experts think will win “
the big dance
.”
We’ve created a
college hoops circle
of NCAA teams you can follow on Google+. Whether a fan of
+Kentucky
,
+Syracuse
,
+UNC
or
+
Michigan State
, you can stay up-to-date on your team and join players and coaches in a hangout.
Stay informed
Keep up with your bracket picks by searching for [
march madness
] or individual teams like [
duke basketball
] to see real-time scores and schedules for the tournament.
Explore
Download a complimentary copy of the Zagat guide
Winning Hangouts for College Basketball Fans
to find a place to watch the games and cheer on your favorite teams. The guide features trusted ratings and reviews for restaurants, sports bars and gastropubs in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New Orleans, Boston, Atlanta, Chicago and Washington, D.C.
Since chances are you can’t physically fly to every game around the U.S., take a virtual tour of the tournament locations via a
customized map overlay
in Google Earth and watch this
video
of 3D models of the stadiums where your favorite teams will be playing.
It's true, I only have one Pac-12 team to support, and it's not my beloved Stanford Cardinal. But, this is still my favorite time of year—buzzer beaters, Cinderella stories and an overwhelming display of pure passion and athleticism that can only be seen during a tournament like this. Good luck to all 64 teams on their journey to the National Championship, and don't forget to join the action using
#GoogleHoops
on Google+.
Posted by Lauren Gellman, Product Marketing Manager
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