Senior Consultant David Lorenz was profiled in The Darden Report for his use of machine learning tools in predicting winners of games in this year’s NCAA Tournament. In this challenge, which was sponsored by Google, Mr. Lorenz combined data from various sources to build a predictive model; he then evaluated and adjusted it based on relevant parameters. The most effective model, he found, was a neural network that included 25 variables. He predicted 76% of the games correctly, with the result that he took fourth place among 868 entries. “UVA Business Analytics Student’s Predictive Model Takes Home Cash Prize in Global NCAA Tournament Competition” highlights Mr. Lorenz’s methods for developing his model. Mr. Lorenz is enrolled in the Master of Science Business Analytics program at the University of Virginia while working at Bates White.
Mr. Lorenz’s performance applying machine learning to the NCAA Tournament is a great example of how he was able to leverage his professional and academic experience to innovative and powerful modeling approaches.
