Forty games into the NCAA Tournament, fans had very slim chances for a perfect bracket—only two out of over 26 million got it right. The excitement dropped significant perfect entries when Texas pulled off a surprising 74-68 win against Gonzaga. This victory left just 22 flawless brackets in ESPN’s contest and 27 in the NCAA’s.
On the same Saturday, higher-seeded teams seemed to dominate, but not without surprises. No. 4 seed Nebraska, after years without a Tournament win, defeated fifth-seeded Vanderbilt 74-72. With Arkansas also winning, ESPN’s perfect brackets dwindled to just two remaining.
On Friday alone, favored teams went 16-0, continuing strong into Saturday with No. 1 seed Duke beating No. 9 seed TCU 81-58 and No. 1 Michigan overpowering No. 9 Saint Louis 95-72. However, the upset by Texas against Gonzaga significantly impacted the landscape of the perfect brackets.
Women’s tournament entries faced a similar fate. Starting with 675,000 perfect brackets, the count quickly dwindled to just 1,131 after the first round. Only three lower-seeded teams managed to win, with No. 10 Virginia defeating No. 7 Georgia 82-73, No. 9 Southern California knocking out No. 8 Clemson 71-67, and No. 9 Syracuse beating No. 8 Iowa State 72-63. A narrow save came from Iowa, which held off 15th-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson in a tight match, winning 58-48.
The odds of completing a perfect bracket are staggering—somewhere between one in 9.2 quintillion for random guesses or about one in 120 billion for educated ones. This shows just how challenging it is to predict outcomes in a tournament filled with surprises.
As fans cheer for their favorite teams, social media buzz reflects both joy and heartbreak as brackets get shattered. The unpredictable nature of March Madness keeps everyone guessing, proving yet again why it’s such a thrilling time for sports lovers.
For more insights and updates, visit the AP March Madness hub here and find coverage here.
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