The Elusive Perfect Bracket in March Madness: A Statistic to Ponder
March Madness, the annual college basketball tournament, has been a source of excitement and anticipation for fans around the world. The tournament, which involves 64 teams in the men’s bracket and 68 teams in the women’s bracket, is famous for its upsets and unpredictable outcomes. After just 31 games in the men’s tournament, all perfect brackets have been shattered, leaving fans to ponder this intriguing statistic once again.
The number of perfect brackets among the men’s tournament entries was extremely limited after day one, with only approximately 2,100 remaining from over 31 million. However, Yale University, ranked as a No. 13 seed, upset Auburn with an impressive performance, leaving no perfect brackets intact. The women’s tournament has also seen its fair share of upsets, with fewer than 20,000 of the four million entries remaining perfect.
The odds of picking every game correctly in March Madness are astronomical. Tim Chartier, a distinguished visiting professor at the US National Museum of Mathematics and Joseph R. Morton professor of mathematics and computer science at Davidson College, explains that the odds are one in nine quintillion – a number consisting of a nine followed by 18 zeroes. This figure underscores the level of luck and skill required to achieve a perfect bracket, making it an elusive feat in sports.
The women’s tournament featured an exciting opening day as well, with No. 7 seed Iowa State mounting a dramatic comeback against the No. 10 Maryland Terrapins. Trailing by 20 points, Iowa State rallied to secure a thrilling victory with a score of 93-86. The Cyclones’ dominant performance was led by their standout center, Audi Crooks, who finished the game with an impressive stat line of 40 points on 18-of-20 shooting, along with 12 rebounds and two blocks.
Crooks’ performance was historic; she became the second player in women’s or men’s NCAA championship history to score 40-plus points with at least 90 percent shooting. NBA Hall of Famer Bill Walton holds the first record for this achievement in men’s basketball back in 1973. Crooks’ 40-point performance is also the highest tally by any player in her first career NCAA tournament game since 2000.
Following her team’s victory, Crooks shared an emotional tribute to her late father, who passed away when she was 16 in 2021. She reflected on their bond and how his guidance continues to inspire her on the court, emphasizing the importance of grounding oneself spiritually during competition.
As March Madness progresses, fans can continue to enjoy the unpredictability and thrill of the tournament, knowing that perfect brackets are an elusive and intriguing aspect of this beloved sports event.
