LAS VEGAS (AP) — Kentucky's 80-76 loss to Oakland on Thursday night had significant implications for NCAA Tournament brackets across the country. The upset not only dashed the hopes of many who had picked Kentucky to advance, but it also drastically reduced the number of perfect brackets remaining in various bracket challenges.
Entering the tournament as the third seed, Kentucky was selected to win by 95% of brackets in the ESPN Tournament Challenge against 14th-seeded Oakland. The majority of brackets had Kentucky advancing deep into the tournament, with 74.21% predicting the Wildcats to reach the Sweet 16, 28.84% to make the Final Four, and 6.5% to win the national championship.
Following Kentucky's unexpected exit, the number of perfect brackets dwindled significantly. By the end of the first full day of the NCAA Tournament, only 1,825 perfect brackets remained on ESPN, representing a small fraction of the total entries.
March Madness Live, the official NCAA site, reported that only 0.005% of brackets were still flawless, while CBS had 0.09% before the conclusion of the day's games.
Other upsets during the tournament further shook up brackets, with eighth-seeded Mississippi State and sixth-seeded BYU also falling in the first round. Both teams were expected to advance in over 9 million ESPN brackets but were defeated by Michigan State and Duquesne, respectively.
The tournament saw a record 22.6 million brackets filled out on ESPN's site, marking a 15% increase from the previous year.
UConn emerged as the top pick to win the championship on CBS' site, with 32.3% of brackets selecting them as the eventual champions. Purdue, Houston, and North Carolina followed as popular choices, with all four being No. 1 seeds and considered the most likely Final Four contenders.
Sheldon Jacobson, an expert in bracket analysis, emphasized the importance of a strategic approach to bracket selection. He advised participants to focus on picking the best teams in each region before constructing their brackets, as this method can help reduce the risk of errors in later rounds.
As the tournament progresses, fans and bracket enthusiasts will continue to monitor the outcomes of games and adjust their brackets accordingly in pursuit of the perfect bracket.
For more information on the AP March Madness bracket and coverage, visit here and here.
