First Four Teams Making Deep Runs Since the tournament expanded in 2011, teams emerging from the First Four have consistently advanced beyond expectations, with some reaching as far as the Final Four.

No. 11 Seeds: The New Bracket Busters In recent years, No. 11 seeds have become giant killers, frequently upsetting higher-seeded teams and making deep tournament runs.

At-Large Teams with Losing Conference Records Teams with sub-.500 conference records have received at-large bids and often vindicated their selection with strong tournament performances.

The Resilience of 14-Loss Teams At-large teams with 14 or more losses have a surprising track record, with many winning their first-round games and some advancing further.

Top-4 Seed Vulnerability Historically, at least one top-4 seed has been upset in the first round in 15 of the past 16 tournaments, highlighting the unpredictability of March Madness.

No. 15 Seeds Making History In three of the past four years, a No. 15 seed has not only won a first-round game but also advanced to the Sweet 16 or beyond, defying expectations.

Drought of No. 14 Seed Upsets Since 2017, No. 14 seeds have only secured two first-round victories, marking the fewest in any seven-tournament span in the modern era.

Consistency of No. 12 Seed Upsets No. 12 seeds have won at least one first-round game in 33 of the past 39 tournaments, making them a popular upset pick.

Double-Digit Seeds in the Sweet 16 A double-digit seed has reached the Sweet 16 in each of the past 16 tournaments, underscoring the potential for lower-seeded teams to make significant runs.

No. 8 Seeds' Deep Runs No. 8 seeds have a history of making deep runs, with several reaching the Final Four and even the championship game.

Scarcity of All No. 1 Seed Final Fours Only once since 1985 have all four No. 1 seeds reached the Final Four, emphasizing the tournament's unpredictability.

Elite Eight Without No. 1 Seeds The 2023 tournament marked the first time in history that no No. 1 seeds advanced to the Elite Eight, highlighting the increasing competitiveness of lower-seeded teams.

Preseason Unranked Teams Earning Top Seeds Teams unranked in the preseason poll but earning No. 1 or No. 2 seeds have historically struggled to reach the Final Four, with none succeeding in 37 attempts.

The Elusiveness of the Perfect Bracket Despite millions of entries, no one has ever achieved a perfect bracket, illustrating the tournament's inherent unpredictability.

Warren Buffett's Bracket Challenge Billionaire Warren Buffett has offered substantial prizes for employees who can predict a near-perfect bracket, highlighting the widespread appeal and challenge of bracketology.