March Madness bracket information for the men's NCAA tournament in 2024

Greetings from March Madness. We have a plethora of data and trends for you to go into as you get ready to fill up your 2024 NCAA Men’s Tournament brackets. May I suggest the ESPN Tournament Challenge, where you can submit up to 25?

The season has been thrilling, with a record number of top 10 clubs losing to unranked opponents. Why should we anticipate that the surprises will end now that the Big Dance is here?

Please note that this is not a prediction; rather, it is meant to enlighten and entertain. Many ESPN celebrities will be featured throughout the week, but for now, we hope you will find our post about historical nuggets interesting.

Note: Unless specified otherwise, all figures are from 1985, which is also referred to as the “modern era” in this column. Besides, any historical reference to the “second round” refers to the round of 32, and any reference to the “first round” refers to the round of 64. To prevent misunderstanding, each of the First Four stands alone. Lastly, none of the previously mentioned outcomes take into account any further overrides made by the NCAA. For instance, despite Louisville’s appearance being canceled, we still regard Louisville as the 2013 national championship winner.

(Mostly) seed-related trends

First Four

1. At least one member of the First Four has progressed to the second round in 11 of the 12 competitions during which it has existed.

2021 saw UCLA make it to the Final Four, while 2011 saw VCU do the same.

Three more people made it to the Sweet 16

For the first time, two First Four entrants (Pittsburgh, the 11-seed, and FDU, the 16-seed) advanced to the second round in 2023.

First/second rounds

2. Not only did a No. 15 seed win a first-round match for the first time in three years in a row, but all three of them advanced to the Sweet 16.

Oral Roberts (2021), San Pedro (2022), and Princeton (2023)

By making it to the Elite Eight, Saint Peter’s advanced one step farther.

In first-round matches, the No. 15 seeds are 11-141. Nine out of the eleven winners placed among the top two in their respective conference rankings.

The only other 15-seed to place in the top two of its conference this season is South Dakota State, which is ranked first in the Summit League.

3. Among the 20 matchups between the No. 4 and 13 seeds in the last five tournaments, the most number of decisions have come down to a single digit in any pairing of first-round seeds.

Remarkably, out of the twenty matches between the eighth and ninth positions, only seven involved single digit scores.

In 27 out of 38 tournaments, the number 13 seeds have won at least one game.

4. In 14 of the previous 15 events, at least one of the top four finishers has fallen in the opening round.

In the first thirty years of the modern period, the 12 seeds only lost three games, but in the last eight tournaments (2015, 2018, 2023), they have failed to win any.

6. Trend for the second cycle: No. 3 seeds unexpectedly devour No. 6 seedlings

No. 3 seeds have a 22-5 record versus No. 6 seeds since 2008.

The results of No. 3s vs. No. 6s from 1985 to 2007 were 26–25.

Sweet 16

7. A double-digit seed has made it to the Sweet 16 in 15 out of the last 38 competitions and in a row.

The only double-digit seed to advance to the second weekend of the previous tournament was 15th-seeded Princeton.

In both 2021 and 2022, four teams that were rated tenth or lower made it to the Sweet 16.

8. Recently, the 11th seeds have done a great job as Cinderella.

In seven of the previous nine tournaments, at least one No. 11 seed has advanced to the Sweet 16.

Five of the previous twelve tournaments have seen several 11-seeds advance to the second weekend.

That year’s Sweet 16 lacked all 11 seeds. Fifteen years ago was the last time we saw consecutive Sweet 16s without the presence of an 11 seed.

9. Since 2011, when the 68-team era began, there have been four No. 12 seeds and as many No. 15 seeds that have advanced to the Sweet 16.

10. In the past 26 tournaments, the four No. 2 seeds have just twice advanced to the Sweet 16.

Elite Eight

11. In the last three tournaments (and six of the previous seven), at least two teams rated No. 6 or lower have advanced to the Elite Eight.

12. The absence of at least one No. 1 seed from an Elite Eight occurred for the first time last year.

In the previous 13 championships, the four top seeds only made it to the Elite Eight once (2016)

Final Four

13. After 10 tournaments with at least one top seed, there were none in the Final Four in the previous year.

Thirty of the 38 tournaments (79%) have had one or two No. 1 seeds advance to the Final Four.

The four top seeds have only ever advanced to the Final Four once (2008)

14. In nine of the previous ten tournaments, at least one team ranked seventh or lower has advanced to the Final Four.

Conversely, over the first 32 years of planting (1979–2010), this happened a total of eight times.

At least one team ranked No. 4 or lower has advanced to the Final Four in each of the last 13 tournaments.

15. The longest drought among seeds with a Final Four trip is 32 years, which has passed since a No. 6 seed last made it to the championship game.

Three six-seed teams—Michigan (1992), Kansas (1988), and Providence (1987)—have advanced to the Final Four in total.

16. Is Iowa State receiving bad news? None of the 36 teams that started the season unranked and were ranked in the AP top two and top ten made it to the Final Four.

Last season, the two teams that fit these requirements suffered losses on opening weekend: No. 1 Purdue fell to FDU in the first round, and No. 2 Marquette fell to Michigan State in the second.

Despite not receiving any votes in the preseason poll, Iowa State finished second and is now ranked eighth.

Early exit warning: In the first or second round, 15 of the 23 No. 2 seeds who satisfied these requirements were defeated.

Championship game

17. Since Florida in 2007, there hasn’t been a repeat champion. No reigning champion has advanced past the Sweet 16 since that time.

Out of the 15 reigning champions since then, only four have advanced to the Sweet 16 and four have not participated in the competition at all.

In the past six tournaments, the reigning champions have lost in the opening or second round in three of them—Kansas (2023), Baylor (2022), and Villanova (2017).

UConn, the reigning champion, is ranked as the top seed for the third consecutive year.

18. After losing its opening game in the conference tournament, no team has ever gone on to win a national championship.

The top-ranked teams that didn’t win their first conference tournament this year are Tennessee (No. 2), Creighton (3), Kentucky (3), Duke (4), Kansas (4), and Alabama (4).

19. Twenty of the twenty-one national champions who have been tracked by KenPom since 2002 have placed in the top 25 in terms of adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency.

UConn (2014) stands as the lone exception, ranking 10th on defense and 39th on offense.

These days, UConn, Purdue, Arizona, Auburn, Houston, Creighton, Marquette, and North Carolina fit the bill to be in the tournament this year.

By the end of the tournament, Duke and Tennessee might very well qualify as well, as they are both extremely close to doing so.

20. Of the last 16 champions, twelve were number one seeds. However, the last time the top overall finisher took home the championship was in Louisville in 2013. That was eleven years ago.

Eight of the past 19 No. 1 overall picks, including the two most recent ones (Alabama in 2023, Gonzaga in 2022), were eliminated in the Sweet 16 or sooner.

During the opening weekend, they have had four more chances of losing than of winning (three).

UConn, the defending champion, is ranked first overall this year.

21. In the past ten tournaments, a No. 2 seed has only once advanced to the championship game.

2016 saw Villanova triumph as the second seed.

At six tournaments without a title game appearance, the current drought is the longest in history.

The No. 2 and 3 seeds have never faced off in the final game.

22. The only top 8 seed without a championship is the No. 5 seed.

Two five-seed teams made it to the Final Four of the same tournament for the first time last year.

San Diego State joined Butler (2010), Indiana (2002), and Florida (2000) as the only other No. 5 seeds to get to the championship game.

San Diego State, Saint Mary’s, Wisconsin, and Gonzaga are this year’s No. 5 teams.

23. No winner has emerged from a conference with fewer than four bids in 34 years.

In the modern tournament era, just two schools have done so: UNLV in 1990 (a Big West Conference three-bid) and Louisville in 1986 (a Metro Conference three-bid).

The top-ranked teams this year hoping to break this trend are UConn, Marquette, and Creighton—all three seeds and the only representatives from the Big East. Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s, both WCC members, are ranked as the fifth seeds.

Conferences

To make it easier for you to identify your favorite leagues, the conferences are listed alphabetically below. The trends range from good to negative to just plain fascinating.

24. Of the 38 tournaments, the ACC has seen at least one team get to the Elite Eight.

32 of 38 had multiple Sweet 16 teams.

In 26 of 38 cases, at least one Final Four team

In 18 of 38 cases, at least one team made it to the final game.

Eight ACC teams have made it to the Final Four in the last eight tournaments, despite the fact that this is the first time an ACC team has won the top seed since 2019.

25. Three of the last four tournaments have had a Big 12 team that advanced to the championship game, including the 2021 (Baylor) and 2022 (Kansas) champions.

In the first round of the past four tournaments, conference teams have a record of 21-5, which is the best winning percentage of any conference.

Over that time, the Big 12 teams who are rated seventh or lower are 5-1 in the opening round.

26. Not since 2000 has the Big Ten captured a national championship.

In the last three years, just four Big Ten teams have advanced to the Sweet 16 (the fewest in a three-year span since 1996–1998), and none have advanced to the Final Four.

27. Since VCU departed the league following the 2012 season, the Coastal Athletic Association has failed to win a first-round match.

In the first round, four of the previous five CAA teams ranked 12th or 13th have fallen short by a single digit margin (Charleston is ranked 13th).

28. The Mountain West still has problems to overcome despite making it past the Sweet 16 last year.

The first Mountain West club to move past the Sweet 16 and into the championship game was San Diego State last year.

But during the past seven tournaments, MW teams have a 2–12 record in the opening round.

The single victory for Mountain West teams seeded 10th or lower dates back to 2002. The teams are 1-26 overall (including 0-4 in the First Four).

This year, the conference had the most bids with six, but four teams—Nevada, Boise State, Colorado State, and New Mexico—ranked tenth or lower.

29. This is the Pac-12’s final opportunity to produce a national champion after 27 years without one.

It was not until 2006 that he had a squad in the final game.

In the past fifteen years, only two Pac-12 teams have advanced to the Final Four.

For the past five tournaments, four of the conferences’ teams have failed to make it past the Sweet 16 round.

In the past seven tournaments, the Pac-12 has only received four bids or fewer six times.

30. Of the 17 SEC teams who received a top-4 seed, none have advanced to the Final Four since 2016.

The No. 5 seed Auburn in 2019 and the No. 7 seed South Carolina in 2017 were the only two SEC teams to make it to the Final Four since 2016.

In 2014, eighth-ranked Kentucky became the last SEC club to go to the championship game.

This year’s top 4 finishers are Tennessee (2), Kentucky (3), Auburn (4), and Alabama (4).

31. For the first time in 47 years, the Southern Conference hopes to win the NCAA tournament twice in a row.

It was last accomplished by VMI in 1976 when they won two games and another in 1977.

In the first round last year, Furman, ranked 13th, triumphed against Virginia.

This year, Samford, ranked 13th, will play Kansas on Thursday as the conference’s representative.

In the first round of the contemporary era, SoCon teams are 5-33. Three of the victories came from teams that were rated eleventh or lower (East Tennessee State in 1992, Chattanooga in 1997, and Furman in 2023).

32. All three Sun Belt Conference teams who were awarded a 12th seed prevailed in their opening-round contests.

This year’s Sun Belt representative, James Madison, is ranked No. 12 overall. Wisconsin will play the Dukes in the opening round.

Teams/coaches

Although we would like to give each Big Dance team a grade, we were only able to do so for the teams with the most intriguing data—some positive, some bad. Similar to earlier lectures, we have enumerated them using the alphabet.

33. The state of Alabama

Alabama has finished in the top four five times before, but has never gone past the Sweet 16.

The Crimson Tide is 0-4 in Sweet 16 games but 9-1 in the first two rounds of those appearances.

There has never been a Final Four for Alabama.

They just made it to the Elite Eight as the eighth seed twenty years ago.

34. Arizona

Arizona has advanced to the Final Four. Out of the fifteen times, just three have it been in the top 2.

The Wildcats lost to Duke in the championship game during their final Final Four participation in 2001.

35. Walnut

11-0 in games played in the first round in the modern era (no other school has more than three wins without a first-round loss)

Bruce Pearl’s teams have fallen in the second round three times and the Sweet 16 once in his four prior appearances as a top-four seed coach (two at Tennessee and two at Auburn).

In their last two outings as a top-4 seed, the Tigers were eliminated in the second round (2018) and 2022.

36. The bazaar

Baylor has finished as a No. 3 seed or higher for the fourth straight year.

In Baylor’s last six trips as a top five, it has been trick-or-treating (but largely trick-or-treating): losses to teams at least three seeds lower in the other five, but a title in 2021. 5 years.

37. University of Boise

In terms of NCAA tournament games played without a victory, the Broncos have played the most (0-9)

Boise State is taking part in its first-ever NCAA tournament for three straight years.

38. University of Wyoming

The Cougars have made the most appearances in the NCAA Tournament without making it to the Final Four (30).

With their 1981 Elite Eight run, BYU had only won multiple games in a single tournament once.

39. Clemson

games in the first round since 1998, 1-6

The Tigers have lost all 13 of their previous NCAA tournament games by eight points or less.

Clemson only made it past the Sweet 16 once, in 1980 during its inaugural Big Dance (Elite Eight).

40. Creighton

The Bluejays’ two greatest NCAA tournament results in the contemporary era—the Sweet 16 in 2021 and the Elite Eight in 2023—came in the last three years.

The victory over Baylor in the Sweet 16 last year marked the first time over a top-4 seed (1-8)

Third place for Creighton matches the highest in school history.

41. Dayton

Under Anthony Grant’s coaching, the final scores of his four NCAA Tournament games—1-2 against VCU and 0-1 against Alabama—have come down to a single point, two points, or overtime.

The 40th anniversary of Dayton’s run in the Elite Eight as a 10th seed in 1984 (when Grant was a freshman) and his 10-year anniversary of his 11th-seed run in 2014 both fall on this day.

42. Duke

Duke has never finished third or lower in back-to-back tournaments before.

The Blue Devils have not finished in the top three this season for the sixth time. They had lost twice in the Sweet 16 and three times in the first or second round in the previous five events.

43. Florida

Since 2011, they have emerged victorious from eight straight first-round matches, four of which resulted in sixth-place results or lower.

The Gators have advanced to the Sweet 16 eleven times, but just once as a seventh-place or lower finisher.

This year, Florida is placed seventh.

44. Gonzaga

has made it to the Sweet 16 in eight different competitions, the longest current streak

Fourteen straight first-round victories for the Zags

Since finishing 11th in 2016 (when they advanced to the Sweet 16), this is the lowest ranking the Zags have held.

45. Houston

For the first time in school history, the school placed first in consecutive years.

Houston is aiming for its first championship game participation since 1984 and has advanced to the Sweet 16 four times in a row.

46. Illinois

Since the Fighting Illini’s defeat by North Carolina in the 2005 title game, they have not gone past the first weekend.

Since then, they’ve lost to no team ranked higher than eighth.

47. Iowa State

Second seed for the Cyclones is tied for best in school history.

In the modern era, Iowa State has only made one appearance in the Elite Eight, finishing second in 2000.

Under T.J. Otzelberger, Iowa State has scored fewer than 60 points in each of their four NCAA Tournament games and has only once allowed 60 points.

48. Kansas

Record-breaking 34th straight tournament appearance and 23rd straight as a top-4 favorite

The Jayhawks are not in the top two for just the third time in the last 14 competitions.

The Jayhawks have a 7-6 record overall in second-round games since 2010 and have fallen in the second round each of the previous four times they were not the top seed.

49. Kentucky

In John Calipari’s first ten seasons in Lexington, the Wildcats made it to the Elite Eight or deeper seven times, but they haven’t gone past the second round since 2019.

50. The Marqueta

As the No. 2 seed, it advanced to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2013 before falling to Michigan State in the second round.

In his last seven tournament outings (at VCU, Texas, and Marquette), Shaka Smart is 1-7, with four of those defeats coming at the hands of double-digit seeds.

The lone victory throughout that time came against 15th-seeded Vermont in the opening round of the previous year.

Michigan State (51).

Since 2007, the Spartans are 13-1 when starting as the ninth seed or above in the first round.

52. Mississippi State

Bulldogs aim for first victory in NCAA tournament since 2008.

They have only won four tournaments since their 1996 final four (all in the first round).

53. A snowfall

The only conference powerhouse team without an NCAA tournament victory is the Nebraska Cornhuskers (0-7)

The only teams with more tournament games played but no wins are Boise State and Eastern Kentucky.

In the past 25 years, the Huskers have participated in two tournaments.

Single-digit seed teams looking for their first NCAA tournament win have a 5-2 record in the opening round since 2000.

55. New Mexico

In the NCAA tournament, the Lobos have never won two straight games.

As a head coach, Richard Pitino has only one NCAA tournament victory, which came in 2019 when Minnesota was a No. 10 seed.

This year, New Mexico ranks eleventh.

56. Carolina in North

The Tar Heels, who are ranked first this year, have had a markedly different level of success than they have when they are ranked second.

Including four national titles, they have been a No. 1 seed 14 times since 1985, making nine of those appearances in the Final Four.

On the other hand, in their seven journeys as runners-up, they have only made one Final Four appearance.

57. The Northwest

attempting to join Seton Hall and Tulane as the third school since 1985 to win a first-round match in each of their first three NCAA tournament visits.

The Wildcats were defeated by a single digit margin by a top-2 seed in the second round of their two prior visits.

58. Purdue

For the first time in school history, the school placed first in consecutive years.

attempting to make their first Final Four trip since 1980 and their first title game trip since 1969.

The first university to be eliminated by a team rated 12th or below three years in a row is Purdue, which has fallen to teams placed 16th, 15th, and 13th in the last three tournaments.

Purdue is the school with the most appearances in the NCAA Tournament as a top-2 seed without making it to the Final Four.

59. Santa Maria

made history at the institution by participating in three straight NCAA tournaments.

Only once in a competition have the Gaels emerged victorious from multiple matches (the Sweet 16 in 2010).

60. State of San Diego

Of the 27 Mountain West tournament victories in history, 11 have been achieved by the Aztecs (no other institution has more than four).

In the first two rounds, SDSU is 6-0 as a top-5 seed, but is 2-10 when ranked no. 6 or lower.

As it did during its championship run the previous year, San Diego State is ranked No. 5 this year.

61. Carolina in the South

Having started as a No. 7 seed, the Gamecocks advanced to the Final Four in their most recent tournament run in 2017.

In the past 50 years, the four NCAA tournament wins are all they have ever had.

This year, South Carolina is ranked No. 6, which is the highest since it was ranked No. 3 in 1998 (the year Richmond defeated the Gamecocks in the first round).

62. TCU

For the first time in the school’s history, they have advanced to the NCAA tournament three times in a row.

In an NCAA tournament, the Horned Frogs have never won more than one game.

63. Tennessee

Tennessee has made the fourth-most appearances in the NCAA Tournament without making it to the Final Four (25).

The Vols are unbeaten in first-round games (8-0) in their eight prior trips as a top-four seed in the modern era, but they have never gone past the Sweet 16.

Rick Barnes hadn’t defeated a single-digit seed since 2008 (when he guided Texas to the Elite Eight) until his victory against Duke in the second round of the previous year.

Across four of Barnes’ five prior tournament trips to Tennessee, his teams have lost to No. 9, No. 11, or No. 12 seeds, all when starting as the fifth seed or above.

Texas Tech 64

In three of their previous four tournaments, the Red Raiders have made it to at least the Sweet 16.

65. Connecticut University

For the first time since the Huskies advanced to the Final Four in 2009, they are the top seed.

Since winning its first national championship in 1999, UConn has not won an overall Big East regular-season championship. The Huskies are going for their sixth championship this year.

In case you missed it, Florida in 2007 was the last time we had a repeat national champion and the last time a defending champion made it past the Sweet 16.

66. Utah State

Eighth place is tied for highest in Aggies school history.

The Aggies are 1-18 in the NCAA Tournament after making it to the Elite Eight in 1970, having lost their last nine games in the first round.

As a No. 12 seed, the lone victory occurred in overtime against Ohio State in 2001.

67. Washington State

Following their run to the Sweet 16 in 2008 under head coach Tony Bennett, Washington State has not participated in the NCAA Tournament until now.

68. Wisconsin

The previous two times Wisconsin was the No. 5 seed, it lost the opening round by double digits to the No. 12 seed (’19 vs. Oregon, ’13 vs. Ole Miss)

In a seven-year period from 2011 to 2017, the Badgers made it to the Sweet 16 six times, but they haven’t avoided opening weekend since.

With special gratitude to ESPN Stats & Information for their assistance.