Nineteen March Madness Stats & Facts You Should Know in 2022

March Madness is one of the most anticipated sporting events in the calendar year, with each tournament bringing unforgettable moments and unexpected heroes to households across America. The exciting and unpredictable nature of the tournament over the course of its 80-plus year history has made for some incredible facts and statistics; for example, did you know that the NIT was considered more prestigious than the NCAA Tournament through the 1950s?

Here are 19 other things you may find hard to believe:

What are the odds of filling out a perfect bracket?

Odds of filling out a perfect bracket are 1 in 9.2 quintillion

What is the biggest upset?

University of Maryland-Baltimore County is the only 16th seed to ever defeat a No.1 seed in the opening round- handling the University of Virginia by a score of 74-54 in 2018

What is the lowest seed to ever win the NCAA Tournament?

The lowest seed to ever win the tournament is Villanova, 1985 as an 8th seed

What is the lowest seed to reach the Final Four?

Lowest seed to ever reach the Final Four: 11th seed

• LSU (1936)
• George Mason (2006)
• VCU (2011)
• Loyola Chicago (2018
• UCLA (2021)

Have all four number one seeds made the final four?

Only one time have all four No. 1 seeds made the Final Four: 2008 (Kansas, North Carolina, UCLA, Memphis)

How many teams in the first NCAA Tournament?

The first NCAA Tournament featured eight teams in 1939.

Who is the first NCAA Tournament Champion?

The first NCAA Tournament winner was Oregon, who defeated Ohio State.

Who has scored the most points in a NCAA Tournament game?

Notre Dame’s Austin Carr holds the record for most points by a single player: 61 in the first round against Ohio.

Who has scored the most points in a NCAA Tournament?

Most points in a single tournament: 184; Glen Rice, Michigan, in 1989

Who has scored the most career points in a NCAA Tournament?

Most career points in tournament play: 407 in 23 games; Christian Laettner.

Who is the youngest coach to win the NCAA Tournament?

Youngest coach to ever win NCAA Tournament: Emmett “Branch” McCracken, 31 years old; 1940 Indiana Hoosiers.

Who has won the tournament as a player and a coach?

Only 3 men have won as both a player and a coach:

• Dean Smith, Kansas and North Carolina
• Bob Knight, Ohio State, Indiana
• Joe B. Hall, Kentucky

How many different schools have won the NCAA Tournament?

Over the tournament’s 80 year history, only 36 different schools have won the NCAA Tournament.

Have any fifth seeds won the NCAA Tournament?

No fifth seeded team has ever won the NCAA Tournament.

Have any schools won both the NCAA Men's and Women's Tournament?

UConn is the only school to have both their men’s and women’s team win the NCAA Tournament in the same year; 2004 and 2014

Which schools have played each other the most?

Marquette vs. Kentucky has happened 10 different times, with Marquette winning 6 of the matchups.

Which school has the most NCAA Tournament Championships?

UCLA has won the most NCAA Tournament Championships: 11.

Which school has the longest winning streak?

UCLA has the longest streak of consecutive NCAA Tournament Championships: seven from 1967-1973.

Where did the term "March Madness" start?

Brent Musberger coined the term “March Madness” in 1982.

Filling Out a Bracket?

Statistica reported that “Estimates suggest that around 36.7 million adults in the United States intended to fill out a bracket during March Madness in 2021.”

Making a Bet?

Statistica reported that “Approximately 47.4 million U.S. adults intended to bet on the tournament games.”

Here are some stats to consider when picking the first round (via NCAA.com):

1. No. 10 seeds beat No. 7 seeds around 40% of the time
2. No. 11 seeds beat No. 6 seeds around 37% of the time
3. No. 12 seeds beat No. 5 seeds around 35% of the time
4. No. 13 seeds beat No. 4 seeds around 20% of the time
5. No. 14 seeds beat No. 3 seeds around 15% of the time
6. No. 15 seeds beat No. 2 seeds around 5% of the time

Number of upsets in the Second Round prior to 2021 by seeds (via NCAA.com)