According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association's official website, 1 in 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 is the probability that one creates a perfect bracket for March Madness. The NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament features 68 teams in a single-game elimination style. These teams are ranked accordingly by a committee on “Selection Sunday,” which took place on March 17, 2024 this year. The teams are then split off into four regionals: South, East, West and Midwest. Here, we take a look at how teams have fared thus far in the first round of the men’s tournament. 

South

Powerhouse schools like No. 4 Duke University, No. 2 Marquette University, and No. 1 University of Houston marched their way into the second round, outscoring opposing teams by double digits. But more prominently, the South also features many underdog teams, who despite their record, defeated their higher-seeded opponent. These teams that came up on top included KJ Simpson’s nail-biting game-winner for No. 10 University of Colorado and victories from No. 9 seed Texas A&M University and No. 12 seed James Madison University. 

However, the biggest surprise came with No. 14 seed Oakland University’s upset over No. 3 University of Kentucky, the latter whose roster contains multiple five-star recruits. Sixth-year, Jack Gohlke, who just transferred to Oakland, was the star of the show. He knocked down ten three-pointers to lead the Golden Grizzlies to victory. Gholke became 1 of 5 players to make 10 or more three-pointers in the NCAA tournament. 

East 

Reigning champions and No. 1 University of Connecticut strolled through No. 16 Stetson University in a blowout 91-52 win. Based on multiple news outlets, UConn has the best odds of winning the tournament once again. Since 1980, only seven reigning champions have made it to the Final Four round, with University of Florida as the most recent back-to-back winner in 2007. UConn’s resilience will be tested in their upcoming matchup against No. 9 Northwestern University in the second round. 

Despite two of their starters being injured, the Northwestern Wildcats won against No. 8 Florida Atlantic University in a 77-65 overtime thriller. Ryan Langborg, who just transferred from Princeton University, led the Wildcats in scoring with 27 points. Boo Bui added 22 points while Brooks Barnhizer recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. 

Another blow to people’s brackets occurred as No. 13 Yale University defeated No. 4 Auburn University. 

“Princeton made the Sweet 16 last year and we were at home, they beat us in the championship, and each and every one of the guys in the locker room were just itching to get our opportunity. Our opportunity presented itself. We know how good we are, so we believed,” said August Mahoney, a senior and team captain for Yale. 

Yale certainly performed big when it counted. John Poulakida simply could not miss, going 10 for 15 from the field, including a stepback three that gave Yale the lead at 73-72 with 2:10 left in the fourth quarter. Yale never trailed after that point. Mahoney also poured 14 points in the win. 

West

Other than No. 12 Grand Canyon University’s win over No. 5 Saint Mary’s College, the West did not feature many upsets. Although the No. 9 Michigan State University Spartans’ victory over the No. 8 Mississippi State University Bulldogs showed why no one should underestimate Tom Izzo, the head coach for Michigan State. Izzo, who has coached numerous National Basketball Association players such as Golden State Warriors power forward Draymond Green, racked up his 20th first-round win. Despite a large number of turnovers, the Spartans made up with their confident three-point shooting, ball movement, and most importantly, out-rebounding the opponent. 

For a school that made their second March Madness, No. 16 Wagner College showed their tenacity on the court. They clung on to a 71-68 victory over Howard University in the First Four (the tier prior to the First Round) before falling to the No. 1 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in a 28-point loss. 

Midwest 

After a disappointing first-round exit from No. 1 Purdue University last year at the hands of No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson University, Purdue (No. 1 once more) survived against No. 16 Grambling State University in a convincing 78-50 win. Zach Edey leads the NCAA in scoring at 24.6 points per game, and his 7 foot 4 inch stature enables him to dominate in the paint, scoring and rebounding at will. In the game versus Grambling State, Edey tallied 30 points and 21 rebounds. If Edey can maintain this type of phenomenal production, then Purdue has a chance to make a deep run to the Final Four, a feat they have not achieved in 44 years. 

No. 8 Utah State University, No. 7 University of Texas at Austin, No. 5 Gonzaga University, No. 4 University of Kansas , No. 3 Creighton University and No. 2 University of Tennessee also advanced to the second round. No. 11 University of Oregon’s upset over No. 6 South Carolina may have messed up some brackets. However, the biggest surprise came in the First Four, round in which No. 16  Colorado State University defeated No. 10 University of Virginia 67-42. It called into question whether the metrics used by the NCAA committee to rank teams were justifiable. Prior to entering the tournament, Virginia had multiple 20-point losses and performed subpar in the Athletic Coast Conference. Yet, Virginia still found itself in the NCAA tournament. In the game versus Colorado State, Virginia only hit five shots in the first half. The Cavalier’s 42-point performance was the second-fewest-points by an ACC team in the NCAA tournament. The internet had much to say about this disappointing loss. 

Looking Ahead 

It is nearly impossible to create a perfect bracket. But maybe that is the same reason why March Madness is so exhilarating for millions of sports fans. With the upsets, underdog stories, dominating wins and never-ending rivalries between teams, March Madness is an unpredictable time of year. There is no shortage of noise that each team brings throughout the tournament. 

The NCAA’s official website sums it up well — “March is here and no one is safe. Maybe not even Connecticut.”