When you’re disillusioned you bought just one Ultimate 4 crew proper — and even missed on all 4 — don’t be concerned. You are not alone. Solely a lucky group out of tens of millions get bragging rights annually by accurately selecting all 4 Ultimate 4 groups.
Annually, effectively beneath one % of Males’s Bracket Problem Recreation entries get the Ultimate 4 precisely proper. Check out 2023, when solely six brackets got here via with the mixture of No. 4 UConn, No. 5 San Diego State, No. 5 Miami (Fla.) and No. 9 Florida Atlantic. Most years see effectively underneath 1,000 entries going an ideal 4 for 4.
This is a have a look at what number of Males’s Bracket Problem Recreation entries — in some way! — accurately picked all 4 Ultimate 4 groups annually:
12 months | Entries Accurately selecting the Ultimate FOur |
---|---|
2014 | 51 |
2015 | 13,705 |
2016 | 117 |
2017 | 46 |
2018 | 54 |
2019 | 457 |
2021 | 396 |
2022 | 1,995 |
2023 | 6 |
So what occurred in 2015? That was the yr three No. 1 seeds made the nationwide semifinals: Duke, Kentucky and Wisconsin. That probably explains why 25.8 % of brackets bought precisely three Ultimate 4 groups right. The opposite semifinalist was No. 7 Michigan State, a program identified for lengthy match runs regardless of the seed underneath coach Tom Izzo.
Going into the 2015 match, the undefeated Wildcats have been particularly standard, getting picked to win the nationwide championship on 46.57 % of brackets — the very best share we have seen for a crew within the Males’s Bracket Problem Recreation. The Spartans’ run as a No. 7 seed was the outlier within the group, at the very least by way of how individuals picked. Each Duke and Wisconsin have been chosen as champions on greater than 10 % of brackets, whereas Michigan State went all the best way on solely 0.96 % of entries.
On the other finish is that 2023 grouping. That was the primary Ultimate 4 in historical past the place no No. 1, 2 or 3 seeds made the semifinals — no prime seed even reached the Elite Eight. Three different years additionally failed to succeed in triple digits with regard to getting all 4 groups: 2014, 2017 and 2018.
In 2014, No. 7 UConn and No. 8 Kentucky made stunning runs to the Ultimate 4, with solely 0.23 % of brackets choosing the eventual champion Huskies to win all of it. In 2017, No. 7 South Carolina was the most important shock, becoming a member of No. 1 North Carolina, No. 1 Gonzaga and No. 3 Oregon. Lastly, in 2018, Cinderella within the type of No. 11 Loyola Chicago busted brackets on the best way to San Antonio, whereas No. 3 Michigan joined prime seeds Villanova and Kansas within the Ultimate 4.