March Madness: Facts to help you fill out your men's bracket

March Madness brings sports fans together unlike any other event in this country. There's just something about a bracket.

As you get ready to fill out your 2025 men's NCAA tournament bracket, we are here to provide all the facts and trends you can handle.

Let's make one thing clear off the top: This column is designed to inform and entertain, not to predict. Take whatever nuggets speak to you and put them to use as you click through your picks for ESPN Tournament Challenge.

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all stats referenced are since 1985 (also called the "modern era" throughout the column). Also, all results mentioned ignore any subsequent vacating by the NCAA. For example, we consider Louisville the winner of the 2013 national championship game, even though its appearance has been vacated.

The SEC placing a record 14 teams in this year's field is one of the big storylines. This is only the second time there have been four top-2 seeds from the same conference. The Big Ten did it in 2021 and it didn't go so well, as three of the four didn't survive the first weekend and one made the Elite Eight (Michigan). That brings us to our first bracket trend:

1. Only once in the past 10 tournaments has the champion come from the conference with the most bids (or tied for the most).

We'll have much more on the SEC and its history in the Big Dance in the "conferences" section below, but we'll start with a heavy dose of numerology.

Jump to: Seeds | Conferences | Teams

(Mostly) seed-related facts

First Four

2. At least one First Four participant has advanced to the second round in 12 of 13 tournaments.

• Five have reached the Sweet 16, including a pair of Final Four teams (UCLA in 2021 and VCU in 2011)

• Not counting the "COVID bubble" tourney of 2021 (when all First Four games were played on the same day), 10 of the 12 teams to win their next game played in the Wednesday night First Four game

First/second rounds

3. At-large teams that finished at least four games under .500 in conference play are 5-1 in the first round.

• In 2022, 11th-seeded Iowa State became the only such team to reach the Sweet 16

• This year, Oklahoma and Texas (both 6-12 in the SEC) became the first at-large teams to finish more than four games under .500 in conference play

4. Five of the past six at-large teams with 14+ losses won their first-round game.

• Since 2011, there have been 15 previous teams to earn at-large bids despite losing at least 14 games

• These teams are 8-6 in the first round (one lost in the First Four) ... and five of the six losses came by exactly 2 points or in OT

• Two went on to reach the Sweet 16 and both were 11-seeds (Michigan in 2022, Marquette in 2011)

• No. 9 seed Baylor (14 losses), No. 11 seed Texas (15 losses) are in this year's field. The Longhorns will start in the First Four

5. At least one top-4 seed has lost in the first round in 15 of the past 16 tournaments.

• Last year, two top-4 seeds were knocked out: No. 3 Kentucky (by Oakland) and No. 4 Auburn (by Yale)

6. A No. 15 seed has won a first-round game in three of the past four years, and each of those teams went on to reach at least the Sweet 16.

• Princeton (2023), Saint Peter's (2022, Elite Eight), Oral Roberts (2021)

• Nine of the 11 No. 15 seeds to win in the first round finished in the top two in their conference standings

• Three No. 15 seeds (Bryant, Omaha and Robert Morris) finished first in their respective conferences this season

7. No. 14 seeds have won only two first-round games since 2017, tied for the fewest in any seven-tournament span in the modern era.

8. At least one No. 13 seed has won a first-round game in 28 of 39 tournaments.

9. At least one No. 12 seed has won a first-round game in 33 of 39 tournaments.

Sweet 16

10. A double-digit seed has advanced to the Sweet 16 in each of the past 16 tournaments and 37 of 39 overall.

• Last year, No. 11 NC State was the only double-digit seed to reach the second weekend

11. Specifically, No. 11 seeds have been bracket busters in recent years.

• At least one 11-seed has made the Sweet 16 in eight of the past 10 tournaments

• Multiple 11-seeds have reached the second weekend in five of the past 13 tourneys

• Last year, NC State became the sixth No. 11 seed to advance to the Final Four. Three of those six instances have come since 2018. However, we are still awaiting the first 11-seed to reach the championship game

12. Since the tournament expanded to 68 teams in 2011, there have been just as many No. 15 seeds to reach the Sweet 16 as 9-seeds and 12-seeds (four).

13. Last year marked just the third time in the past 27 tournaments that all four No. 2 seeds reached the Sweet 16 (also 2009 and 2019).

• In none of those three instances did more than two No. 2 seeds make the Elite Eight, though.

Elite Eight

14. All four No. 1 seeds made it to the Elite Eight just once in the past 14 tournaments.

15. Only once has there been an Elite Eight without any No. 1 seeds present (2023).

16. At least three No. 2 seeds have advanced to the Elite Eight on five occasions, but the last time it happened was in 2007.

17. At least two teams seeded 6th or worse have reached the Elite Eight in seven of the past eight tournaments, including each of the past four years, which ties the longest such streak (1999 to 2002).

Final Four

18. At least one No. 1 seed has reached the Final Four in 11 of the past 12 tournaments.

19. Either one or two No. 1 seeds have made the Final Four in 31 of 39 tourneys.

20. Only three times in the modern era have we had a Final Four without any No. 1 seeds (2006, 2011, 2023).

21. Only once have all four No. 1 seeds made the Final Four (2008).

22. Each of the past 14 Final Fours has featured at least one team seeded 4th or worse.

23. At least one team seeded 7th or worse has reached the Final Four in 10 of the past 11 tourneys.

• In the first 32 years of seeding (1979 to 2010), this happened only seven times

24. The last time a No. 6 seed made the Final Four was 1992 (Michigan). That drought is easily the longest among seeds that have a Final Four appearance.

25. Bad news for the Red Storm and Spartans? Of the AP top-10 teams entering the NCAA tournament who were unranked to start the season, 37 received a No. 1 or No. 2 seed. None of the 37 made the Final Four.

• St. John's and Michigan State were unranked in the preseason poll, but earned No. 2 seeds and are currently ranked 6th and 7th, respectively

• 63% of No. 2 seeds to meet these criteria (15 of 24) lost in the first or second round

• Last season, Iowa State fit this description and lost in the Sweet 16

Championship game

26. Thirteen of the past 17 champions were No. 1 seeds.

• Since the committee began naming the overall No. 1 seed in 2004, only four of 20 won the title (including UConn last year), while eight of them lost in the Sweet 16 or earlier

• This year's overall No. 1 seed is Auburn

27. Just one No. 2 seed has made it to the championship game in the past 11 tournaments.

• Villanova won the title in 2016 as a 2-seed

• Seven consecutive tourneys without a No. 2 reaching the title game is the longest drought ever

28. A No. 5 seed has never won the championship, the only seed among the top 8 that hasn't done so.

• There have been four 5-seeds to play in the title game: San Diego State (2023), Butler (2010), Indiana (2002) and Florida (2000)

29. Since 2002, when KenPom began tracking, 21 of 22 national champions finished top 25 in adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency.

• The only exception is UConn in 2014 (39th on offense, 10th on defense)

• Auburn, Duke, Houston, Florida, Tennessee, Iowa State and Clemson currently meet these criteria entering this year's tournament

• Michigan State, Alabama, Louisville, Maryland, Arizona, Ole Miss, Gonzaga, Wisconsin and Marquette are all inside the top 35 in both, so they could do so by the end of the tournament

30. No team has won a national championship after losing its first game in the conference tournament.

• Texas A&M (No. 4 seed) and UCLA (No. 7) are the highest-seeded teams to lose their conference tourney opener this year

Jump to: Seeds | Conferences | Teams

Conferences

SEC schools account for more than one-fifth of this year's tournament field. When you send that many teams to the tourney in a given year, higher expectations generally follow. But does strength in numbers portend tournament success?

There have been four previous instances of a conference getting nine or more bids. Here's a breakdown of how each league fared in terms of advancement:

As you can see, the 11-bid Big East did supply the champ (3-seed UConn), which saved the conference's bacon after nine of the 11 teams lost in the first or second round (including four top-4 seeds).

There was similar carnage for the ACC in 2017, as just one of its nine tourney teams survived the first weekend, but that team -- No. 1 seed North Carolina -- hoisted the trophy.

Combined, these two leagues had just three of 20 teams make it to the second week of play. The two champions won as many games (12) as the other 18 teams did.

Comparatively, the other two 9-bid leagues (ACC in 2018 and Big East in 2012) didn't have a team reach the title game, but they had twice as many teams make the Elite Eight.

So, what recent history is the SEC looking to overcome?

31. It has been 13 years since an SEC team won a championship and 11 years since the last appearance in the title game.

• This is the second time since seeding began in 1979 that the conference has multiple No. 1 seeds. The only other time was 1980 (LSU, Kentucky), and neither team reached the Final Four

• The SEC hasn't had a top-3 seed make the Final Four since Kentucky in 2015

32. ACC has had at least one team reach the Elite Eight in 35 of 39 tournaments.

• Multiple Sweet 16 teams in 33 of 39

• Nine Final Four teams in the past nine tourneys

• Four bids this year is the ACC's fewest since 2013

33. Last year was the first time the American Athletic Conference didn't win an NCAA tournament game.

• This is the first time the AAC has earned only one bid (Memphis)

34. Atlantic 10 has had a double-digit seed win a game in two of the past three years.

• No. 11 seed VCU is the A-10's lone representative this year

• A-10 hasn't had a team reach the Sweet 16 since 2014

35. Six of the eight Big East teams to make the tourney the past two years made the Sweet 16.

36. Big 12 failed to have a team reach the Elite Eight last year for the first time since 2015.

37. Big Sky teams are 3-39 in the modern era and haven't won a game since 2005.

38. Big South teams are 1-28 in first-round games. The only win came 18 years ago.

39. Big Ten has not won a national championship since 2000.

• Last year, Purdue became the first conference team to reach the Final Four since 2019 and the first to make it to the title game since 2018

40. Of the past five Big West teams to be seeded 13th or better, two won their first-round game and the others lost by 1, 2 and 7 points.

• UC San Diego is a No. 12 seed this year

41. Coastal Athletic Association has not won a first-round game since VCU left the league after the 2012 season.

• CAA teams seeded 13th or worse have lost 10 straight first-round games. UNC Wilmington's OT victory over USC in 2002 is the last such win

42. Conference USA is trying to avoid going winless in back-to-back tournaments for the first time since 2010 to 2012.

• The conference has been a one-bid league since 2013, making that fact more impressive

43. Ivy League is looking to win a tourney game three straight years for the first time since 1978 to 1981.

• In 2024, No. 13 seed Yale defeated Auburn in the first round. In 2023, No. 15 seed Princeton won two games to reach the Sweet 16

44. Missouri Valley Conference hasn't won an NCAA tournament game in three straight years for the first time since 1987 to 1990.

45. Mountain West teams seeded 10th or worse are 1-24 in the first round, including 22 straight losses.

• All four conference teams to earn a bid are double-digit seeds: New Mexico (10), Utah State (10), San Diego State (11) and Colorado State (12)

• MW teams, regardless of seed, are 4-15 in the first round since 2016

• 1-5 in the First Four, with the only win coming last year by Colorado State over Virginia

46. Patriot League teams are 3-28 in the first round, including 11 straight losses.

47. WAC has won a first-round game two of the past three years, both times by a No. 12 seed.

• Prior to this, the conference hadn't won a tourney game since 2007

• This year's WAC representative, Grand Canyon, is a No. 13 seed

Jump to: Seeds | Conferences | Teams

Teams

48. Alabama

• Last year's Final Four appearance was the first time the Crimson Tide advanced past the Sweet 16 in six times as a top-4 seed

• Alabama is attempting to make the Sweet 16 in three straight years for the first time since 1985 to 1987

49. Arizona

• The Wildcats haven't defeated a team seeded better than 7th since 2015

• Arizona has been eliminated by a team at least 4 seeds worse in six straight tournament appearances, including all three under Tommy Lloyd

50. Arkansas

• Arkansas has reached the Sweet 16 in its past three appearances (2021-23)

• Two of John Calipari's three career first-round losses have come in the past three years, while at Kentucky, to teams seeded 14th (Oakland) and 15th (Saint Peter's). His teams haven't advanced past the second round since 2019

51. Auburn

• The Tigers have lost in the first or second round all three times as a top-4 seed under Bruce Pearl (2018, 2022, 2024)

52. Baylor

• Since winning the national title in 2021, the Bears have lost in the second round three straight years, despite being a top-3 seed each time

• This year, Baylor is a 9-seed

53. BYU

• BYU has the most NCAA tournament appearances without reaching the Final Four (31)

• The Cougars have won multiple games in a single tournament only once since their Elite Eight run in 1981

54. Clemson

• The Tigers won as many games in last year's tournament (3) as they had in the previous 25 years

• Looking to win a tournament game in back-to-back years for the second time in school history (1989-90)

55. Creighton

• The Bluejays' three best NCAA tournament results in the modern era have come in the past four years (Elite Eight in 2023, Sweet 16 in 2021 and 2024)

• 1-9 all time against top-4 seeds

56. Drake

• The Bulldogs have not won a first-round game in the modern tournament era (0-4)

• First-year Drake head coach Ben McCollum won four D-II national championships at Northwest Missouri State in a five-season span from 2017 to 2022

57. Duke

• This is the seventh time in the past 20 tournaments the Blue Devils have been a No. 1 seed.

• In the previous six instances, they won two titles (2010, 2015) but also lost in the Sweet 16 three times and the Elite Eight once

58. Florida

• Florida hasn't advanced to the second weekend since 2017, which is also the last time the Gators were a top-4 seed

• The Gators made the Final Four both previous times they were a No. 1 seed, including a national championship in 2007

59. Georgia

• The Bulldogs haven't won an NCAA tournament game in 23 years and have never won as a No. 9 seed or worse (0-4)

60. Gonzaga

• The Zags have nine straight Sweet 16 appearances. Only North Carolina (13 from 1981 to 1993) has a longer streak in history

• Gonzaga has won 15 straight first-round games

61. Houston

• This is the Cougars' third straight year as a No. 1 seed. They lost in the Sweet 16 each of the past two years

• Houston has made five straight Sweet 16s but is seeking its first championship game appearance since 1984

62. Illinois

• The Fighting Illini have never won multiple games in a single tournament as a 6-seed or worse

• Illinois is attempting to reach the Sweet 16 in consecutive tournaments for the first time since 2004-05

63. Iowa State

• The Cyclones have reached the Sweet 16 in two of the past three years, as very different seeds. They were a No. 2 last year and a No. 11 in 2022

64. Kansas

• Each of the past five times the Jayhawks were not a No. 1 seed, they lost in the second round (the past four times by double figures)

• Each of the four previous times Kansas has been the preseason No. 1 in the modern era, it has lost in the first or second round of the NCAA tourney

65. Kentucky

• The Wildcats have only one tournament victory in the past three years, losing in the first round as a No. 2 and No. 3 seed. The last time they reached the second week of tourney play was 2019

• Mark Pope is seeking his first NCAA tournament win as a head coach (0-2 at BYU)

66. Louisville

• This is Louisville's first NCAA tourney appearance since 2019, and the Cardinals haven't reached the Sweet 16 since 2015

• Since winning the national title in 2013, Louisville has been knocked out by a team seeded at least 3 spots lower in all four tournament trips ... interestingly, in a different round each time

67. Marquette

• Shaka Smart is 3-8 in his past eight tournament appearances (at VCU, Texas and Marquette). All three wins and five of the eight losses came against double-digit seeds

• Marquette hasn't defeated a single-digit seed since 2013, and Smart hasn't since 2012

68. Maryland

• The Terrapins are seeking their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2016, which is also the last time they were a top-5 seed

• Maryland hasn't defeated an opponent seeded better than 7th since 2003

69. Memphis

• The Tigers haven't reached the Sweet 16 since 2009, John Calipari's final season in Memphis

• It has been 30 years since the last time Memphis made it to the second weekend when seeded 3rd or worse

70. Michigan

• Michigan has advanced to the Sweet 16 or deeper in each of its previous five NCAA tournament appearances (2017-22)

71. Michigan State

• The Spartans have reached the Final Four five of the seven times they have been a top-2 seed under Tom Izzo

• They have not made it to the title game since 2009

72. Mississippi State

• The Bulldogs are seeking their first NCAA tournament victory since 2008

• They haven't won more than one game in a single tourney since their Final Four run in 1996, which is the last time they defeated a team seeded better than 8th

73. Missouri

• The Tigers have the second-most NCAA tournament appearances without making the Final Four (29)

• Missouri has just one NCAA tournament victory since the field expanded to 68 teams in 2011

74. New Mexico

• The Lobos have never won two straight NCAA tournament games

• New Mexico hasn't won a tourney game since 2012

75. North Carolina

• North Carolina is a No. 11 seed, the worst seed it has ever earned

• The Tar Heels' previous low was an 8-seed (five times) and they have fared very well in that role, losing in the title game in 2022, the national semis in 2000 and the Sweet 16 in 1990

76. Oklahoma

• Porter Moser reached the Sweet 16 and Final Four in his only two NCAA tournament appearances while coaching at Loyola Chicago, and did so as an 8- and 11-seed (this is his first trip with Oklahoma)

77. Ole Miss

• Ole Miss has five NCAA tournament wins in program history. Rebels head coach Chris Beard won that many games during Texas Tech's run to the 2019 title game

• The only time Ole Miss won multiple games in a single tournament was 2001 (Sweet 16)

78. Oregon

• The Ducks have never lost a first-round game under Dana Altman (7-0 with one no-contest advancement in 2021 due to COVID policies). All but two of these wins came as a No. 7 seed or worse

79. Purdue

• Last year's runner-up finish put an end to an ignominious stretch of three straight tournaments being knocked out by teams seeded 16th, 15th and 13th

80. Saint Mary's

• The Gaels have won multiple games in a single tournament only once (Sweet 16 in 2010)

81. San Diego State

• The Aztecs are 0-5 in school history as a double-digit seed in the NCAA tournament

• San Diego State reached the title game in 2023 and the Sweet 16 in 2024 as a No. 5 seed and lost to UConn both years

82. St. John's

• The Red Storm are seeking their first NCAA tournament victory since 2000. The last time they advanced to the second week of tourney play was 1999 when they made the Elite Eight as a No. 3 seed

• It has been 10 years since Rick Pitino advanced past the first weekend of play. He took Louisville to the Elite Eight as a No. 4 seed in 2015

• He and Arkansas' John Calipari are attempting to become the first coaches to take four different schools to the Final Four

83. Tennessee

• The Vols have the fourth-most NCAA tournament appearances without making the Final Four (26)

• Seeding matters for Rick Barnes. His teams have advanced to at least the Elite Eight in four of five previous appearances as a top-2 seed (all at Texas and Tennessee). He has never advanced past the Sweet 16 in 23 appearances as a No. 3 seed or worse

84. Texas

• The Longhorns are 0-5 as an 8-seed or worse since 2005, all decided by single digits (two in OT)

85. Texas A&M

• The Aggies have never advanced past the Sweet 16 in school history. They did make the Sweet 16 both times they earned a top-4 seed (2007 and 2016)

• Buzz Williams has reached at least the Sweet 16 all three times his teams have earned a top-4 seed (2019 at Virginia Tech, 2012-13 at Marquette), including one Elite Eight trip

86. Texas Tech

• In four appearances as a No. 3 seed, the Red Raiders lost in the Sweet 16 twice, Elite Eight once and were national runner-up in 2019

• They have four wins total in their other 10 tourney trips in the modern era (all as a 6-seed or worse)

87. UCLA

• UCLA has reached the second week of tourney play in all three previous trips under Mick Cronin, losing in the Sweet 16 twice (as a 2- and 4-seed) and the Final Four once (as an 11-seed)

88. UConn

• The Huskies are the first back-to-back national champion to make the NCAA tournament since Duke in 1993. Those Blue Devils earned a 3-seed but lost in the second round

• Last year, UConn became the first defending national champ to get past the Sweet 16 since 2007

• UConn is 0-2 when seeded 5th or worse under Dan Hurley

89. UC San Diego

• Trying to become the first team in the modern era to win in its NCAA tournament debut as a No. 12 seed. In fact, 11- and 12-seed first-timers are winless (0-6)

• Dating back to 1993, only four of the past 87 schools to make their tourney debut won a first-round game that year: Northwestern (8-seed in 2017), FGCU (15-seed in 2013), Norfolk State (15-seed in 2012) and Hampton (15-seed in 2001). For greater context, 74 of those 87 were No. 14, 15 or 16 seeds

• Tritons are only the third team in the past 52 years to make the tournament in their first year of eligibility

90. UNC Wilmington

• Despite a 1-6 record in the NCAA tournament, the Seahawks have been a tough out historically. Each of their past six tourney games have been decided by single digits, despite being seeded 9th, 11th, 12th and 13th

91. Utah State

• The Aggies snapped a 9-game losing streak in the first round last year by beating TCU. They are 2-19 in the NCAA tournament since reaching the Elite Eight in 1970

92. Vanderbilt

• Since its Sweet 16 appearance in 2007, Vandy has lost six of seven NCAA tournament games. Five of those six losses came against teams seeded 8th or worse

93. VCU

• The Rams have only one win in the past 10 tourneys. The only time VCU has won multiple games in a single tournament was in the magical 2011 season when the Rams went from the First Four to the Final Four

• Head coach Ryan Odom's only NCAA tournament victory is one of the most notable in history: UMBC becoming the first No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1 in 2018

94. Wisconsin

• Since advancing to the Sweet 16 or farther four straight years from 2014 to 2017, the Badgers have been ousted by a No. 11 or 12 seed in three of their past four appearances

95. Xavier

• The Musketeers have reached the second week of tournament play twice as a double-digit seed in the 68-team era (2017 Elite Eight as an 11-seed, 2012 Sweet 16 as a 10-seed)