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The VARIETY File

The VARIETY File

WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 22: Braden Smith #3 of the Purdue Boilermakers steals the ball from Austin Williams #24 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the second half at Mackey Arena on February 22, 2024 in West Lafayette, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

We’re into March, and it’s official championship time in the 2024 men’s college basketball season. Right now, games are being played that will help determine which teams will make it into the much-coveted NCAA tournament and March Madness. So, which teams should top your bracket?

The No. 1 seeds are no surprise, for the most part. There’s no way any other teams will be able to top Purdue, Houston and Connecticut. But, the rest is up for grabs.

Before we get into the rankings, let’s learn some fun facts about the NCAA Tournament. The very first March Madness started on March 17, 1939, according to BleacherNation.com. They also note that the first tournament in college basketball history had only eight teams. Oregon won the NCAA Division I Championship that year, with a 46-33 win over Ohio State. As for huge upsets, and I remember this one, during the 2018 NCAA Tournament, UMBC beat No. 1 seed Virginia 74-54. That marked the first time in NCAA history a No. 16 seed beat a number 1.

The Odds of a Perfect March Madness Bracket

What are the odds of you getting a perfect bracket? Not good. Not good at all. According to the NCAA, you have a 1 in 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 (9 quintillion) chance to make a perfect bracket. If you really know nothing about college basketball knowledge, your odds become 1 in 120.2 billion. So, don’t bet the house or first born on your bracket. That’s so crazy. For years, I was really good at doing brackets and even won in some bracket pools with coworkers and friends. But, then I stopped doing brackets for a few years, because I wanted to enjoy the game. Now, I’m back and ready to do a bracket again this year. My team, the Michigan State Spartans, have not been doing well lately. But, there’s time, and hopefully they can turn things around. Fingers crossed.

Let’s get into our March Madness 2024 power rankings.

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