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Troy Today
By the People, for the People
High Point's March Madness Upset Dashes Millions of Perfect Brackets
The 12th-seeded High Point Panthers took down 5th-seeded Wisconsin, ending hopes for a flawless NCAA tournament bracket.
Mar. 20, 2026 at 12:48am
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The bid for a perfect NCAA men's tournament bracket disappeared for over 25 million people by mid-afternoon on Thursday, fueled by 12th-seeded High Point's first-round stunner over fifth-seeded Wisconsin. ESPN reported that just under 900,000 blemish-free brackets remained after the opening wave of games, which is just over 3% of the total brackets entered.
Why it matters
The odds of going 67-0 in the men's NCAA tournament bracket are astronomically low, estimated anywhere from one in 9.2 quintillion to one in 120 billion. High Point's upset of Wisconsin dashed the hopes of millions who had the Badgers advancing, highlighting just how difficult it is to predict a perfect March Madness bracket.
The details
In addition to High Point's victory over Wisconsin, other early upsets included 9th-seeded TCU edging 8th-seeded Ohio State, and 4th-seeded Nebraska picking up its first-ever NCAA tournament win over Troy. These results took a major toll, with 83% of Yahoo entries including a Wisconsin win in the first round.
- On March 20, 2026, High Point defeated Wisconsin in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
The players
High Point
The 12th-seeded High Point Panthers, who pulled off a surprise upset over 5th-seeded Wisconsin in the first round of the 2026 NCAA men's basketball tournament.
Wisconsin
The 5th-seeded Wisconsin Badgers, who were upset by 12th-seeded High Point in the first round of the 2026 NCAA tournament.
Chase Johnston
A player for the High Point Panthers who hit several key 3-pointers in the upset victory over Wisconsin.
The takeaway
High Point's stunning upset of Wisconsin in the NCAA tournament's first round dashed the hopes of millions who had the Badgers advancing, underscoring just how difficult it is to predict a perfect March Madness bracket. The loss of so many flawless brackets highlights the unpredictable nature of the tournament and the thrill of unexpected Cinderella stories.
