The 2015 “March Madness” NCAA Tournament began with a bang and the utter destruction of practically everyone’s bracket. Incredibly, as much as 99 percent of all brackets shed their “perfect” status within the first couple hours of the tournament kicking off.
Perhaps a few NCAA fans generated the nine quintillion combinations needed to beat the bracket-busting odds. More than likely it was a couple of some lucky newbies who knew nothing heading into the 2015 NCAA tournament. In any case, the rest of us have been left scratching our heads in the wake of shocking losses by Iowa State, Baylor, and SMU.
99.3 percent of March Madness brackets are already busted http://t.co/3N4bIwghS9 pic.twitter.com/eP8Od8iJHH
— Bill Hanstock (@sundownmotel) March 19, 2015
The Iowa State upset is believed to have dealt the biggest blow to brackets. The No. 3-ranked team fell to the No. 13-ranked UAB Blazers. It was a startling turn of events, as many NCAA pundits predicted that they had a chance at facing the undefeated Kentucky in the tournament final. Instead, Iowa State finds itself bounced out of the 2015 NCAA Basketball Tournament painfully early, losing 59-60.
It was deja vu in the West as No. 3 Baylor lost to No. 14 Georgia State by a single point, as well. The final score was 56-57. Although Iowa State did the most damage, if anyone escaped the carnage of that particular upset, then the loss of Baylor is believed to have finished them.
#GSU does it! Panthers upset 3-seed Baylor 57-56, coach Ron Hunter falls celebrating his son’s game-winning shot! pic.twitter.com/aWpl5VVh6g
— WSB-TV (@wsbtv) March 19, 2015
But the “madness” has only begun. With NCAA basketball fans steel reeling, No. 11 UCLA beat No. 6 SMU. What separates this particular NCAA match-up from the other upsets is that a controversial call is believed to have played a role in the 59-60 loss. According to ESPN, Bryce Alford managed four 3 pointers with a little more than three and a half minutes remaining. The last one came following a goal-tending call. With 13 seconds remaining, Alford’s shot would send SMU out and contribute another heavy blow to brackets everywhere.
What does all of this mean for the 2015 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament? Well, quite frankly it means that no one is safe. With top seeds falling left and right to vastly underestimated opponents, it’s hard not to wonder if the same fate awaits Kentucky. Could the No. 1 overall seed get blown away by the No. 16 Hampton? Before declaring, “Absolutely not!” it may be best to re-examine the rubble that was once your perfect 2015 NCAA Tournament bracket. Kentucky may survive the first round of carnage, but we now know that as “March Madness” progresses, anything is possible.
At 34-0, Kentucky is tied for second-longest win streak to start season in D-I history. Wildcats continue tonight. pic.twitter.com/LyBWqJIrut
— ESPN College BBall (@ESPNCBB) March 19, 2015
Did your bracket (mostly) survive the early upsets? What top-seeded NCAA basketball team do you think will be the next to fall and why?
[Image Credit: Andy Lyons/Getty Images]