High Point’s upset of Wisconsin ends the hope of a perfect March Madness bracket for millions

High Point’s upset of Wisconsin ends the hope of a perfect March Madness bracket for millions 1 of 2 | High Point forward Cam’ron Fletcher (11) celebrates with guard Chase Johnston (99) during the second half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Wisconsin, Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman) 2 of 2 | High Point fans react during the second half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Wisconsin, Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer) 1 of 2 High Point forward Cam’ron Fletcher (11) celebrates with guard Chase Johnston (99) during the second half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Wisconsin, Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 2 of 2 High Point fans react during the second half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Wisconsin, Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] Well, the dream was fun while it lasted ... all two-ish hours of it.The bid for a perfect NCAA 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. That’s just over 3% of the total brackets entered.TCU, a 9 seed, nicked some brackets in the first game of the tournament by edging eighth-seeded Ohio State. Nebraska, a 4 seed, picked up its first-ever March Madness victory by racing past Troy.The results also took a toll over at Yahoo, where 83% of the entries included a win by Wisconsin in the first round. The odds of going 67 for 67 (or 63 for 63 if you don’t pick the First Four) in the bracket are longer than one of those 3-pointers hoisted up by High Point’s Chase Johnston. Way longer. The NCAA estimates the chances of ending the tournament with a zero in the loss column range anywhere from one in 9.2 quintillion (if you flip a coin for every game). The odds drop a little if you make educated guesses — all the way to one in 120 billion.The NCAA’s own bracket challenge looked a lot like ESPN’s, with about 3.5% of entries still having a shot at perfection.___AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/NCAA-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness