Not only did No. 9 Ole Miss' upset over No. 1 Stanford bust the last remaining perfect brackets, it also ended a postseason drought.
The Rebels advanced past the Round of 32 for the first time since 2007, the same year Stanford last missed the Sweet 16.
But just how unlikely was it? Here’s what the bracket data says:Make it official, Yuri! ➡️ pic.twitter.com/PvnNneryFb
— Ole Miss Women's BB (@OleMissWBB) March 20, 2023
90.4 percent of Women’s Bracket Challenge Game entries chose Stanford to advance. Just 3.4 percent of brackets correctly picked Ole Miss in the second round. More choose the Rebels' first-round opponent Gonzaga at 5.4 percent to move past the Round of 32.
| ROUND OF 32 | WBCG | ESPN | YAHOO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stanford | 90.40 percent | 80.90 percent | 90.14 percent |
| Ole Miss | 3.40 percent | 6.90 percent | 2.99 percent |
78.5 percent of entries had the Cardinal moving along to the Elite Eight and 51.42 percent the Final Four. Only 1.48 percent have Ole Miss taking down another to reach the regional finals and gave the Rebels a 0.63 percent chance to make the Final Four.
| Elite Eight | WBCG | ESPN | YAHOO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stanford | 78.50 percent | 66.60 percent | 79.54 percent |
| Ole Miss | 1.48 percent | 3.20 percent | 1.05 percent |
They’ll get the chance to advance to the Elite Eight on March 24 against the winner of No. 4 Texas vs. No. 5 Louisville.
Picking Stanford was a safe pick.
The Cardinal secured one of the four top seeds and Stanford had made two consecutive national semifinals after all.
The upset marked the first time a No. 1 team failed to reach the Sweet 16 in 14 years since ninth-seeded Michigan State took down No. 1 Duke in the 2009 second round.
