March Madness bracket facts for men's 2022 NCAA tournament

The 2022 NCAA tournament bracket is set. Let March Madness begin. It's Christmas in March, at least for some of us.

As you get set to fill out your ESPN Men's Tournament Challenge brackets, it's important that one thing is made clear about this column: It is not designing to be predictive in any way. It is full of facts and trends relevant to this year's field and is meant to be fun for those who love the college game. There are a few trips down memory lane below as well, so hopefully you are able to find some nuggets that you find interesting.

And with that, good luck with your picks. May your favorite school make a deep run and your bracket remain pristine.

NOTE: All stats referenced are since 1985, unless otherwise noted. Additionally, any historical reference to the «first round» relates to the round of 64, and «second round» to the round of 32. The First Four stands on its own for the purposes of this column to avoid confusion. In addition, all results mentioned do not recognize those that have been since vacated. For example, for the purposes of this column, we consider Louisville the winner of the 2013 national championship game, even though its appearance has been vacated by the NCAA.

How do overall No. 1 seeds fare?

The NCAA tournament selection committee has been announcing the overall No. 1 seed since 2004. Gonzaga earned that distinction for the second straight year, the first time that's been done. How have overall No. 1 seeds performed, you ask?

Last year, the Zags entered the tournament undefeated but fell to Baylor in the national title game.

It was the first time since 2015 that the overall No. 1 seed even reached the Final Four. The last time the overall No. 1 hoisted the trophy was nine years ago, when