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Perfection is hard to come by – as anyone who has ever filled out a bracket for the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Tournament has come to realize during March Madness season.
But one eighth-grader from Pennsylvania is currently defying the odds.
Otto Schellhammer, who is only 14, has the last remaining perfect bracket for the women’s tournament. Stunningly, he’s admitted he knows nothing about basketball.
“I know people say this a lot about March Madness,” Schellhammer told The Associated Press, “but it was 100% luck. I know basically nothing about any type of basketball.
“I play with my friends,” he added, “but I don’t really watch it.”
Schellhammer has correctly picked the first 48 games in the women’s tournament on ESPN’s Tournament Challenge contest. He is just 15 correct picks away from perfection.
Though there may be perfect brackets in smaller pools across the country, he has the lone one in which the NCAA has tracked. The organization has tracked seven of the largest contests for years, according to Mike Benzie, the senior director of content for NCAA Digital.
The NCAA has tracked 36 million men’s entries and 5.2 million on the women’s side, making Schellhammer one in 41.2 million.
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“I think it’s absolutely hilarious,” said Amy Schellhammer, Otto’s mother. “It’s just so fun to see. It’s exciting. I’m excited he’s into women’s basketball now. He’s been watching and it’s making him more excited about it.”
On the men’s side of the ESPN Tournament Challenge, the hope for a perfect bracket came to an end when Tennessee defeated Virginia in the 44th game of the tournament.
The NCAA found 235 perfect women’s brackets among the major contests going into Monday. The number fell to seven when Virginia beat Iowa in double overtime. When Notre Dame defeated Ohio State, Schellhammer was the last one standing.
“The first game I watched of March Madness was on Monday,” Schellhammer said. “I came home and I was like, ‘I’ll check and see how my women’s bracket is doing.’ Then I watched Virginia beat Iowa, and that was pretty cool. And then I watched Notre Dame.”
Schellhammer said if he had to go back, he may have re-picked his champion team.
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But for now, Schellhammer has the Texas Longhorns to win it all.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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