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Last Perfect 2019 March Madness Bracket Spoiled by Purdue's Win over Tennessee

Megan ArmstrongContributor IIIMarch 29, 2019

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 22:  A view of the March Madness logo prior to the game between the Duke Blue Devils and the North Dakota State Bison during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 22, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C.  Cox/Getty Images)
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

The quest for the first completely perfect NCAA tournament bracket in history has been prolonged to 2020 as the last remaining perfect bracket was busted by No. 3 Purdue's overtime defeat of No. 2 Tennessee. 

Gregg Nigl, a 40-year-old neuropsychologist, had correctly predicted the tournament's first two rounds and became the first person to own a clean bracket heading into the Sweet 16.

Nigl was in Anaheim, California, on Thursday to watch No. 1 Gonzaga defeat No. 4 Florida State—as he predicted—when his record-breaking run was spoiled across the country in Louisville: 

NCAA March Madness @marchmadness

Gregg Nigl, the owner of the last remaining perfect bracket, is in the house to watch some #Sweet16 basketball! #MarchMadness https://t.co/1FtFP8ZBBS

Daniel Wilco of NCAA.com outlined the improbability of Nigl's feat: 

"For reference, if every game were a coin toss, the odds of predicting 49 in a row are 1 in 562,949,953,421,312. So, yeah, this was kinda impressive. When we reached Nigl Monday, he had absolutely no idea that he had a perfect bracket.

"'So wait, you’re saying I’m the first person to have ever done this?' Nigl asked when we told him the news. "This is wild. I can't even believe it. I had no idea that this was even happening.'"

Sometimes, being lucky is better than being good.

Even if Tennessee had completed its 18-point comeback, Nigl would have been busted later on Thursday night as No. 2 Michigan fell 63-44 to No. 3 Texas Tech. 

Before Nigl, the most games a person had correctly selected was 39 in a row in 2017.