ESPN’s NCAA Tournament bracket challenge officially is over, and everyone was beaten by a sixth grader.
Sam Holtz, a 12-year-old from Lake Zurich, Ill., had the best bracket on ESPN.com with 1860 points. He was tied with one other user, who’s only been identified by his or her username. Holtz’s picks were nearly perfect, as he correctly predicted 14 of the Sweet 16 teams and nailed the Elite Eight through the championship game.
So what was his secret?
“I normally just pick whoever has the highest seed,” Holtz said.
Well, then.
Holtz, a Notre Dame fan, admitted that he doesn’t really watch basketball during the season, proving that creating the perfect bracket involves only a little skill and a whole lot of luck. But unfortunately, his efforts were for naught, as the fact that he’s under 18 and used his dad’s email means he’s not eligible for ESPN’s grand prize of a $20,000 Best Buy gift card.
Still, Holtz’s bracket earned him an appearance on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” on Tuesday, and hosts Chris McKendry and Jay Crawford had some ideas to make sure he didn’t wind up with nothing.
