March Madness All-Time Bracket by seed: Top No. 1s, No. 2s, etc. battle it out for 'best ever' title

We bracketize anything and everything in March. College basketball teams. Basketball movies. Candy bars. 

Let's try this one. Imagine a second-round matchup between No. 6 Kansas in 1987-88 and No. 3 Syracuse in 2002-03. Would Danny Manning or Carmelo Anthony carry his team to a victory in that matchup?

The NCAA tournament began seeding teams in 1979 – the year No. 2 Michigan State beat No. 1 Indiana State in the legendary showdown between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. The 1978-79 Spartans are one of four choices as the best No. 2 seeds as a result.

We took the four best seeds on each seed line based on tournament performance to create a 64-team bracket. So we grabbed the four best No. 1 seeds of all time, 2 seeds, 3 seeds, etc., until we filled the traditional bracket.

The No. 1 seed line includes 1995-96 Kentucky and 1991-92 Duke – teams that are generally always in the greatest teams of all time discussion. The No. 16 seed line includes 2022-23 Fairleigh Dickinson and  2017-18 UMBC, the only teams that have knocked off a No. 1 seed. 

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We played it out in hypothetical fashion – occasionally using the WhatIfSports basketball simulator to gauge how those matchups might turn out – for a fictional basketball tournament for the ages. 

This tournament features 18 teams that won the national championship and nine teams that finished as the runner-up. We did not include teams before seeding began in the NCAA tournament, which means John Wooden's legendary UCLA teams and the 1975-76 Indiana team that finished 32-0 under Bobby Knight were not eligible for our tournament.

How did the tournament pan out? Here is a closer look.

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Midwest Region 

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The Midwest Region features two upsets by double-digit seeds.

Could 1989-90 Loyola-Marymount beat 1981-82 Houston? The Lions averaged 122.4 points per game that season despite the tragic death of Hank Gathers. Hakeem Olajuwon – when he went by Akeem – was a freshman for the Cougars along with sophomore Clyde Drexler. Bo Kimble, however, averaged 35.3 points per game. The Lions pull out a 100-92 victory. 

That sets up a second-round thriller with 1988-89 Michigan. The Lions beat the Wolverines – albeit without star guard Glen Rice from the national championship team – in a 149-115 shootout in the 1990 NCAA tournament. Jeff Fryer scored 41 points on 11 three-pointers. It's an all-time box score. Loyola Marymount makes an emotional run to the Sweet 16. 

The WhatIfSports simulator favored 2001-02 Kent State — which made an Elite Eight run that season as a No. 10 seed  – over 2016-17 South Carolina. Trevor Huffman and Antonio Gates – yes, the future Hall of Fame tight end for the Chargers – power that first-round shocker for the Golden Flashes. 

The 84-85 Villanova team – the only No. 8 seed to win the NCAA tournament and 78-79 Penn – tell the committee they will not play that 8-9 first-round game unless it can be moved to The Palestra. Would you have it any other way in Philadelphia for a college basketball game of that magnitude?

Could anybody get in 1995-96 Kentucky's way? The Wildcats had nine future NBA players, averaged 91.4 points per game and dominated under Rick Pitino. How would that translate against 2022-23 UConn? Imagine the sideline interactions between Pitino and Huskies coach Dan Hurley in that environment. Kentucky won four of five matchups by double digits against the Huskies in the simulator.

That sets up an Elite Eight matchup with 1979-80 Louisville. The Cardinals – led by coach Denny Crum with six future NBA players – including Darrell Griffith, also known as "Dr. Dunkenstein." The Cardinals did not play the Wildcats that year.

Kentucky wins an instant classic behind Tony Delk, whose hot shooting propels the Wildcats to the Final Four. Delk averaged 18.8 points and shot 46.2% from 3-point range in the 1995-96 NCAA tournament. Delk is the difference-maker in a 85-80 victory against the Cardinals.

South Region 

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The "One Shining Moment" montage gets A-plus material when coach Jim Valvano hugs Sister Jean in the tunnel before the first-round matchup between 1982-83 NC State and 2017-18 Loyola Chicago. 

The Wolfpack hold off the Ramblers – but Billy Donovan and the 05-06 Gators are too much in the second round. Florida survived an upset bid from Weber State and Harold "The Show"Arceneaux – who puts up 34 points in a first-round loss. 

2012-13 Ohio pulls off the second Mid-American Conference upset of the first round in a 74-71 victory against 1995-96 Syracuse when John Wallace's 3-pointer at the buzzer rattles out. Remember, Ohio has three first-round victories in the tournament since 2010 – twice as a No. 13 seed and once as a No. 14.

The Bobcats lose in the second round to 1995-96 Mississippi State behind 15 points and 15 rebounds from Erick Dampier. The Bulldogs had expected to meet 1995-96 Syracuse in a Final Four rematch the Orange won 77-69. This tournament had other ideas. 

2015-16 Michigan State meets 1996-97 Providence in one of the best first-round games. The Spartans' back-court of Travis Trice and Denzel Valentine matches the Friars' inside-outside combination of Austin Croshere and God Shammgod, but Shammgod's last-second driving layup rolls off the rim.

The South Region is all about the Sweet 16. Would you take 03-04 UConn – led by Emeka Okafor and Ben Gordon – or that Gators' team with the front-line of Joakim Noah and Al Horford? The Gators pull out a 89-88 victory in a double-overtime thriller to set up an Elite Eight matchup with North Carolina.

The Tar Heels have Michael Jordan and James Worthy, but the Gators do not back down from the challenge. Florida leads into the second half before Sam Perkins sparks a 10-0 run with back-to-back 3-pointers. That puts the Tar Heels in front. Jordan punctuates an 87-83 victory with a one-handed slam over Noah. That ensures Tar Heels coach Dean Smith gets a spot in the all-time Final Four.

East Region 

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The East Region is the chalkiest among the four regions, but the first round features some tense moments. No. 16 UMBC gets off to a fast start against No. 1 Duke with a barrage of three-pointers, but the Blue Devils adjust behind Christian Laettner, Grant Hill and Bobby Hurley for an 81-61 victory. 

Duke was 14-0 as a No. 1 seed in the first round under coach Mike Krzyzewski – and they won those games by an average of 29.3 points per game. This upset was not going to happen.  

Navy center David Robinson – who averaged 28.6, 12.3 rebounds and 4.3 blocks in seven career tournament games – leads the 1986-87 Midshipmen past Mark Few's original bracket-buster 1998-99 Gonzaga team led by Richie Frahm. 2009-10 Butler holds off Wyoming despite a 36-point outburst by Fennis Dembo. 

The second-round matchup between the Bulldogs and 96-97 Arizona is all about tempo.The Wildcats – which lost eight games that season when they scored less than 80 points – struggle with Butler's defense, which allows 59.4 points per game. Brad Stevens pushes Butler into the Sweet 16.

The all-Big Ten second-round matchup between 80-81 Indiana – led by Isiah Thomas – and 91-92 Michigan and the Fab Five is an all-time draw. Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Ray Jackson and Jimmy King willed the Wolverines to a national championship as freshmen in 1991-92, but they finished 1-3 against the Hoosiers in two seasons. This is another heart-breaking loss to Bob Knight for the Wolverines. 

Indiana loses the following round to 2015-16 Villanova in a fantastic point-guard matchup between Thomas and Jalen Brunson. Duke survives an upset scare against Butler in the Sweet 16. The Bulldogs trail by two in the final seconds, and Gordon Hayward's half-court shot … 

Not again, right? 

That leads to a fantastic Elite Eight matchup between the Blue Devils and Wildcats. Laettner, Hill and Hurley, however, will not be denied. Five Duke players finish in double figures with Thomas Hill and Brian Davis adding 10 points apiece. It's a high-scoring affair against Jay Wright and the Wildcats, but the Blue Devils advance under Krzyzewski. 

West Region

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Our toughest decision was who the final No. 1 seed in this tournament would be, and the argument was 1989-90 UNLV or 1983-84 Georgetown. These two schools won the national championship – only to have better teams lose in the national championship game the following season.

The WhatIfSports simulator favored UNLV in the matchup with Georgetown – so we gave the Runnin' Rebels the No. 1 seed.

Would 1988-89 Princeton under legendary coach Pete Carril slow down a loaded roster that featured Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon and Greg Anthony? Not in this tournament. 

The most-intriguing matchup? 2002-03 Syracuse vs. 1987-88 Kansas. Anthony and Manning were stars in their respective tournaments, and it's a high-level coaching matchup between Larry Brown and Jim Boeheim. Kansas pulls out a 62-60 victory. 

Steph Curry leads 2007-08 Davidson to an upset against 2013-14 UConn – the team that won a national championship with Shabazz Napier. That sets up a second-round matchup with 1978-79 Michigan State – led by Magic Johnson. 

Michigan State takes down "Dunk City"and 2012-13 Florida Gulf Coast in the first round, then defeats Curry and Davidson despite a 3-point barrage in the first half. The Spartans win there – then end the run by 1987-88 Kansas with "Danny and the Miracles."

Michigan – which has three teams in this hypothetical tournament – is eliminated in the second weekend. The 2012-13 Michigan team led by guard Trey Burke faces UNLV in the Sweet 16, but not even Burke can lead the Wolverines to a victory there. 

Would Magic Johnson be able to? Johnson averaged 21.8 points, 10 assists and 8.8 rebounds in the 1798-79 tournament. UNLV is a double-digit favorite in the game, but the Spartans take advantage of turnovers in the second half. UNLV guard Anderson Hunt – a Detroit native – misses a last-second three-pointer. Michigan State wins 84-81 behind a triple-double from Johnson, and that ensures the Big Ten has a spot in the Final Four. 

Final Four

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Duke and Michigan State play the first semifinal – and it's a fast start. Johnson pushes the tempo with Greg Kelser and Jay Vincent, and the Spartans lead by eight at halftime. The Blue Devils, however, rely on balance in the second half. Hurley throws an alley-oop to Grant Hill with 16:55 left to play, and Laettner makes his first five shots of the second half. Duke had a 14-4 record against Michigan State under Krzyzewski, and this game is no exception. The Blue Devils win 91-81 and push into the championship game.

The Tar Heels are 3-1 all time against the Wildcats in the NCAA tournament, but have they ever had a matchup quite like this? Smith opts to slow down Kentucky with long possessions, and Jordan slides over to guard Delk throughout the first half. The matchup between Worthy and Antoine Walker comes into focus, but Perkins runs into foul trouble. Mark Pope – now the Kentucky coach – has a pair of second-half dunks that start a Wildcats run, and Jordan fouls out in the final minutes. Kentucky wins 78-70. 

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Championship game 

That sets up the ultimate grudge match between Duke and Kentucky – and a chance for the Wildcats to avenge "The Shot" by Laettner in the 1992 East Region final. We ran this through the simulator five times, and the winner had more than 100 points every time. 

Both teams get out and score in the first half. Hurley has eight of his 13 assists by halftime, and Laettner is a matchup problem for the Wildcats early. Kentucky, however, gets a timely performance from Ron Mercer, who scores 14 points off the bench. It's a frantic second half, and Kentucky takes a 100-99 lead with six seconds left on a floater by Anthony Epps. Duke advances the ball to half-court with five seconds left. Pitino has broken down film of Laettner's tournament buzzer beaters, and he puts Walker on Laettner. Hill inbounds the ball to Laettner, who moves into a turn-around jumper, and that's when Walter McCarty rushes in to help, lunges in and tips the final shot, which falls short. Kentucky wins the all-time national championship – but there's a surprise waiting when they arrive in Lexington, Ky., the following morning. 

John Calipari, Anthony Davis and other members from the 2011-12 Kentucky national championship game are blocking the entrance to the locker room. An unexpected crowd at Rupp Arena is already waiting. 

Calipari looks at Pitino and says, "We both know you still gotta win one more game …. "