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Perfection is hard to find — as anyone who has ever filled out a bracket for the men’s and women’s NCAA tournament realized during the March Madness season.
But one eighth-grader from Pennsylvania is currently defying the odds.
Otto Schellhammer, who is only 14 years old, has the last remaining perfect bracket for the women’s tournament. Surprisingly, he admitted that he knew nothing about basketball.
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Otto Schellhammer, an eighth-grader who has the only perfect bracket following the opening weekend of the NCAA men’s and women’s college basketball tournaments, poses in his backyard in Plum Borough, Pa., Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
“I know people say that a lot about March Madness,” Schellhammer told the Associated Press, “but it was 100 percent luck. I know next to nothing about basketball.
“I play with my friends,” he added, “but I don’t really watch it.”
Schellhammer correctly selected the first 48 games of the women’s tournament in ESPN’s Tournament Challenge competition. He’s only 15 good picks away from perfection.
While there may be perfect groups in smaller pools across the country, it is the only one in which the NCAA has followed. The organization has tracked seven of the biggest contests for years, according to Mike Benzie, senior director of content for NCAA Digital.
The NCAA tracked 36 million men’s registrations and 5.2 million on the women’s side, making Schellhammer one in 41.2 million applications.
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UCLA center Lauren Betts (51) reacts while holding the UCLA fan sticker after UCLA defeated Oklahoma State in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Monday, March 23, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
“I think it’s absolutely hilarious,” said Amy Schellhammer, Otto’s mother. “It’s so fun to see. It’s exciting. I’m glad he’s interested in women’s basketball now. He’s been watching and that makes him even more excited.”
On the men’s side of the ESPN Tournament Challenge, hopes of a perfect bracket ended when Tennessee defeated Virginia in the 44th game of the tournament.
The NCAA has found 235 perfect women’s groups among the major competitions taking place on Monday. The number dropped to seven when Virginia beat Iowa in double overtime. When Notre Dame defeated Ohio State, Schellhammer was the last one standing.
“The first March Madness game I watched was Monday,” Schellhammer said. “I came home and I was like, ‘I’m going to check and see how my women’s category is doing.’ Then I watched Virginia beat Iowa, and that was pretty cool. And then I looked at Notre Dame.”
The Texas Longhorns perform the school song during a second round game of the 2026 NCAA women’s basketball tournament held at the Moody Center on March 22, 2026 in Austin, Texas. (Photos by Scott Wachter/NCAA via Getty Images)
Schellhammer said if he had to go back, he might have rebuilt his championship team.
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But for now, Schellhammer has the Texas Longhorns to win it all.
