9 facts that show this NCAA Tournament is one of the wildest in history — and how it could get even crazier from here

Unprecedented upsets, dominant performances from lower-ranked teams, and a Sweet 16 the likes of which we've never seen before — it's tough to wrap your head around what has been a whirlwind weekend's worth of March Madness that has truly lived up to its name.

Below we break down some of the best moments of the NCAA Tournament so far and show why the Sweet 16 could be setting up for something special.

1. A No. 1 seed lost in the first round for the first time in the history of the men's NCAA Tournament.

The most significant upset of the tournament so far was No. 16 University of Maryland at Baltimore County's win over Virginia, the overall top seed, on Friday night — the first time in the history of the men's NCAA Tournament that a No. 1 seed fell in the first round.

It was an upset that was bound to happen eventually, and the Retrievers were the team to grasp the moment, making stars out of their players — and the team's Twitter account — while making some bold gamblers in Las Vegas very, very happy.

Even though UMBC couldn't keep the magic going to make the Sweet 16, the Retrievers' win will undoubtedly be the defining moment of this tournament, an upset that will never be forgotten. That said, there was plenty of other chaos across the bracket.

2. Other top seeds aren't faring much better.

While Virginia's first-round loss was by far the most surprising of the first weekend of March Madness, the Cavaliers were not the only colossal favorite to suffer a shocking defeat.

Other tournament favorites including North Carolina, Michigan State, Arizona, Cincinnati, and Xavier met their end before reaching the Sweet 16. All told, five of the top nine teams selected to win the NCAA title game on ESPN failed to make it to the second weekend of the tournament — if your bracket is busted, you are not alone.

As a result, we're looking at a fascinating Sweet 16, the likes of which we've rarely seen before.

3. The underdogs aren't getting lucky — they're dominating.

It's not just the fact that these top seeds are losing that's so surprising; it's how they are going down. Simply put, they're getting walloped.

UMBC jumped to a double-digit lead early in the second half against Virginia and never looked back, making their unprecedented victory look comfortable and winning by 20.

Texas A&M took out North Carolina with similar ease, with the Tar Heels never coming within 10 points of the Aggies during the second half. And No. 5 Clemson, while not nearly as big an underdog as other teams on this list, made No. 4 Auburn look outclassed, taking a lead of over 40 points through portions of the game.

While the Cinderella stories we imagine usually involve hope and a prayer, this year's underdogs have been taking down championship-pedigree teams with a good ol' fashion butt-whuppin'.

4. For the first time in history, a region's top four teams failed to make the Sweet 16.

The upsets are so prominent that we have seen a few NCAA Tournament firsts. In addition to Virginia's historic loss, this year represented the first time a region's four highest-seeded teams were shut out of the Sweet 16.

In the South region, both No. 2 Cincinnati and No. 3 Tennessee lost in rather heartbreaking fashion in the second round, and No. 4 Arizona couldn't even escape the round of 64, resulting in an unprecedented rate of lower-seed representation in the Sweet 16.

It makes for an exciting and unpredictable left side of the bracket moving forward, though the pieces all seem to be falling into place for a potential run from Kentucky.

5. Nevada can't play a boring game of basketball.

While there's been no shortage of heart-stopping basketball through the tournament so far, the seventh-seeded Nevada Wolfpack have seemed especially incapable of playing boring basketball.

In the first round, Nevada forced overtime against the 10th-seeded Texas Longhorns by erasing a 14-point second-half deficit and then shooting virtually perfect from the field in the extra period while pulling away for an 87-83 victory.

In the second round, the Wolfpack took down the second-seeded Cincinnati Bearcats despite trailing by 22 points with just 11 minutes left in the game — the second most significant comeback in the history of the NCAA Tournament.

Nevada now will face off against the 11th-seeded Loyola-Chicago Ramblers in the Sweet 16.

6. No. 9 seeds have a presence like never before.

While the double-digit seeds have gotten the most attention for their impressive upsets, No. 9 seeds are also celebrating the best Sweet 16 representation they've ever had — for the first time in history, two No. 9 seeds are moving on to the second weekend of action.

Just five of the previous 132 No. 9 seeds had ever made Sweet 16 before 2018, and now two have made it in one year.

The No. 9 seed is always a tough draw for teams looking to make a deep run in the tournament, as even if your opening-round game is somewhat winnable, you're almost guaranteed to face a No. 1 seed in the second round. Historically, teams seeded Nos. 10 to 13 have all fared better at making it to the Sweet 16 than No. 9 seeds.

This year though, Florida State and Kansas State have flipped the script, with the Seminoles taking down the top-seeded Xavier and the Wildcats having the advantage of being the first team in history to play against a No. 16 seed in the second round.

7. Overall, lower seeds are dominating the Sweet 16.

It's not just the No. 9 seeds taking advantage of a volatile year in college basketball — lower-seeded teams across the bracket are enjoying more Sweet 16 success than almost any other year.

Of the teams heading into the second weekend of the tournament, more are ranked fifth or lower than fourth or higher. Should the upsets continue through this weekend, we could be looking at one of the oddest Final Fours in history.

8. Syracuse did it again.

Of course, what would March Madness be without an improbable run from a low-ranked Syracuse team?

After sneaking into the tournament off the bubble on Selection Sunday, the Orange had to win a play-in game just to make the first round, but they have proved deserving.

Jim Boeheim's two-three zone is still working to stifle offenses, as Syracuse stunned the third-seeded Michigan State Spartans for a spot in the Sweet 16, despite being outrebounded 51-30 and recording just three assists.

9. The race for the national title is still wide open.

But perhaps the most thrilling part of this year's March Madness is what's still to come. While a few teams — Villanova, Kansas, Duke, Kentucky — still stand out as potential favorites to take the title, there's no clear-cut champion yet, and it feels like there's a chance for any team left in the field to make a run at the national championship.

Can Gonzaga shake off the ghosts of last year's championship loss to take home the title? Could Loyola-Chicago keep Sister Jean's magic going all the way to the Final Four? Anything is in the realm of possibility, and if the tournament has told us anything so far, it's to expect the unexpected.

Now check out one player to know from every team that made the NCAA Tournament this year

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