Coach John Wooden led the Bruins to 10 national titles in 12 seasons, from 1964 to 1975, including seven straight from 1967 to 1973. UCLA went undefeated a record four times (1964, 1967, 1972, and 1973).

The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program has produced many notable players who went on to play in the NBA, including four of ESPN's top 74 players of all-time: Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Vince Carter, and Bob McAdoo. As of 2020, the Tar Heels have appeared in the NCAA Tournament championship game 11 times, and have been in a record 20 NCAA Tournament Final Fours.

On March 19, 1992, Shaquille O'Neal scored 26 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked an NCAA Tournament-record 11 shots as No. 25 Louisiana State defeated Brigham Young in the first round of the NCAA West Regional in Boise, Idaho. O'Neal broke the mark of 10 blocks set by 7-foot-6 Shawn Bradley of Brigham Young against Virginia in a first-round game the previous year.

In 1985, No. 8 Villanova upset John Thompson-coached and Patrick Ewing-led No. 1 Georgetown. The game, often cited as "The Perfect Game", is widely considered among the greatest upsets in college basketball history.

The NCAA tournament field grew to 16 teams in 1951, doubled to 32 in 1975, and expanded to 64 teams in 1985.

Austin Carr was part of the Notre Dame team that defeated the UCLA Bruins on January 19, 1971, which was UCLA's last defeat before embarking on a NCAA men's basketball record 88-game winning streak. Carr holds NCAA tournament records for most points in one game (61 vs. Ohio in 1970), most field goals in one game (25), and most field goals attempted in one game (44). His record scoring average of 50 points per game in seven NCAA playoff games may never be broken.

The 2021 NCAA DI men's basketball tournament was unlike any other in March Madness history. After the tournament was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19, all 2021 games would be played inside a "protective bubble" near NCAA headquarters in Indiana, with most of the tournament activity taking place within one square mile of downtown Indianapolis.

In 1941, Pittsburgh beat North Carolina 26-20. The fewest points scored by one March Madness team in the shot-clock era (since 1986) is 32, set when Missouri State beat Wisconsin 43-32 in 1999.

Perhaps the most predictable March Madness ever, 2008 marked the first time since the current seeding system started in 1979 that all four No. 1 seeds--Kansas, North Carolina, UCLA, and Memphis--locked horns in the Final Four.

On March 28, 1987, UNLV's Mark Wade had 18 assists against the Hoosiers, but Indiana was able to sag off of him defensively because of his inability to make perimeter shots, allowing them to win the game 97-93. Wade also holds the NCAA tournament record for most assists during a tournament run, making 61 total assists through five games that same year.