The lowest seed ever to win the NCAA tournament was Villanova in 1985, and the Wildcats weren’t even in the bottom half of the seedings that year. They were number eight, right in the middle of the field.

Since the expansion of the field to 64 – and then 65 – teams, only 11 teams seeded 9-12 have ever made it to the Elite Eight, and only one – eleventh-seeded LSU in 1986 – has made it to the Final Four. None has ever played in the championship game.

Only four 13 seeds and two 14 seeds have ever made it as far as the Sweet 16, with none ever going any further. Of 13 teams seeded twelfth that got to the Sweet 16, only one – the 2002 Missouri squad – made it into the Elite Eight, and that was the end of the road.

And Bradley and George Mason have won just two games so far. That’s just one third of the way to the ultimate destination of a national championship. To get to the Elite Eight is a tremendous accomplishment, but it’s only half the journey.

On the other hand, after just two rounds, 49 of the original 65 teams have already gone home. What these teams have done is no mean feat.

And we’re glad they’ve done it. No offense to the nation’s best programs.

But a tournament that gets into the third round with no one left but the elite isn’t as exciting as one that has a couple of spoilers. If there’s a game you know you won’t want to miss in the Sweet 16, it’s one involving one of the Cinderellas.

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The odds are neither will make it much farther, and by the time we get to the Final Four, at least two top seeds and probably more will be among the true contenders. By then, the would-be Cinderellas will have turned into Old Yellers.

But as long as they’re still alive, there’s hope and there’s reason to keep watching and hoping that maybe this is the year she not only makes it to the ball, but also gets the prince.