Tuesday Top Ten: Fun Facts About the NCAA Tournament

I told you this was going to be a crazy tournament.  This weekend, we saw dreams shattered, Cinderellas dancing longer than expected, a half-dozen overtime games, buzzer beaters, and Duke lose in the first round. 

Thanks to my timely paternity leave, I saw at least some of every game from Thursday to Sunday.  Here are my top three games:

1.  (12) Stephen F. Austin 77 (5) VCU 75 (OT) (Round of 64, South Region).  This game was insane.  SFA went up by ten early in the second half, then VCU went on a crazy run to go up by double digits, then SFA came roaring back, erasing a 10-point deficit in the last 3 1/2 minutes.  Down by four with 10 seconds left in regulation, SFA grabbed a rebound off of a missed free throw, went the length of the court and hit a three while getting fouled with 3 seconds left to send the game into overtime.  I was watching the game with a sleeping one-week-old right next to me, so all I could do was pump my fists and quietly mouth "ooooohhhhhhhh!"

2.  (2) Wisconsin 85 (7) Oregon 77 (Round of 32, West Region).  Wisconsin came back from a 12-point halftime deficit, and most the second half had these teams changing leads.  The final score is not indicative of how close the game was, due to a technical foul on Oregon with one second left that resulted in a few Wisconsin free throws.

3.  (8) Kentucky 78 (1) Wichita State 76 (Round of 32, Midwest Region).  Even though I hate Kentucky more than AIDS, this was a great game.  Both teams punched and took punches, battling back and forth.  In the end, a missed three at the buzzer by Wichita State ended the Shockers' perfect season.

Honorable mention: 

Round of 64

(11) Dayton 60 (6) Ohio State 59 (South Region)

(7) Texas 87 Arizona State 85 (Midwest Region)

(14) Mercer 78 (3) Duke 71 (Midwest Region)

Round of 32

(11) Dayton 55 (3) Syracuse (53) (South Region)

(3) Iowa State 85 (6) North Carolina 83 (East Region)

Enough living in the past.  Here are the Sweet 16 teams, along with the last time they made the Sweet 16 (and their region, seeds, game time, and what station is televising the game):

South Region (Memphis)

(10) Stanford (2008) vs. (11) Dayton (1984) - Thursday 3/27 7:15 ET CBS

(1) Florida (2013) vs. (4) UCLA (2008) - Thursday 3/27 9:45 ET CBS

West Region (Anaheim)

(2) Wisconsin (2012) vs. (6) Baylor (2012) - Thursday 3/27 7:47 ET TBS

(1) Arizona (2013) vs. (4) San Diego State (2011) - Thursday 3/27 10:17 ET TBS

Midwest Region (Indianapolis)

(2) Michigan (2013) vs. (11) Tennessee (2010) - Friday 3/28 7:15 ET CBS

(4) Louisville (2013) vs. (8) Kentucky (2012)- Friday 3/28 9:45 ET CBS

East Region (New York)

(3) Iowa State (2000) vs. (7) Connecticut (2011) - Friday 3/28 7:27 ET CBS

(1) Virginia (1995) vs. (4) Michigan State (2013) - Friday 3/28 9:57 ET CBS

If you're like me -- and you better pray to Kuato that you're not –- you not only love the NCAA Tournament, but you are fascinated with the history and statistical minutiae associated with the tournament.  Like I've done the last couple years, I'm going to drop knowledge bombs on your mind.  Here are twelve fun facts –- you get two extra because I have some extra time on my hands right now -- about this year's NCAA tournament.

12.  Three of the four 12-seeds won in the first round (Harvard, North Dakota State, and Stephen F. Austin), and if NC State could have hit its free throws, it could have been the first-ever four-game sweep for 12-seeds.  As it stands, it's the second year in a row and 4th overall since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985 that three 12-seeds have beaten 5-seeds (2002, 2009, 2013).  In that same span, there have been only 3 years in which no 12-seed has beaten a 5-seed (1988, 2000, 2007).

11.  Arizona and Dayton are coached by brothers Sean Miller and Archie Miller, respectively.  This is the first time two brothers have coached teams in the Sweet 16 in the same year.

10.  Thus far, there have been 6 overtime games in the tournament, which is one OT game short of the record for the most overtime games in an entire NCAA Tournament.  The 5 OT games in the Round of 64 and the 4 of those that occurred on one day were also records.  There were two overtime games combined in the previous two years.

9.  Albany, Cal Poly, Mercer, North Dakota State, and Stephen F Austin all won their first ever NCAA Tournament games.  North Dakota State's win over Oklahoma in the Round of 64 was the first ever win in the NCAA Tournament by a team from North Dakota.  14-seed Mercer's upset win over 3-seed Duke marked the 18th time since 1985 that a 14-seed has beaten a 3-seed (and second year in a row).  It was not only the Bears' first NCAA Tournament victory ever, but it was the second time in the last three years that Duke has lost in the Round of 64 and only the 4th time Duke has lost in the Round of 64 in the 34 years Mike Krzyzewski has been the Blue Devils' head coach.

8.  With Harvard's win over Cincinnati in the Round of 64, the Crimson won an NCAA Tournament game for the second year in a row, which is the first time in program history that has happened.  This marks the first time in 30 years -– since Princeton did it in 1983 and 1984 –- that an Ivy League team has won an NCAA Tournament game two years in a row, and the sixth time ever that has happened (Dartmouth 1941-1944; Princeton 1964-1965; Penn 1971-1973; Penn 1978-1980; Princeton 1983-1984; Harvard 2013-2014).  Also, with those 2 wins, head coach Tommy Amaker has now won as many NCAA Tournament games in his 7 years at Harvard as he did in his combined 10 years as head coach at Seton Hall (2 wins) and Michigan (0 wins).

7.  The Big Ten has three teams in the Sweet 16 for the third year in a row and for the 13th time since the NCAA started allowing more than two teams per conference into the tournament in 1980.  This bodes well for the Big Ten, as at least one Big Ten has made the Final Four 10 of 13 years in which the conference has had at least 3 teams in the Sweet 16.  Here is the breakdown:

2014:  Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin

2013:  Indiana, Michigan***, Michigan State, Ohio State*

2012:  Indiana, Michigan State, Ohio State**, Wisconsin

2010:  Michigan State**, Ohio State, Purdue

2005:  Illinois***, Michigan State**, Wisconsin*

2001:  Illinois*, Michigan State**, Penn State

2000:  Michigan State****, Purdue*, Wisconsin**

1999:  Iowa, Michigan State**, Ohio State**, Purdue

1994:  Indiana, Michigan*, Purdue*

1992:  Indiana**, Michigan**, Ohio State*

1989:  Illinois**, Indiana, Michigan****, Minnesota

1988:  Iowa, Michigan, Purdue

1983:  Indiana, Iowa, Ohio State

1980:  Indiana, Iowa**, Ohio State, Purdue**

*Made Elite 8

**Made Final Four

***Runner Up

****National Champion

6.  Wichita State became the first team in NCAA Division 1 history to go 35-0, by destroying Cal Poly in the Round of 64.  The Shockers then lost to Kentucky in the next round (I still think Wichita State got screwed by the Selection Committee, by the way), making it the fourth time in the last five years and 21st time overall that a 1-seed lost in the Round of 32.  Here are the 1-seeds that have lost in the Round of 32 since the tournament began seeding in 1979:

2014:  Wichita State

2013:  Gonzaga

2011:  Pittsburgh

2010:  Kansas

2004:  Kentucky, Stanford

2002:  Cincinnati

2000:  Arizona, Stanford

1998:  Kansas

1996:  Purdue

1994:  North Carolina

1992:  Kansas

1990:  Oklahoma

1986:  St. John's

1985:  Michigan

1982:  DePaul

1981:  DePaul, Oregon State

1980:  DePaul

1979:  North Carolina

5.  Two 2-seeds –- Kansas in the South Region and Villanova in the East Region -- lost in the Round of 32.  This marks the 31st time in the 36 years since seeding began in 1979 that all four 2-seeds failed to advance to the Sweet 16, and the 17th year since 1979 that two or more 2-seeds failed to make the Sweet 16 (1981, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1990, 1993, 1997, 1999-2001, 2003-2006, 2008, 2012).  In three of those years, three 2-seeds failed to make the Sweet 16 (1990, 1999, 2000).  1982, 1989, 1995, 1996, and 2009 are the only years in which all four 2-seeds advanced to the Sweet 16.

4.  With 10-seed Stanford playing 11-seed Dayton in the Sweet 16 in the South Region, it will guarantee that a double-digit seed will advance to the Elite 8.  Since the tournament began using seeding in 1979, 15 teams seeded 10 or higher have advanced to the Elite 8.  Only three of them have advanced to the Final Four, and each of those three lost in the semifinal game.

2011:  #11 VCU*

2008:  #10 Davidson

2006:  #11 George Mason*

2002:  #10 Kent State; #12 Missouri

2001:  #11 Temple

1999:  #10 Gonzaga

1997:  #10 Providence

1991:  #10 Temple

1990:  #10 Texas; #11 Loyola Marymount

1987:  #10 LSU

1986:  #11 LSU*

1984:  #10 Dayton

1979:  #10 St. John's

*Advance to Final Four

3.  The average seed number for Sweet 16 teams this year is 4.9375, making this the fifth year in a row the average seed number is higher than 4.5 and the eighth-highest average seed number in the Sweet 16 since the tournament began seeing teams in 1979.  This is pretty high if you consider that, if the seeding played out as it should (i.e., all teams seeded 1-4 advancing to the Sweet 16, which has never happened), the average seed number would be 2.5. Here is the average seed of Sweet 16 teams since 1979:

2014: 4.9375

2013: 5.0625

2012: 4.5625

2011: 5

2010: 5

2009: 3.0625

2008: 4.375

2007: 3.1875

2006: 4.4375

2005: 4.5

2004: 4.5625

2003: 4.1875

2002: 4.6875

2001: 4.5625

2000: 5.3125

1999: 5.5

1998: 4.75

1997: 4.8125

1996: 3.6875

1995: 3.1875

1994: 4.25

1993: 4.0625

1992: 4.1875

1991: 4

1990: 5.5

1989: 3.125

1988: 4.3125

1987: 4.25

1986: 5.5625

1985: 4.875

1984: 3.8125

1983: 3.5

1982: 3.1875

1981: 4.5625

1980: 4.125

1979: 3.8125

2.  There are 2 mid-majors in the Sweet 16, which is only the third time in the last ten years and the 10th time since 1979 that there are 2 or fewer mid-majors in the Sweet 16. (I consider non-BCS conferences to be mid-majors, even if a school is now in a BCS conference, so, for instance, Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, and Marquette were mid-majors before joining the Big East in 2005. It's not a perfect science. Deal with it.) Here is a year-by-year breakdown of the number of mid-major teams that made it to the Sweet 16 since 1979:

2014: 2 (Dayton, San Diego State)

2013: 3 (Florida Gulf Coast, LaSalle, Wichita State)

2012: 2 (Ohio, Xavier)

2011: 5 (Butler, BYU, Richmond, San Diego State, VCU)

2010: 5 (Butler, Cornell, Northern Iowa, St. Mary's, Xavier)

2009: 3 (Gonzaga, Memphis, Xavier)

2008: 4 (Davidson, Memphis, Western Kentucky, Xavier)

2007: 4 (Butler, Memphis, Southern Illinois, UNLV)

2006: 5 (Bradley, George Mason, Gonzaga, Memphis, Wichita State)

2005: 2 (Utah, UW-Milwaukee)

2004: 4 (Nevada, St. Joseph's, UAB, Xavier)

2003: 2 (Butler, Marquette)

2002: 2 (Kent State, Southern Illinois)

2001: 2 (Cincinnati, Gonzaga, Temple)

2000: 2 (Gonzaga, Tulsa)

1999: 4 (Gonzaga, Miami (OH), SW Missouri State, Temple)

1998: 3 (Rhode Island, Utah, Valparaiso)

1997: 3 (St. Joseph's, Utah, UT-Chattanooga)

1996: 3 (Cincinnati, Massachusetts, Utah)

1995: 3 (Massachusetts, Memphis, Tulsa)

1994: 2 (Marquette, Tulsa)

1993: 4 (Cincinnati, George Washington, Temple, Western Kentucky)

1992: 5 (Cincinnati, Memphis State, Massachusetts, New Mexico State, UTEP)

1991: 4 (Eastern Michigan, Temple, UNLV, Utah)

1990: 4 (Ball State, Loyola Marymount, UNLV, Xavier)

1989: 2 (Louisville, UNLV)

1988: 4 (Louisville, Rhode Island, Richmond, Temple)

1987: 3 (DePaul, UNLV, Wyoming)

1986: 5 (Cleveland State, DePaul, Louisville, Navy, UNLV)

1985: 3 (Louisiana Tech, Loyola (IL), Memphis State)

1984: 6 (Dayton, DePaul, Houston, Louisville, Memphis State, UNLV)

1983: 4 (Houston, Louisville, Memphis State, Utah)

1982: 6 (Fresno State, Houston, Idaho, Louisville, Memphis State, UAB)

1981: 5 (BYU, St. Joseph's, UAB, Utah, Wichita State)

1980: 2 (Lamar, Louisville)

1979: 8 (DePaul, Indiana State, Louisville, Marquette, Penn, Rutgers, San Francisco, Toledo)

1.  This year, there are 4 teams seeded 8 or lower that advanced to the Sweet 16.  For the fourth year in a row (and the fifth year in the last six), there are at least three double-digit seeds in the Sweet 16.  Here is a year-by-year breakdown of the number of teams seeded #8 or lower that made it to the Sweet 16 since 1979:

2014: 4 (#8 Kentucky, #10 Stanford, #11 Dayton, #11 Tennessee)

2013: 4 (#9 Wichita State*, #12 Oregon, #13 LaSalle, and #15 Florida Gulf Coast)

2012: 3 (#10 Xavier, #11 NC State, and #13 Ohio)

2011: 5 (#8 Butler*, #10 Florida State, #11 Marquette, #11 VCU*, and #12 Richmond)

2010: 4 (#9 Northern Iowa, #10 St. Mary's, #11 Washington, #12 Cornell)

2009: 1 (#12 Arizona)

2008: 3 (#10 Davidson, #12 Villanova, #12 Western Kentucky)

2007: 0

2006: 2 (#11 George Mason*, #13 Bradley)

2005: 2 (#10 North Carolina State, #12 UW-Milwaukee)

2004: 3 (#8 Alabama, #9 UAB, #10 Nevada)

2003: 2 (#10 Auburn, #12 Butler)

2002: 4 (#8 UCLA, #10 Kent State, #11 Southern Illinois, #12 Missouri)

2001: 3 (#10 Georgetown, #11 Temple, #12 Gonzaga)

2000: 4 (#8 North Carolina*, #8 Wisconsin*, #10 Seton Hall, #10 Gonzaga)

1999: 5 (#10 Gonzaga, #10 Miami (OH), #10 Purdue, #12 Southwest Missouri State, #13 Oklahoma)

1998: 4 (#8 Rhode Island, #10 West Virginia, #11 Washington, #13 Valparaiso)

1997: 3 (#10 Texas, #10 Providence, #14 UT-Chattanooga)

1996: 2 (#8 Georgia, #12 Arkansas)

1995: 0

1994: 2 (#9 Boston College, #10 Maryland, #12 Tulsa)

1993: 1 (#12 George Washington)

1992: 2 (#9 UTEP, #12 New Mexico State)

1991: 3 (#10 Temple, #11 Connecticut, #12 Eastern Michigan)

1990: 4 (#8 North Carolina, #10 Texas, #11 Loyola Marymount, #12 Ball State)

1989: 1 (#11 Minnesota)

1988: 2 (#11 Rhode Island, #13 Richmond)

1987: 2 (#10 LSU, #12 Wyoming)

1986: 4 (#8 Auburn, #11 LSU*, #12 DePaul, #14 Cleveland State)

1985: 4 (#8 Villanova**, #11 Auburn, #11 Boston College, #12 Kentucky)

1984: 1 (#10 Dayton)

1983: 1 (#10 Utah)

1982: 1 (#8 Boston College)

1981: 2 (#8 Kansas State, #9 St. Joseph's)

1980: 2 (#8 UCLA*, #10 Lamar)

1979: 2 (#9 Penn*, #10 St. John's)

*Advanced to Final Four

**Won NCAA title