Tuesday Top Ten: Fun Facts About This Year's Final Four

It was another great weekend of college basketball.  This has to be one of the more exciting NCAA Tournaments in recent memory.  I'm about to head out on vacation, but I figured I'd leave you all with one last nugget before I spend the next seven days on Hornitos Island.

Thursday night, in the South Region, 11-seed Loyola's run continued with another nail-biting win, this time over 7-seed Nevada, 69-68.  That was followed by another great game, with Bruce Weber's 9-seed Kansas State Wildcats upsetting 5-seed Kentucky, 61-58.  Saturday's regional final didn't quite have the same drama, but was pretty awesome nonetheless.  After winning its first three games by a combined 4 points, Loyola decided to put the foot on the gas pedal, beating Kansas State 78-62 to send the Ramblers to their second Final Four and first since 1963.  They are the first Chicago school to make the Final Four since DePaul in 1979.  What's crazy to think about is that, had Wichita State not jumped from the Missouri Valley Conference to the American Conference this year, Loyola might not have even made the NCAA Tournament.

In the West Region, in the Sweet 16, 3-seed Michigan destroyed 7-seed Texas A&M, 99-72, while 9-seed Florida State upset 4-seed Gonzaga, 75-60, to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1993.  In Saturday's regional final, Michigan held on in a low-scoring 58-54 affair.  The Wolverines will be going to their second Final Four under John Beilein, first since 2013, and 8th overall (if you count the two vacated Final Fours from 1992 and 1993).

In the East Region's Sweet 16 games Friday night, 1-seed Villanova beat 5-seed West Virginia, 90-78, while 3-seed Texas Tech beat up on 2-seed Purdue, 78-65.  For the Boilermakers, since the NCAA Tournament started in 1939, this marks the 79th year in a row they have not won an NCAA title and 38th year in a row they have failed to make it to the Final Four.  For the Red Raiders, this was the first time they had advanced past the Sweet 16.  In Sunday's regional final, however, it was all Villanova, as the Wildcats won 71-59.  They will be playing in their 3rd Final Four under Jay Wright, first since 2016 (when they won it all), and 6th overall (if you include their vacated Final Four in 1985).

In the Midwest Region, both Sweet 16 games were closer than expected, with 1-seed Kansas holding off 5-seed Clemson, 80-76, and 2-seed Duke topping ACC rival 11-seed Syracuse, 69-65.  Sunday's regional final between two college basketball blue bloods was a great game.  With the game tied, as time expired in regulation, Duke's Grayson Allen had a floater in the lane that circled the rim a couple times before falling out.  In OT, Kansas pulled away, winning 85-81.  The Jayhawks will be going to their 3rd Final Four under Bill Self, first since 2012, and 15th overall.

Here are the Final Four game times this Saturday (Eastern).  Both games are on TBS:

(W3) Michigan vs. (S11) Loyola (IL) – 6:09 p.m.

(E1) Villanova vs. (MW1) Kansas – 8:49 p.m.

As I do this time of year, I'm going to drop some Final Four statistical knowledge on you.  Get ready for it.

10.  For the first time since 2013, none of the Final Four teams has ten or more losses.  In fact, no team has more than 7 losses (both Kansas and Michigan have 7).  Since seeding began in 1979, there have only been 11 years (including this year) in which all four Final Four teams have had 7 or fewer losses entering the Final Four.  Here are the years in which it has happened, showing the number of losses for the Final Four team(s) with the most losses heading into the Final Four:
2018:  7 losses (Kansas, Michigan)
2009:  7 losses (Villanova)
2008:  3 losses (Kansas*, UCLA)
2007:  6 losses (Georgetown)
2005:  6 losses (Michigan State)
2003:  7 losses (Kansas**)
1998:  4 losses (Kentucky*, Stanford)
1993:  6 losses (Kansas)
1991:  7 losses (Duke*, Kansas**)
1989:  7 losses (Michigan*, Duke)
1979:  6 losses (Michigan State*)
*Champions

**Advanced to championship game

If history holds true, it doesn't look good for Kansas or Michigan to win the national title.  Since 1979, the team in the Final Four with the most losses has won the title only 10 of 39 times (and all but one occurred in the last millennium):
-1979:  Michigan State (6 losses)
-1981:  Indiana (9 losses)
-1983:  NC State (10 losses)
-1985:  Villanova (10 losses)
-1988:  Kansas (11 losses)
-1989:  Michigan (7 losses)
-1991:  Duke (7 losses)
-1997:  Arizona (9 losses)
-1998:  Kentucky (4 losses)
-2008:  Kansas (3 losses)

9.  Since 2000, the Big Ten has sent a representative to the Final Four 15 times, the most of any conference in that span.
1.  Big Ten – 15 (Michigan State (6), Wisconsin (3), Michigan (2), Ohio State (2), Indiana (1), Illinois (1))
2.  ACC – 14 (North Carolina (6), Duke (4), Maryland (2), Georgia Tech (1), Syracuse (1))
3.  Big East – 12 (Connecticut (3), Villanova (3), Louisville (2), Syracuse (2), Georgetown (1), West Virginia (1))
4.  SEC – 10 (Florida (4), Kentucky (4), LSU (1), South Carolina (1))
5.  Big 12 – 9 (Kansas (5), Oklahoma (2), Oklahoma State (1), Texas (1))
6.  Pac-10/Pac-12 - 5 (UCLA (3), Arizona (1), Oregon (1))
7.  Conference USA – 3 (Louisville (1), Marquette (1), Memphis (1)
8 (tie).  Colonial – 2 (George Mason, VCU)
8 (tie).  Horizon – 2 (Butler (2))
8 (tie).  Missouri Valley – 2 (Loyola (1), Wichita State (1))

8.  This is only the tenth time since the NCAA tournament began in 1939 where each of the Final Four teams has already won an NCAA title.  The other years in which this occurred were 1992, 1993, 1995, 1998, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2014, and 2015.

7.  With Michigan going to its 8th Final Four (including vacated ones), there are 10 schools with 8 or more Final Fours:  North Carolina (20), UCLA (18), Kentucky (17), Duke (16), Kansas (15), Ohio State (11), Louisville (10), Michigan State (9), Indiana (8), and Michigan (8).  This is the 33rd year in a row and the 61st year out of the last 62 that at least one of those 9 teams has been in the Final Four.  In fact, one of those teams has been in all but 8 of 79 Final Fours (1941, 1943, 1947, 1950, 1954, 1955, 1956, and 1985).

6.  While it will be tough to top Oregon's 78-year span between Final Fours (1939-2017), Loyola has managed the fourth-longest span between Final Four appearances.  The Ramblers have not been to the Final Four since winning it all in 1963.  Here are both the longest current Final Four droughts and longest all-time droughts between appearances.

Here are the longest current Final Four droughts for teams that have previously played in at least one Final Four (and are currently Division 1 schools –- sorry CCNY fans).  I was surprised that half of them are "major" conference teams.  I'm adding a year, since the earliest these teams could make the Final Four would be 2019:

1.  Duquesne:  79 years (1940)

2 (tie).  Pittsburgh and Washington State:  78 years (1941)

4.  Wyoming:  76 years (1943)

5 (tie).  Dartmouth and Iowa State:  75 years (1944)

7.  Holy Cross:  71 years (1948)

8.  Baylor:  69 years (1950)

9.  Santa Clara:  67 years (1952)

10.  Washington:  66 years (1953)

Here are the ten all-time longest droughts between Final Four appearances:

1.  Oregon:  78 years (1939-2017)

2 (tie).  Stanford:  56 years (1942-1998)

2 (tie).  Texas:  56 years (1947-2003)
4.  Loyola (IL):  55 years (1963-2018)

5.  West Virginia:  51 years (1959-2010)

6.  Oklahoma State:  44 years (1951-1995)

7.  Oklahoma:  41 years (1947-1988)

8.  Georgetown:  39 years (1943-1982)

9.  Illinois:  37 years (1952-1989)

10.  DePaul:  36 years (1943-1979)

5.  Based on past performance of national titles per Final Four appearances, here is how the teams stack up, as far as percentage of national titles per Final Fours (not including this Final Four, obviously).

1.  Loyola:  100% (1/1)
2.  Villanova:  40% (2/5)
3.  Kansas:  21% (3/14)
4.  Michigan:  14% (1/7)

4.  If Loyola and Villanova win their semifinal games and meet in the championship game, it would be only the 6th time in the history of the NCAA Tournament that two private schools met in the championship game.  Here are the other occurrences:
-2010:  Duke over Butler
-1985:  Villanova over Georgetown
-1955:  San Francisco over LaSalle
-1954:  LaSalle over Bradley
-1942:  Stanford over Dartmouth

This is also only the 21st Final Four ever to feature two or more private colleges/universities.  Here are the others:
-1940:  Duquesne, USC
-1942:  Stanford*, Dartmouth**
-1943:  Georgetown**, DePaul
-1948:  Baylor**, Holy Cross
-1950:  Bradley**, Baylor
-1952:  St. John's**, Santa Clara
-1954:  LaSalle*, Bradley**, USC
-1955:  San Francisco*, LaSalle**
-1956:  San Francisco*, SMU, Temple
-1958:  Seattle**, Temple
-1963:  Loyola (IL)*, Duke
-1970:  Jacksonville**, St. Bonaventure
-1978:  Duke**, Notre Dame
-1979:  DePaul, Penn
-1985:  Villanova*, Georgetown**, St. John's
-1987:  Syracuse**, Providence
-1989:  Seton Hall**, Duke
-2003:  Syracuse*, Marquette
-2010:  Duke*, Butler**
-2016:  Villanova*, Syracuse

*Champions

**Advanced to championship game

3.  There are two 1-seeds in the Final Four (Villanova and Kansas).  One of them is guaranteed to advance to the title game.  Oddly, in the 16 previous years in which two 1-seeds have advanced to the Final Four, one of them has won the title only 10 times.  Here is a breakdown of how many #1 seeds have advanced to the Final Four each year since 1979.
2018:  2 (Villanova, Kansas)

2017:  2 (North Carolina*, Gonzaga**)

2016: 1 (North Carolina**)

2015: 3 (Duke*, Wisconsin**, Kentucky)

2014: 1 (Florida)

2013: 1 (Louisville*)

2012: 1 (Kentucky*)

2011: 0

2010: 1 (Duke*)

2009: 2 (North Carolina*, Connecticut)

2008: 4 (Kansas*, Memphis**, North Carolina, UCLA)

2007: 2 (Florida*, Ohio State**)

2006: 0

2005: 2 (North Carolina*, Illinois**)

2004: 1 (Duke)

2003: 1 (Texas)

2002: 2 (Maryland*, Kansas)

2001: 2 (Duke*, Michigan State)

2000: 1 (Michigan State*)

1999: 3 (Connecticut*, Duke**, Michigan State)

1998: 1 (North Carolina)

1997: 3 (Kentucky**, North Carolina, Minnesota)

1996: 2 (Kentucky*, Massachusetts)

1995: 1 (UCLA*)

1994: 1 (Arkansas*)

1993: 3 (North Carolina*, Michigan**, Kentucky)

1992: 1 (Duke*)

1991: 2 (UNLV, North Carolina)

1990: 1 (UNLV*)

1989: 1 (Illinois)

1988: 2 (Oklahoma**, Arizona)

1987: 2 (Indiana*, UNLV)

1986: 2 (Duke**, Kansas)

1985: 2 (Georgetown**, St. John's)

1984: 2 (Georgetown*, Kentucky)

1983: 2 (Houston**, Louisville)

1982: 2 (North Carolina*, Georgetown**)

1981: 2 (LSU, Virginia)

1980: 0

1979: 1 (Indiana State**)

*Champions

**Advanced to championship game

2.  The average seed for this year's Final Four is 4, which is skewed by Loyola being an 11-seed.  That said, this is only the 7th time since seeding began in 1979 that the average seed is 4 or higher.  Here are the average seeds for the Final Four since 1979:

2018:  4
2017:  3

2016: 3.75

2015: 2.5

2014: 4.5

2013: 4.5

2012: 2.25

2011: 6.5

2010: 3.25

2009: 1.75

2008: 1

2007: 1.5

2006: 5

2005: 2.75

2004: 2

2003: 2.25

2002: 2.25

2001: 1.75

2000: 5.5

1999: 1.75

1998: 2.25

1997: 1.75

1996: 2.75

1995: 2.25

1994: 2

1993: 1.25

1992: 3.25

1991: 1.75

1990: 3

1989: 2.25

1988: 2.5

1987: 2.5

1986: 3.75

1985: 3

1984: 2.75

1983: 3

1982: 2.75

1981: 1.75

1980: 5.25

1979: 3.5

1.  Loyola is the 4th 11-seed to get to the Final Four and the 30th team seeded 5 or higher have advanced to the Final Four since seeding began in 1979.  None of the three prior 11-seeds -- LSU in 1986, George Mason in 2006, and VCU in 2011 -- that made it to the Final Four have advanced to the championship game.  Of the prior 29 teams seeded 5 or higher, only 4 have won it all, another 7 have been runners up, and the remaining 17 have lost in the semis.  Here are the years in which there have been any teams seeded 5 or higher in the Final Four since 1979:
2018:  1:  11-seed Loyola (IL)

2017:  1:  7-seed South Carolina

2016:  1: 10-seed Syracuse

2015:  1: 7-seed Michigan State

2014:  2: 7-seed UConn* and 8-seed Kentucky**

2013:  1: 9-seed Wichita State

2011:  2: 8-seed Butler** and 11-seed VCU

2010:  2: 5-seeds Butler** and Michigan State

2006:  1: 11-seed George Mason

2005:  1: 5-seed Michigan State

2002:  1: 5-seed Indiana**

2000:  3: 5-seed Florida**, 8-seeds North Carolina and Wisconsin

1996:  1: 5-seed Mississippi State

1992:  1: 6-seed Michigan**

1988:  1: 6-seed Kansas*

1987:  1: 6-seed Providence

1986:  1: 11-seed LSU

1985:  1: 8-seed Villanova*

1984:  1: 7-seed Virginia

1983:  1: 6-seed NC State*

1982:  1: 6-seed Houston

1980:  3: 5-seed Purdue, 6-seed Iowa, 8-seed UCLA**

1979:  1: 9-seed Penn

*Champions

**Advanced to championship game

Retro Video of the Week: "Legs" by ZZ Top

This Friday will mark the 35th anniversary of the release of ZZ Top's seminal Eliminator album.  Already an established rock trio -- comprised of two guys with long beards and a third guy without a beard whose last name is, ironically, Beard -- ZZ Top used a combination of great, catch rock songs and memorable music videos to make Eliminator their best-selling album (it is certified Diamond by the RIAA, meaning it has sold more than 10 million copies in the U.S. alone).  Songs like "Legs," "Gimme All Your Lovin'," and "Sharp Dressed Man" became instant classics.  The album went Top 10 in the U.S., which wasn't a first for the group, but it was also the band's first true international hit album, cracking the top ten on the album charts in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Finland, Austria, and The Netherlands.

For this week's Retro Video of the Week, I'm going with "Legs" because it's the first ZZ Top song I remember hearing.  It was also the band's first top 10 hit in the U.S., getting up to #8 on the Billboard Hot 100.  For me, it's right up there with "LaGrange" or "Tush" as the first song that comes to mind when I think of ZZ Top.  And, of course, there is the iconic video, in which the dowdy, yet attractive, shoe store clerk gets picked on by everyone, until she is saved by the Eliminator Girls, who transform her into an '80s hot vixen, who gains the confidence to confront her former harassers and take the one guy who was nice to her off into the sunset in what appears to be a very unsafe dune buggy. Man, I miss the '80s.

Tuesday Top Ten: Fun Facts About This Year's NCAA Tournament

Well, holy shit.  Now that was a great first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.  We had major -- major -- upsets, buzzer beaters, overtime games, and, of course, Sister Jean.  The first two rounds featured 17 games decided by five points or less, including 2 OT games.  Two 1-seeds, two 2-seeds, 2 3-seeds, and 3 4-seeds fell this weekend.

If the Sweet 16 is half as good as the first two rounds, then we should be in for a treat.  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 (Atlanta)

(7) Nevada (2004) vs. (11) Loyola (IL) (1985) - Thursday 3/22 7:07 ET CBS

(5) Kentucky (2017) vs. (9) Kansas State (2010) - Thursday 3/22 9:37 ET CBS

West Region (Los Angeles)

(3) Michigan (2017) vs. (7) Texas A&M (2016) - Thursday 3/22 7:37 ET TBS

(4) Gonzaga (2017) vs. (9) Florida State (2011) - Thursday 3/22 10:07 ET TBS

Midwest Region (Omaha)

(1) Kansas (2017) vs. (5) Clemson (1997) - Friday 3/23 7:07 ET CBS

(2) Duke (2016) vs. (11) Syracuse (2016) - Friday 3/23 9:37 ET CBS

East Region (Boston)

(1) Villanova (2016) vs. (5) West Virginia (2017) - Friday 3/23 7:37 ET TBS

(2) Purdue (2017) vs. (3) Texas Tech (2005) - Friday 3/23 10:07 ET TBS

If you're like me -- and you better pray to Zeus 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 13 -- I made it 13 so I could put UVa's loss at unlucky #13 -- fun facts about this year's NCAA tournament.

13.  The unthinkable happened for the first time ever.  A 16-seed beat a 1-seed, and it wasn't even close.  Virginia came into the NCAA Tournament as the number one overall seed, and UMBC -- that stands for University of Maryland - Baltimore County -- was, the worst 16-seed, meaning the worst team in the tournament, according to the Selection Committee.  No one told the Retrievers, as they charged to a 74-54 win Friday night, becoming the first of 136 16-seeds since the Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985 to beat a 1-seed.  UMBC -- a team that lost to Albany by 44 points in January -- scored 53 points in the second half, which is more points than 15 of Virginia's opponents scored in an entire game this year.

For Virginia fans, they now have to suffer quietly knowing that this upset is actually worse than the previous "biggest upset in college basketball history" -- #1 Virginia's loss to NAIA Chaminade on December 23, 1982.  At least Ralph Sampson can sleep easy tonight knowing that he's no longer a part of the worst upset in NCAA history.

12.  In the South Region, none of the top four seeds advanced to the Sweet 16.  This is the first time since the Tournament began seeding in 1979 that this has happened.

11.  Everybody's favorite Cinderella, Loyola (IL) -- which is still the only school in the State of Illinois to win an NCAA Division 1 men's basketball championship -- is the first Chicago team to go to the Sweet 16 since DePaul in 1987.  They will play Nevada Thursday evening for the chance to go to the Elite Eight, and you should not count them out to go to the Final Four.  Since the Tournament began expanded to 32 teams in 1975, here are the Chicago teams that have gone to the Sweet 16 or beyond (not counting this year's Loyola team):
-DePaul
--Final Four: 1979
--Elite 8:  1978
--Sweet 16:  1976, 1984, 1986, 1987
-Loyola (IL)
--Sweet 16:  1985

10.  Defending champ North Carolina lost in the Round of 32, getting blown out by 21 to 7-seed Texas A&M.  It was the second year in a row that the defending champ lost in the Round of 32, and it was the worst loss by a defending champ in the NCAA Tournament since Arizona lost by 25 to Utah in the 1998 Elite Eight.  However, it was the 4th time in a row UNC failed to advance to the Sweet 16 the year after winning the national title.  Apparently, this isn't that uncommon.  Here is a breakdown of defending champions who have lost before the Sweet 16 or failed to make the NCAA Tournament, since seeding began in 1979:
2018:  North Carolina (lost in Round of 32)
2017:  Villanova (lost in Round of 32)
2015:  UConn (did not make the NCAA Tournament)
2013:  Kentucky (did not make the NCAA Tournament)
2012:  UConn (lost in Round of 64)
2010:  North Carolina (did not make the NCAA Tournament)
2008:  Florida (did not make the NCAA Tournament)
2006:  North Carolina (lost in Round of 32)
2005:  UConn (lost in Round of 32)
2000:  UConn (did not make the NCAA Tournament)
1996:  UCLA (lost in Round of 64)
1994:  North Carolina (lost in Round of 32)
1993:  Duke (lost in Round of 32)
1990:  Michigan (lost in Round of 32)
1989:  Kansas (did not make the NCAA Tournament)
1988:  Indiana (lost in Round of 64)
1987:  Louisville (did not make the NCAA Tournament)
1986:  Villanova (lost in Round of 32)
1984:  NC State (did not make the NCAA Tournament)
1982:  Indiana (lost in Round of 32)
1981:  Louisville (lost in Round of 32)
1980:  Michigan State (did not make the NCAA Tournament)

9.  There is no region in which all top four seeds advanced to the Sweet 16.  I would have thought this was rare, but apparently, I am wrong. Since seeding began in 1979, that has now happened 22 times:  1980, 1981, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018.

8.  For only the 5th time since the Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, no 12-seed upset a 5-seed.  However, 6 double-digit seeds won their first round games, which is about average.  In the 34 years since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, there have been 207 double-digit seeds that have won their first round games, which is an average of 6.09 per year.  

Here is a year-by-year list of every double-digit seed that has won its first round since 1985:
2018:  6 (#10 Butler, #11 Loyola (IL), Syracuse, #13 Buffalo, Marshall, #16 UMBC)

2017:  5 (#10 Wichita State, #11 Rhode Island, USC, Xavier, #12 Middle Tennessee State)

2016:  10 (#10 Syracuse, VCU, #11 Gonzaga, Northern Iowa, Wichita State, #12 Little Rock, Yale, #13 Hawaii, #14 Stephen F. Austin, #15 Middle Tennessee State)

2015:  5 (#10 Ohio State, #11 Dayton, UCLA, #14 UAB, Georgia State)

2014:  6 (#10 Stanford, #11 Dayton, Tennessee, #12 Harvard, North Dakota State, Stephen F. Austin)

2013:  8 (#10 Iowa State, #11 Minnesota, #12 California, Mississippi, Oregon, #13 LaSalle, #14 Harvard, #15 Florida Gulf Coast)

2012:  9 (#10 Purdue, Xavier, #11 Colorado, North Carolina State, #12 South Florida, VCU, #13 Ohio, #15 Lehigh, Norfolk State)

2011:  6 (#10, Florida State, #11 Gonzaga, Marquette, VCU, #12 Richmond, #13 Morehead State)

2010:   8 (#10 Georgia Tech, Missouri, St. Mary's, #11 Old Dominion, Washington, #12 Cornell, #13 Murray State, #14 Ohio)

2009:  8 (#10 Maryland, Michigan, USC, #11 Dayton, #12 Arizona, Western Kentucky, Wisconsin, #13 Cleveland State)

2008:  6 (#10 Davidson, #11 Kansas State, #12 Villanova, Western Kentucky, #13 San Diego, Siena)

2007:  2 (#11 Winthrop, VCU)

2006:  8 (#10 Alabama, NC State, #11 George Mason, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, #12 Montana, Texas A&M, #13 Bradley, #14 Northwestern State)

2005:  5 (#10 NC State, #11 UAB, #12 Wisconsin-Milwaukee, #13 Vermont, #14 Bucknell)

2004:  3 (#10 Nevada, #12 Manhattan, Pacific,)

2003:  5 (#10 Arizona State, Auburn, #11 Central Michigan, #12 Butler, #13 Tulsa)

2002:  7 (#10 Kent State, #11 Southern Illinois, Wyoming, #12 Creighton, Missouri, Tulsa, #13 UNC-Wilmington)

2001:  9 (#10 Butler, Georgetown, #11 Georgia State, Temple, #12 Gonzaga, Utah State, #13 Indiana State, Kent State, #15 Hampton)

2000:  3 (#10 Gonzaga, Seton Hall, #11 Pepperdine)

1999:  8 (#10 Creighton, Gonzaga, Miami (OH), Purdue, #12 Detroit, Southwest Missouri State, #13 Oklahoma, #14 Weber State)

1998:  8 (#10 Detroit, West Virginia, St. Louis, #11 Washington, Western Michigan, #12 Florida State, #13 Valparaiso, #14 Richmond)

1997:  5 (#10 Providence, Texas, #12 Charleston, #14 Tennessee-Chattanooga, #15 Coppin State)

1996:  6 (#10 Santa Clara, Texas, #11 Boston College, #12 Arkansas, Drexel, #13 Princeton)

1995:  6 (#10 Stanford, #11 Texas, #12 Miami (OH), #13 Manhattan, #14 Old Dominion, Weber State)

1994:  5 (#10 George Washington, Maryland, #11 Pennsylvania, #12 Tulsa, Wisconsin-Green Bay)

1993:  4 (#11 Tulane, #12 George Washington, #13 Southern, #15 Santa Clara)

1992:  5 (#10 Iowa State, Tulane, #12 New Mexico State, #13 Southwest Louisiana, #14 East Tennessee State)

1991:  8 (#10 BYU, Temple, #11 Connecticut, Creighton, #12 Eastern Michigan, #13 Penn State, #14 Xavier, #15 Richmond)

1990:  5 (#10 Texas, #11 Loyola Marymount, #12 Ball State, Dayton, #14 Northern Iowa)

1989:  8 (#10 Colorado State, #11 Evansville, Minnesota, South Alabama, Texas, #12 DePaul, #13 Middle Tennessee State, #14 Siena)

1988:  4 (#10 Loyola Marymount, #11 Rhode Island, #13 Richmond, #14 Murray State)

1987:  6 (#10 LSU, Western Kentucky, #12 Wyoming, #13 Southwest Missouri State, Xavier, #14 Austin Peay)

1986:  5 (#10 Villanova, #11 LSU, #12 DePaul, #14 Arkansas-Little Rock, Cleveland State)

1985:  5 (#11 Auburn, Boston College, UTEP, #12 Kentucky, #13 Navy)

7.  In the South Region, 1-seed Virginia and 2-seed Cincinnati failed to advance to the Sweet 16, while in the West Region, 1-seed Xavier and 2-seed North Carolina also failed to advance to the Sweet 16.  This is only the second time since seeding began in 1979 that the top two seeds in two regions failed to advance to the Sweet 16.  Here are the times that has happened (with the year, region, and 1- and 2-seeds, respectively):
2018 (South Region - Virginia, Cincinnati)
2018 (West Region - Xavier, North Carolina)

2017 (East Region – Villanova, Duke)

2015 (East Region – Villanova, Virginia)

2004 (St. Louis Region – Kentucky, Gonzaga)

2000 (South Region – Stanford, Cincinnati)

2000 (West Region – Arizona, St. John's)

1992 (Midwest Region – Kansas, USC)

1990 (Midwest Region – Oklahoma, Purdue)

1981 (Mideast Region – DePaul, Kentucky)

1980 (West Region – DePaul, Oregon State)

1979 (East Region – North Carolina, Duke)

Notably, only one national champion has come out of those regions (Indiana in 1981).

6.  All three Pac-12 teams lost in the First Four or the Round of 64.  Since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, here are the major conferences –- which I define as the ACC, SEC, Big Ten, Big 8/Big 12, Pac-10/Pac-12, and the Big East (until 2013) –- that only advanced one team (or no team) to the Sweet 16:

-ACC:  5 times (one team in 2007-2008, 2010, 2014, and 2017)

-Big East (until 2013):  5 times (no team in 1986 and 1993, and one team in 1988, 1992, and 2001)

-Big 8/Big 12:  12 times (no team in 1990 and 1998, and one team in 1985-1986, 1992, 1996-1997, 1999, 2001, 2006, 2011, and 2013)

-Big Ten:  7 times (no team in 1995-1996 and 2006, and one team in 1985, 1997, 2004, and 2007)

-Pac-10/Pac-12:  21 times (no team in 1985-1987, 1993, 1999, 2004, 2012, and 2018, and one team in 1988-1992, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2009-2011, and 2016)

-SEC:  13 times (no team in 1988 and 2009, and one team in 1990-1992, 1997-1998, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2013, and 2015-2016)

5.  As discussed above, Virginia, the top seed in the South Region, fell to 16-seed Wisconsin on Friday, but Xavier, the top seed in the West Region, also lost (Sunday to Florida State), making it the 7th time in the last 9 years and 24rd time overall that at least one 1-seed lost in the Round of 32 or before -- but only the 4th time two 1-seeds have failed to advance to the Sweet 16.  Here are the 1-seeds that have lost in the Round of 32 since the tournament began seeding in 1979:
2018:  Virginia, Xavier

2017:  Villanova

2015:  Villanova

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

4.  Two 2-seeds –- UNC in the West and Cincinnati in the South -- lost in the Round of 32.  This marks the 35th time in the 40 years since seeding began in 1979 that all four 2-seeds failed to advance to the Sweet 16, and the 21st year since 1979 -- and fifth in a row -- 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, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018).  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.

3.  The average seed number for Sweet 16 teams this year is 5.3125, making this the highest average seed number in the Sweet 16 since 2000 and only the 4th time since seeding began in 1979 that the average seed number has been that high.  It extremely 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:
2018: 5.3125

2017: 4.0625

2016: 4.125

2015: 4.375

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.  We have three mid-majors in the Sweet 16 -- Gonzaga, Loyola (IL), and Nevada -- for the first time since 2013. (I consider schools in conferences other than the ACC, Big East, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12, and SEC to be mid-majors, even if a school is now in one of those conferences, so, for instance, Butler and Xavier were mid-majors before joining the Big East a couple years ago, but are no longer mid-majors. It's not a perfect science. Deal with it.)  24 mid-majors have advanced to the Final Four since 1979.  Here is a year-by-year breakdown of the number of mid-major teams that made it to the Sweet 16 since 1979:
2018: 3 (Gonzaga, Loyola (IL), Nevada)

2017: 1 (Gonzaga*)

2016: 1 (Gonzaga)

2015: 2 (Gonzaga, Wichita State)

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)

*Advanced to Final Four

**Won NCAA title

1.  For the first time since 2014, there are 4 teams seeded 8 or lower that advanced to the Sweet 16.  Twelve teams seeded 8 or higher have advanced to the Final Four (Villanova in 1985 was the only national champion).  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:
2018: 4 (#9 Florida State, #9 Kansas State, #11 Loyola (IL), #11 Syracuse)

2017: 2 (#8 Wisconsin, #11 Xavier)

2016: 2 (#10 Syracuse*, #11 Gonzaga)

2015: 2 (#8 NC State, #11 UCLA)

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

Retro Video of the Week: "Out In The Fields" by Gary Moore & Phil Lynott

It's St. Patrick's Week, so I have to go with a Retro Video of the Week with an Irish tint.  Back in 1985, former Thin Lizzy bandmates Gary Moore (guitarist, Belfast) and Phil Lynott (bassist, Dublin) teamed up for a single about The Troubles.  It would be one of Lynott's last recordings before his untimely death in January 1986.

Moore and Lynott share vocals on the song, and it definitely has a Thin Lizzy meets the '80s feel to it.  The video features depressing scenes of Belfast and Northern Ireland, set behind Moore and Lynott dressed up as either bell boys or movie theater ushers.  Regardless of the strange wardrobe choice (it was the '80s, after all), the song is a fast-paced rocker that reached the top five on the singles charts in the UK, Ireland, Norway, and Sweden.

Tuesday Top Ten: NCAA Tournament Edition

This year's NCAA Tournament brackets have been announced, and I think we are once again looking at a wide-open and exciting NCAA Tournament.  I have already filled out well over 150 brackets, and they're all horrible.  Here are a couple initial random thoughts:

• Like last year, I think there are 9 teams that could legitimately win it all and about 15-18 teams that could legitimately make it to the Final Four, but at the same time, I wouldn't be shocked if all of them lost by the Sweet 16.
• I think Villanova has the easiest path to the Final Four of any 1-seed, and I think Xavier and Virginia are tied for the hardest path of any of the 1-seeds.
• I would not be surprised if all of the 12-seeds beat all of the 5-seeds.  Or none.
• There's only one first round in-state matchup.  In the East, 3-seed Texas Tech and 14-seed Stephen F. Austin face off in Dallas, no less.  Don't sleep on those Lumberjacks.
• That first round 7/10 matchup in the Midwest between Rhode Island and Oklahoma should be a fun one.  Same with the 7/10 game in the West between Texas A&M and Providence.
• There are a also few potentially juicy matchups in the Round of 32 for rivalry reasons or otherwise:
• In the South:  4-seed Arizona and 5-seed Kentucky could meet in what would be a hell of a Wildcat-on-Wildcat game
• In the West:  (1) 4-seed Gonzaga against 5-seed Ohio State; (2) 3-seed Michigan against 11-seed San Diego State, in a matchup of Steve Fisher's former programs
• In the East:  (1) 5-seed West Virginia against in-state foe 13-seed Marshall; (2) 2-seed Purdue against in-state rival 10-seed Butler, in a chance for the Bulldogs to avenge an early-season loss to the Boilermakers in the Crossroads Classic.
• In the Midwest:  2-seed Duke and all its talent against 10-seed Oklahoma and Trae Young
• Fuck Purdue
• Fuck Kentucky

Anyway, as I do every year, here are a couple lists of five teams each in a few categories that you should consider when filling out your brackets.  Expect there to be some contradictions, since that's the nature of predicting the NCAA Tournament.  Teams are in alphabetical order.  So you don't think I'm entirely full of shit (or perhaps to prove that I am), I'll put in parentheses what I correctly predicted last year.

Teams with the best shot at winning it all (last year, I had North Carolina on this list):

1.  Duke (2-seed Midwest).  Grayson Allen and the four freshman starting around him have the talent to beat anyone.  They were the preseason #1, but have stumbled a few times, losing games 7 games, including a couple they had no business losing (St. John's?!).  That said, Coach K is Coach K, and March has been his mistress on many occasion when he had less talent than this team has.

Record against NCAA Tournament teams:  9-5

2.  Gonzaga (4-seed West).  The Zags got over the hump last year, making it to the national title game before losing a hard-fought game to UNC.  They are underseeded at a 4-seed, in my opinion.  They are just as deep as they were last year, and they have what I think is a pretty winnable region -- and they'll be playing in Boise and LA, which are both a hell of a lot closer to Spokane than they are to Cincinnati, Chapel Hill, Ann Arbor, or Columbus.

Record against NCAA Tournament teams:  4-3

3.  Michigan State (3-seed Midwest).  The Spartans are as talented as any team in the field, and they have a good mix of talented underclassmen and solid upperclassmen.  They only lost to Duke, Michigan (twice), and Ohio State.  Izzo knows how to win in March, and MSU seems to be the sexy pick to win it all among commentators.  The only knock is that the Big Ten wasn't as strong this year as it has been in years past, so MSU doesn't have the quality wins as some of the other contenders.

Record against NCAA Tournament teams:  2-4

4.  Villanova (1-seed East).  For the second year in a row, the Wildcats are the top seed in the East.  Two years ago, the Wildcats won the national title.  Last year, they were knocked out in the Round of 32 by 8-seed Wisconsin.  They still have Phil Booth, Mikal Bridges, and Jalen Brunson from their NCAA championship team (among others), and I think they have the easiest path to the Final Four.  Then again, that's what I thought last year.

Record against NCAA Tournament teams:  12-3

5.  Virginia (1-seed South).  A lot of people are writing the Cavaliers off because they will likely have to face Kentucky or Arizona in the Sweet 16, and then possibly Cincinnati or Tennessee in the Elite 8.  Let's not forget that the Cavs went 31-2, losing only at West Virginia by 7 and in OT by one, dropping only one game in arguably the toughest conference in the land.  Not a single team score more than 68 points on Virginia this year, and they held 13 teams to 50 and under.
Record against NCAA Tournament teams:  14-2

Final Four sleepers (teams seeded 4 or higher) (last year, I did not have South Carolina on this list, but no one did):

1.  Arizona (4-seed South).  Is this the year Sean Miller gets over the hump?  Or will all the FBI/Deandre Ayton stuff poison the team?  We'll see.  Ayton is a special player, and may very well be able to pull a Carmelo Anthony and put his team on his back all the way to the Final Four (or beyond).  The South Region is tough, but if Arizona gets past Kentucky (or Davidson) in the second round, watch out.

Record against NCAA Tournament teams:  6-3

2.  Butler (10-seed East).  Butler is battle-tested in the Big East, and the bottom half of the East Region is not particularly strong.  Add in a potential payback matchup with Purdue in the second round, and the Bulldogs could be in the Sweet 16 before you know it.  If they can beat Purdue, they can certainly beat whoever comes out of the Texas Tech/SFA/Florida/St. Bonaventure/UCLA quadrant.  That would just leave Villanova, in all likelihood -- a team that Butler has, in fact, beaten this year.  Senior forward Kelan Martin is a beast.
Record against NCAA Tournament teams:  5-10

3.  Gonzaga (4-seed West).  See above.

4.  Kentucky (5-seed South).  You will undoubtedly hear about how much talent Kentucky has.  By all accounts, Kentucky had the #2 recruiting class last year.  But the Baby 'Cats have 10 losses.  In the prior 7 NCAA Tournaments in the John Calipari era in Lexington, Kentucky has gone to four Final Fours, and two of those teams had 8 or more losses going into the tournament.  It won't be easy, as they will likely have to go through Arizona, Virginia, and either Cincinnati or Tennessee to get to San Antonio, but with the amount of talent on the team, it pains me to say that Kentucky can't be counted out.

Record against NCAA Tournament teams:  8-9

5.  West Virginia (5-seed East).  Huggy Bear's Mountaineers are always a disruptive force on the defensive end, with their famed "Press Virginia."  A lot of teams just don't know how to handle the press.  A winnable second round game against Wichita State would pit WVU against Villanova in the Sweet 16.  The Mountaineers handed Virginia one of its only two losses, so they are capable of beating anyone.

Record against NCAA Tournament teams:  10-8

Teams seeded 4 or lower who may not make it to the second weekend (last year, I correctly put Florida State and Villanova on this list):

1.  Arizona (4-seed South).  See comments about Kentucky above.

2.  Auburn (4-seed Midwest).  In early February, the Tigers were looking like they might be challenging for a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament, ranked #8 and sitting at 21-3 overall.  They still got the top seed in the SEC Tournament before an unceremonious 18-point loss to rival Alabama in the quarterfinals, which gave Auburn four losses in their last six games.  Add into that the fact that Auburn has dealt with some injuries, hasn't been to the Big Dance in 15 years, and will be playing in San Diego, and it may spell a short stay.

Record against NCAA Tournament teams:  5-5

3.  Kansas (1-seed Midwest).  Because it's Kansas.  During Bill Self's 15-year tenure as head coach, the Jayhawks have never been seeded worse than a 4-seed in the NCAA Tournament, and yet they have failed to make it to the second weekend five times.  The last two years were "on" years, as the Jayhawks made it to the Elite Eight each year.  Will this be an "off" year?  Assuming they get past Penn in the first round -- which they should, even if the Quakers are more of a 14- or 15-seed than a 16-seed -- in the second round, they will face either Seton Hall or NC State, both of which are capable of upsetting the Jayhawks, even in Wichita.

Record against NCAA Tournament teams:  17-3

4.  Purdue (2-seed East).  The Boilermakers have a long and storied history . . . of underachieving in March.  Check this stat:  Purdue has been a top-4 seed in the NCAA Tournament 11 times since seeding began in 1979, Purdue has failed to advance to the Sweet 16 six of those times.  Last year, Purdue made it to the second weekend for the first time since 2010. Yes, the Boilermakers have Isaac Haas and the Edwardses (no relation), but they haven't played a particularly tough schedule.  Thanks to an uneven Big Ten schedule, they only played Michigan State and Ohio State once each, losing both. I expect they will get past Cal State Fullerton in the first round, but either Butler or Arkansas can beat the Boilers in the second round.

Record against NCAA Tournament teams:  5-4

5.  Xavier (1-seed West).  The Musketeers are a 1-seed for the first time in school history, a year removed from going to the Elite Eight as an 11-seed (where they lost to Gonzaga).  In the second round, they will get either (1) a wild card Missouri team, who could give anyone a challenge if Michael Porter, Jr. is healthy or (2) Florida State team that will be looking to avenge last year's second round loss to Xavier.

Record against NCAA Tournament teams:  9-5

Teams seeded 12 or higher with the best chance of pulling an upset in the first round (last year, I correctly put Middle Tennessee State -- the only team seeded 12 or higher that won a game -- on this list):

1.  Charleston (13-seed Midwest).  The Cougars dominated the Colonial over the last month and a half, winning 14 of their last 15 games.  They have a great transition offense, and their first-round opponent, Auburn, doesn't have a great transition defense.  Also, there are the concerns about Auburn I mentioned above.

Record against NCAA Tournament teams:  0-2

2.  Davidson (12-seed South).  The Wildcats could give the Kentucky Wildcats a run for their money.  Peyton Aldridge is a 6'8" forward who can kill you from inside or outside.  Since the end of January, Davidson has gone 11-2, losing only to fellow NCAA Tournament teams Rhode Island and St. Bonaventure (and beating them as well).

Record against NCAA Tournament teams:  4-6

3.  New Mexico State (12-seed Midwest).  The Aggies are a popular 12-5 pick.  They are 28-5 on the year, and they marched to their 6th WAC title in the last 7 years.  This is the best team they've had in that stretch.  Texas Southern transfer Zach Lofton is averaging nearly 20 points a game, and the Aggies have great perimeter defense and turn teams over.  They have beaten Davidson and Miami on neutral courts this year, so it's not out of the question that Clemson -- a team that hasn't been to the Big Dance in 7 years and whose coach has never won an NCAA Tournament game -- will fall victim too.

Record against NCAA Tournament teams:  2-0

4.  Penn (16-seed Midwest).  Because a 16-seed is one day going to beat a 1-seed, and presumably that 1-seed will be Kansas.  "Why not us?  Why not now?"  That should be the mantra of the Quakers.

Record against NCAA Tournament teams:  0-1

5.  South Dakota State (12-seed West).  The Jackrabbits have been the pearl of the Summit League, winning the last three conference titles and 5 of the last 7.  They have come close to a first round upset a couple times -- losing to Baylor by 8 as a 14-seed in 2012 and losing to Maryland by 5 as a 12-seed in 2016.  This year's squad is one of the best three-point shooting teams in the tournament, and boasts a true superstar in Mike Daum.  They have lost once since December 15.  On the other hand, their opponent, Ohio State, has struggled over the last month, losing 3 of their last 5 games.

Record against NCAA Tournament teams:  1-2