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