Six of the Sweet 16 teams are repeats from last year, including three of last year's four Final Four teams (Gonzaga, Houston, and UCLA). 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):
West Region (San Francisco)
(1) Gonzaga (2021) vs. (4) Arkansas (2021) - Thursday 3/24 7:09 p.m. ET CBS
(2) Duke (2019) vs. (3) Texas Tech (2019) - Thursday 3/24 9:39 p.m. ET TBS
South Region (San Antonio)
(2) Villanova (2021) vs. (11) Michigan (2021) - Thursday 3/24 7:29 p.m. ET TBS
(1) Arizona (2017) vs. (5) Houston (2021) - Thursday 3/24 9:59 p.m. ET TBS
East Region (Philadelphia)
(2) Purdue (2019) vs. (15) St. Peter's (never) - Friday 3/25 7:09 p.m. ET CBS
(4) UCLA (2021) vs. (8) North Carolina (2019) - Friday 3/25 9:39 p.m. ET TBS
Midwest Region (Chicago)
(1) Kansas (2018) vs. (4) Providence (1997) - Friday 3/25 7:29 p.m. ET CBS
(10) Miami (2016) vs. (11) Iowa State (2016) - Friday 3/25 9:59 p.m. ET TBS
If you're like me -- and you better pray to Bacchus 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 16 fun facts about this year's NCAA tournament. You know, 16. For the Sweet 16.
16. With Notre Dame's 78-64 win over Alabama in the First Round, a First Four team yet again advanced to the Round of 32. Since the First Four format started in 2011, the only year in which none of the First Four winners advanced to the Round of 32 was 2019.
15. For the first time since 2017, no 13-seeds or 14-seeds won. Since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, this is only the 5th time this has happened, with 1994, 2000, 2004, and 2007 being the other years.
14. Two teams got their first-ever NCAA Tournament win:
- South 16-seed Wright State beat fellow 16-seed Bryant in the First Four.
- East 15-seed St. Peter's beat 2-seed Kentucky in the First Round, and beating one public university from Kentucky wasn't enough for the Peacocks, so they knocked off 7-seed Murray State in the Second Round.
13. For the 16th time since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, at least two 12-seeds upset 5-seeds in the First Round -- with New Mexico State beating UConn in the West and Richmond beating Iowa in the Midwest. There have been only five tournaments since 1985 where no 12-seeds beat a 5-seed (1988, 2000, 2007, 2015, 2018).
12. With St. Peter's playing in its first-ever Sweet 16, it marks only the first time since 2013 and 24th time since the tournament was expanded to 64 teams in 1985 that a team is playing in its first Sweet 16. Here is when it has happened (and the seed numbers of the teams), and to be clear, I am excluding teams that advanced further than the Sweet 16 when the tournament was 16 or fewer teams from 1939 to 1952, but have only advanced to the Sweet 16 once since 1985 (for instance, Washington State was the runner-up in 1941, but has only made it to the Sweet 16 once since 1985):
-2022: St. Peter's (#15)
-2013: Florida Gulf Coast (#15)
-2010: Northern Iowa (#9)
-2005: Wisconsin-Milwaukee (#12)
-2004: Nevada (#10)
-2002: Kent State (#10)*
-2011: Mississippi (#3), San Diego State #2), VCU (#11)**
-1999: Gonzaga (#10)*, Southwest Missouri State (now known as Missouri State) (#12)
-1998: Valparaiso (#13)
-1997: Tennessee-Chattanooga (#14)
-1993: George Washington (#12)
-1992: UMass (#3)
-1991: Eastern Michigan (#12)
-1990: Xavier (#6)
-1989: Seton Hall (#3)**
-1988: Rhode Island (#11), Richmond (#13)
-1987: Florida (#6)
-1986: Cleveland State (#14)
-1985: Auburn (#11), Louisiana Tech (#5)
*Advanced to Elite Eight
**Advanced to Final Four
11. All in all, 10 higher-seeded teams upset lower-seeded teams in the First Round, and 6 higher-seeded teams upset lower-seeded teams in the Second Round.
10. Three of the four 11-seeds beat 6-seeds in the First Round -- Notre Dame over Alabama, Michigan over Colorado State, and Iowa State over LSU. This is only the sixth time since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985 when three or more 11-seeds have beaten 6-seeds in the First Round. It also happened in 1985, 1989 (the only time all four 11-seeds won), 2011, 2016, and 2017.
9. Back to St. Peter's -- because they're the story of the tournament thus far -- they become the first team from the MAAC to ever go to the Sweet 16 since the conference was founded in 1980. Here's every conference's last Sweet 16 team. Note that, with all of the conference realignments over the years, this is for the conference itself and teams playing in that conference when they made the Sweet 16, and not necessarily for teams currently in each conference. I'm going to do it by how many years it's been since the conference's last Sweet 16, listing the relevant teams. For conferences with no Sweet 16s ever, I'll list the year they were founded.
- Zero years (2022):
- AAC: Houston
- ACC: Duke, Miami, North Carolina
- Big 12: Iowa State, Kansas, Texas Tech
- Big East: Providence, Villanova
- Big Ten: Michigan, Purdue
- MAAC: St. Peter's
- Pac-12: Arizona, UCLA
- SEC: Arkansas
- West Coast: Gonzaga
- 1 year (2021)
- Missouri Valley: Loyola (IL)
- Summit: Oral Roberts
- 4 years (2018)
- Mountain West: Nevada
- 8 years (2014)
- Atlantic 10: Dayton
- 9 years (2013)
- Atlantic Sun: Florida Gulf Coast
- 10 years (2012)
- MAC: Ohio
- 11 years (2011)
- Colonial: VCU
- Horizon: Butler
- 12 years (2010)
- Ivy League: Cornell
- 13 years (2009)
- Conference USA: Memphis
- 14 years (2008)
- Southern Conference: Davidson
- Sun Belt: Western Kentucky
- 18 years (2004)
- WAC: Nevada
- 30 years (1992)
- Big West: New Mexico State
- 37 years (1985)
- Southland: Louisiana Tech
- 40 years (1982)
- Big Sky: Idaho
- 49 years (1973)
- Ohio Valley: Austin Peay
- Never
- America East (founded 1979)
- Big South (founded 1983)
- MEAC (founded 1970)
- NEC (founded 1981)
- Patriot League (founded 1986)
- SWAC (founded 1920)
8. The SEC only had one team advance to the Sweet 16 (Arkansas). 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: 13 times (no team in 1990 and 1998, and one team in 1985-1986, 1992, 1996-1997, 1999, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2013, and 2021)
-Big Ten: 8 times (no team in 1995-1996 and 2006, and one team in 1985, 1997, 2004, 2007, 2021)
-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: 14 times (no team in 1988 and 2009, and one team in 1990-1992, 1997-1998, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2013, 2015-2016, and 2022)
7. St. Peter's became only the third 15-seed ever to advance to the Sweet 16 -- matching Florida Gulf Coast's (aka Dunk City) feat in 2013 and Oral Roberts from last year -- and only the 11th team ever seeded 13 or higher to advance to the Sweet 16. None of them has advanced to the Elite 8. Here are all ten:
2022: #15 St. Peter's
2021: #15 Oral Roberts
2013: #13 LaSalle, #15 Florida Gulf Coast
2012: #13 Ohio
2006: #13 Bradley
1999: #13 Oklahoma
1998: #13 Valparaiso
1997: #14 UT-Chattanooga
1988: #13 Richmond
1986: #14 Cleveland State
6. With Kansas's win over Creighton in the Second Round, the Jayhawks tied Kentucky as college basketball's all-time winningest program with 2,353 wins. Ever the bridesmaid, they are tied for 7th all-time with three NCAA championships, and they are fifth in Final Four appearances (15) and championship game appearances (9).
5. Defending champ Baylor -- though it came back from a 25-point deficit -- got upset by North Carolina in the Second Round, losing 93-86 in overtime. It was the fifth tournament in a row that the defending champ lost before the Sweet 16 and the 25th time since seeding began in 1979 that the defending champ failed to make it to the Sweet 16. If you're counting, that means a defending champ is more likely than not to fail to make it to the Sweet 16. Setting aside that grammatical garble, here is a breakdown of defending champions who have lost before the Sweet 16 or failed to make the NCAA Tournament since 1979:
2022: Baylor (lost in Round of 32)
2021: Virginia (lost in Round of 64)
2019: Villanova (lost in Round of 32)
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)
4. Seven double-digit seeds won their first round games, which is above average. In the 36 tournaments since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, there have been 231 double-digit seeds that have won their first round games, which is an average of 6.42 per year. Here is a year-by-year list of every double-digit seed that has won its first round game since 1985:
2022: 7 (#10 Miami, #11 Iowa State, #11 Michigan, #11 Notre Dame, #12 New Mexico State, #12 Richmond, #15 St. Peter's)
2021: 9 (#10 Maryland, Rutgers, #11 Syracuse, UCLA, #12 Oregon State, #13 North Texas, #13 Ohio, #14 Abilene Christian, #15 Oral Roberts)
2019: 8 (#10 Florida, Iowa, Minnesota, #11 Ohio State, #12 Liberty, Murray State, Oregon, #13 UC Irvine)
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)
3. The average seed number for Sweet 16 teams this year is 5.3125, which is tied for the fifth-highest average seed number in the Sweet 16 since since seeding began in 1979, and only the 10th time since then that the average seed number has been 5 or greater. Of course, 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 (with the years when the average seed number was 5 or higher bolded):
2022: 5.3125
2021: 5.875
2019: 3.0625
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, Houston, and St. Peter's. (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.) 27 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:
2022: 3 (Gonzaga, Houston, St. Peter's)
2021: 4 (Gonzaga*, Houston*, Loyola (IL), Oral Roberts)
2019: 2 (Gonzaga, Houston)
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. There are 5 teams seeded 8 or lower that advanced to the Sweet 16, which matches the record set in 1999, 2011, and 2021. Fourteen 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:
2022: 5 (#8 North Carolina, #10 Miami, #11 Iowa State, #11 Michigan, #15 St. Peter's)
2021: 5 (#8 Loyola (IL), #11 Syracuse, #11 UCLA*, #12 Oregon State, #15 Oral Roberts)
2019: 1 (#12 Oregon)
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
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