In the Elite 8, only one game was kind of close, in the South Region, where 2-seed Villanova held off 5-seed Houston in a 50-44 rock fight. In the West, 2-seed Duke beat 4-seed Arkansas, 78-69. In the Midwest, the only remaining 1-seed, Kansas, crushed 10-seed Miami (who was playing in its first Elite 8), 76-50. And in the East, 8-seed North Carolina finally ended the miraculous run of 15-seed St. Peter's, with a 69-49 win.
I'd be remiss if I didn't take a second to congratulate St. Peter's. Not only did they become the first team seeded higher than a 12-seed to make it to the Elite 8, but they also sent Kentucky and Purdue home in the process. As an IU alum, it's easy to see why the Peacocks became my favorite team in the tournament once the Hoosiers were knocked out.
Here are the Final Four game times this Saturday (Eastern). Both games are on CBS:
(MW1) Kansas vs. (S2) Villanova – 6:09 p.m.
(W2) Duke vs. (E8) North Carolina – 8:49 p.m.
Despite having one of the most storied and celebrated rivalries in college basketball, in their 257 meetings to this point, the Tar Heels and Blue Devils have never played each other in the NCAA Tournament. Of course, the stakes are raised even higher this year, as it's Coach K's last season at Duke before retiring, and North Carolina ruined his last home game at Cameron a few weeks ago by beating Duke 94-81.
As I do this time of year, I'm going to drop some Final Four statistical knowledge on you. Get ready for it.
13. This is only the 11th 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, 2015, and 2018.
12. If Duke and Villanova win their semifinal games and meet in the championship game, it would be only the 7th time in the history of the NCAA Tournament that two private schools will have faced off in the championship game. Here are the other occurrences:
-2021: Baylor over Gonzaga
-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 23rd 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
-2018: Villanova*, Loyola (IL)
-2021: Baylor*, Gonzaga**
-2022: Duke, Villanova
*Champions
**Advanced to championship game
11. Last year, North Carolina was also an 8-seed, but they lost in the First Round to Wisconsin. The Tar Heels join a list of now 50 teams who made the Final Four the year after losing their first game of the NCAA Tournament. 18 of those teams have went onto the title game, with 6 winning it all. Here are the others who have done it (this does not include teams that made the Final Four a year after not participating in the NCAA Tournament):
2022: North Carolina
2019: Virginia*
2015: Duke*
2014: Wisconsin
2013: Michigan**, Wichita State
2012: Louisville
2010: Butler**, West Virginia
2009: UConn
2006: UCLA**, LSU
2005: Louisville, Michigan State
2003: Marquette
2002: Indiana**, Oklahoma
2000: North Carolina, Wisconsin
1995: UCLA*
1994: Arizona
1990: Georgia Tech
1988: Arizona
1987: Indiana*
1986: LSU
1985: St. John's
1983: NC State*
1982: Georgetown**, Louisville, Houston
1981: North Carolina**
1980: Iowa
1978: Arkansas
1977: North Carolina**
1976: Michigan**, Rutgers
1975: Louisville, Syracuse
1974: Marquette**
1973: Providence
1971: Western Kentucky
1964: UCLA*
1961: St. Joseph's, Utah
1959: West Virginia**, Cincinnati
1956: SMU
1955: Colorado
1944: Dartmouth**
1942: Dartmouth**
*Champions
**Advanced to championship game
10. Along those same lines, last year Duke missed the tournament, and now they're in the Final Four. Since the NCAA Tournament began in 1939, this is the 112th time that a school has made it to the Final Four the year after missing the NCAA Tournament. As you can see from the list below, most of the times this happened were in the '40s and '50s (when the tournament was much smaller), and since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, only 19 schools have made it to the Final Four the year after missing the tournament, with only four winning it all in that span and only seven advancing to the title game.
2022: Duke
2021: UCLA
2018: Loyola (IL)
2017: South Carolina
2016: Syracuse
2014: UConn*, Kentucky**
2011: UConn*, VCU
2006: George Mason
2004: Georgia Tech**
2003: Syracuse*
1999: Ohio State
1997: Minnesota
1994: Florida
1992: Michigan**, Cincinnati
1987: Providence
1986: Louisville*
1983: Georgia
1981: Virginia
1980: Purdue
1979: Indiana State**
1978: Duke**
1977: UNC Charlotte
1975: Kentucky**
1974: NC State*, Kansas
1973: Memphis State**, Indiana
1972: Florida State**, Louisville, North Carolina
1971: Kansas
1970: Jacksonville**, St. Bonaventure
1969: Purdue**, Drake
1968: Ohio State
1967: UCLA*, North Carolina
1966: Texas Western*, Kentucky**, Duke, Utah
1964: Kansas State, Michigan
1963: Loyola (IL)*, Duke
1962: UCLA
1960: Ohio State*, NYU
1959: Louisville
1958: Seattle**, Kansas State, Temple
1957: North Carolina*, Kansas**, Michigan State
1956: Temple
1955: San Francisco*, Iowa
1954: LaSalle*, Bradley**, Penn State, USC
1953: Indiana*, LSU, Washington
1952: Kansas*, Santa Clara
1951: Kentucky*, Kansas State, Illinois, Oklahoma A&M
1950: CCNY*, Bradley**, Baylor, NC State
1949: Oklahoma A&M**, Illinois, Oregon State
1948: Kentucky*, Baylor**, Kansas State
1947: Holy Cross*, Oklahoma**, CCNY, Texas
1946: North Carolina*, California
1945: Oklahoma A&M*, NYU**, Arkansas
1944: Utah*, Iowa State, Ohio State
1943: Wyoming*, Georgetown, DePaul, Texas
1942: Stanford*, Colorado, Kentucky
1941: Wisconsin*, Washington State**, Arkansas, Pittsburgh
1940: Indiana*, Kansas**, Duquesne, USC
*Champions
**Advanced to championship game
9. With Duke and North Carolina both making the Final Four this year, it is the first time in NCAA Tournament history that two teams from both the same conference and the same state have made the Final Four in the same year. It also marks the 25th time that one conference has had two or more teams in the same Final Four. Here is when it has happened (note: the NCAA Tournament began giving out at-large bids in 1975, so that was the first year there could have been more than one team from the same conference in an NCAA Tournament):
2022: ACC - Duke, North Carolina
2016: ACC – North Carolina, Syracuse
2015: Big Ten - Michigan State, Wisconsin
2014: SEC – Florida, Kentucky
2013: Big East – Louisville, Syracuse
2009: Big East – Connecticut, Villanova
2006: SEC – Florida, LSU
2005: Big Ten – Illinois, Michigan State
2003: Big 12 – Kansas, Texas
2002: Big 12 – Kansas, Oklahoma
2001: ACC – Duke, Maryland
2000: Big Ten – Michigan State, Wisconsin
1999: Big Ten – Michigan State, Ohio State
1996: SEC – Kentucky, Mississippi State
1994: SEC – Arkansas, Florida
1992: Big Ten – Indiana, Michigan
1991: ACC – Duke, North Carolina
1990: ACC – Duke, Georgia Tech
1989: Big Ten – Illinois, Michigan
1988: Big 8 – Kansas, Oklahoma
1987: Big East – Providence, Syracuse
1985: Big East – Georgetown, St. John's, Villanova
1981: ACC – North Carolina, Virginia
1980: Big Ten – Iowa, Purdue
1976: Big Ten – Indiana, Michigan
8. With Duke's win Saturday, Mike Krzyzewski is coaching in his 13th Final Four, moving him into sole possession of first place on the all-time list of head coaching Final Four appearances, passing John Wooden. Here are the coaches who have been to 5 or more Final Fours (counting vacated appearances):
1. Mike Krzyzewski - Duke (13)
2. John Wooden - UCLA (12)
3. Dean Smith - North Carolina (11)
4. Roy Williams - Kansas, North Carolina (9)
5. Tom Izzo - Michigan State (8)
6. Rick Pitino - Providence, Kentucky, Louisville (7) (includes 2 vacated appearances)
7 (tie). John Calipari - UMass, Memphis, Kentucky (6) (includes 2 vacated appearances)
7 (tie). Denny Crum – Louisville (6)
7 (tie). Adolph Rupp – Kentucky (6)
10 (tie). Jim Boeheim – Syracuse (5)
10 (tie). Bob Knight – Indiana (5)
10 (tie). Guy Lewis – Houston (5)
10 (tie). Lute Olson – Iowa, Arizona (5)
7. North Carolina is going to its 21st Final Four, Duke is going to its 17th Final Four, and Kansas is going to its 16th Final Four. There are 10 schools with 8 or more Final Fours (including vacated appearances): North Carolina (21), UCLA (19), Duke (17), Kentucky (17), Kansas (16), Ohio State (11), Louisville (10), Michigan State (10), Indiana (8), and Michigan (8). This is the 36th tournament in a row and the 64th year out of the last 65 that at least one of those ten teams has been in the Final Four. In fact, one of those teams has been in all but 8 of 82 Final Fours (1941, 1943, 1947, 1950, 1954, 1955, 1956, and 1985).
6. Hubert Davis becomes the 10th coach to take a school to the Final Four in his first season as head coach. History has not been kind to those in his position, as only 2 have advanced to the national title game and Steve Fisher is the only one who has won it all (man, Bill Frieder still has to be kicking himself for that one). Here is the list, in reverse chronological order:
-Hubert Davis (North Carolina, 2022)
-Bill Guthridge (North Carolina, 1998)
-Steve Fisher (Michigan, 1989)*
-Bill Hodges (Indiana State, 1979)**
-Denny Crum (Louisville, 1972)
-Gary Thompson (Wichita State, 1965)
-Dick Harp (Kansas, 1957)**
-Bully Gilstrap (Texas, 1943) (if that's not the most Texas name for a coach, I don't know what is)
-Ray Meyer (DePaul, 1943)
-Bruce Drake (Oklahoma, 1939)
*Champions
**Advanced to championship game
5. Davis also becomes the 6th head coach to take North Carolina to a Final Four, which is a pretty rare feat. Here are the schools that have had three or more coaches take them to the Final Four (including vacated appearances):
-Kansas: Phog Allen, Dick Harp, Ted Owens, Larry Brown, Roy Williams, Bill Self
-North Carolina: Ben Carnevale, Frank McGuire, Dean Smith, Bill Guthridge, Roy Williams, Hubert Davis
-UCLA: John Wooden, Gene Bartow, Larry Brown, Jim Harrick, Ben Howland, Mick Cronin
4. On a similar note, if North Carolina wins the national title, it will be the 28th time that a first-time Final Four coach will have won the championship. Of course, those numbers are heavily skewed towards the beginning decades of the NCAA Tournament. Since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, it has only happened 9 times (though this would be the third in a row). Here is everyone (including before 1985), in reverse chronological order:
-Scott Drew (Baylor, 2021)
-Tony Bennett (Virginia, 2019)
-Kevin Ollie (UConn, 2014)
-Bill Self (Kansas, 2008)
-Jim Calhoun (UConn, 1999)
-Tubby Smith (Kentucky, 1998)
-Jim Harrick (UCLA, 1995)
-Steve Fisher (Michigan, 1989)
-Rollie Massimino (Villanova, 1985)
-Jim Valvano (NC State, 1983)
-Jud Heathcote (Michigan State, 1979)
-Norm Sloan (NC State, 1974)
-Don Haskins (Texas Western, 1966)
-George Ireland (Loyola (IL), 1963)
-Ed Jucker (Cincinnati, 1961)
-Fred Taylor (Ohio State, 1960)
-Pete Newell (California, 1959)
-Phil Woolpert (San Francisco, 1955)
-Ken Loeffler (LaSalle, 1954)
-Doggie Julian (Holy Cross, 1947)
-Henry Iba (Oklahoma A&M, 1945)
-Vadal Peterson (Utah, 1944)
-Everett Shelton (Wyoming, 1943)
-Everett Dean (Stanford, 1942)
-Harold E. Foster (Wisconsin, 1941)
-Branch McCracken (Indiana, 1940)
-Howard Hobson (Oregon, 1939)
3. Kansas is the only 1-seed in the Final Four. Here is a breakdown of how many #1 seeds have advanced to the Final Four each year since 1979.
2022: 1 (Kansas)
2021: 2 (Baylor*, Gonzaga**)
2019: 1 (Virginia*)
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 3.25, which is a little higher than usual, and the fifth time in the last six tournaments that it's been 3 or higher. Here are the average seeds for the Final Four since 1979:
2022: 3.25
2021: 3.75
2019: 2.75
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. With North Carolina advancing to the Final Four as an 8-seed, this is the 9th tournament in a row in which at least one team seeded 5 or higher has made it to the Final Four. Of the prior 32 teams to have accomplished the feat, only 4 have won it all, another 7 have been runners up, and the remaining 21 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:
2022: 8-seed North Carolina
2021: 1: 11-seed UCLA
2019: 1: 5-seed Auburn
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
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