Friday, March 28, 2014

Elite Eight Fun Facts - Friday's Winners

Michigan is in their second consecutive Elite Eight.  It is Michigan's 13th Elite Eight overall.  They defeated Florida 79-59 in the Elite Eight last year in route to a National Championship appearance before losing to Louisville.  They are 7-5 overall.

They are the second Big Ten team in the Elite Eight (so far).  It is the second consecutive year that the Big Ten has had multiple teams in the Big Ten.  Last year, Michigan and Ohio State were in the Elite Eight.

Connecticut is in their first Elite Eight since 2011.  It is Connecticut's 11th Elite Eight overall.  They defeated Arizona 65-63 in the 2011 Elite Eight in route to the National Championship.  They are 4-6 overall.

Connecticut is the first team from the American Athletic Conference to advance to the Elite Eight.  They are the 9th #7 seed to advance to the Elite Eight.  #7 seeds are 1-7 in the Elite Eight.  Only Virginia in 1984 won.  Here are the #7 seeds that have been in the Elite Eight.
  • 2012 - Florida (vs. Louisville)
  • 2005 - West Virginia (vs. Louisville)
  • 2004 - Xavier (vs. Duke)
  • 2003 - Michigan State (vs. Texas)
  • 2000 - Tulsa (vs. North Carolina)
  • 1993 - Temple (vs. Michigan)
  • 1986 - Navy (vs. Duke)
  • 1984 - Virginia (vs. Indiana)
Kentucky is in their first Elite Eight since 2012.  It is Kentucky's 35th Elite Eight overall.  They defeated Baylor 82-70 in the 2012 Elite Eight in route to the National Championship.  They are 15-19 overall.

Kentucky is the second SEC team in the Elite Eight.  It is fourth time in 5 years that 2 SEC teams are in the Elite Eight.  Kentucky is the 11th #8 seed to advance to the Elite Eight.  #8 seeds are 5-5 in the Elite Eight.  The last #8 seed to win an Elite Eight game was Butler in 2011.  This is the first time (in 8 tries) that Kentucky has advanced to the Elite Eight as a #5 seed or worse.

Michigan State is in their first Elite Eight since 2010.  It is Michigan State's 12th Elite Eight overall.  They defeated Tennessee 70-69 in the 2010 Elite Eight.  They are 8-3 overall.

Michigan State is the third team in the Big Ten to advance to the Elite Eight.  It is the fourth time that the Big Ten has had 3 teams in the Elite Eight.  The other years were 1992, 2000 and 2005.  Only the Big East with 6 has had more tournaments with 3 or more teams in the Elite Eight.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Elite Eight Fun Facts - Thursday's Winners

Dayton is in their first Elite Eight since 1984.  It is Dayton's third Elite Eight appearance overall.  They defeated Virginia Tech 71-66 in the 1967 Elite Eight in route to a National Championship appearance before losing to UCLA.  They lost to Georgetown 61-49 in the 1984 Elite Eight.  In both of their Elite Eight appearances, they lost to the eventual champion.

This is the 13th time that a team from the Atlantic Ten has advanced to the Elite Eight.  However, the Atlantic Ten teams are only 1-11 in the Elite Eight. Only Massachusetts in 1996 has won an Elite Eight game.  Here are the teams from the A-10 that have been in the Elite Eight:
  • 1978 Villanova (vs. Duke)
  • 1988 Temple (vs. Duke)
  • 1991 Temple (vs. North Carolina)
  • 1993 Temple (vs. Michigan)
  • 1995 Massachusetts (vs. Oklahoma State)
  • 1996 Massachusetts (vs. Georgetown)
  • 1998 Rhode Island (vs. Stanford)
  • 1999 Temple (vs. Duke)
  • 2001 Temple (vs. Michigan State)
  • 2004 Xavier (vs. Duke)
  • 2004 St. Joseph's (vs. Oklahoma State)
  • 2008 Xavier (vs. UCLA)
  • 2014 Dayton (vs. Florida)
Wisconsin is in their first Elite Eight since 2005.  It is Wisconsin's fifth Elite Eight appearance overall. They lost to North Carolina 88-82 in their last Elite Eight appearance and is 2-2 overall.

This is the third straight year that the Big Ten will have at least one team in the Elite Eight.  Ohio State and Michigan were in the Elite Eight last year and Ohio State was in the Elite Eight in 2012.

Florida is in their fourth consecutive Elite Eight.  They become the first team to advance to 4 consecutive Elite Eights since Kentucky went to 5 straight from 1995 to 1999.   It is Florida's eighth appearance overall.  They are 4-3, but have lost their last 3.

Florida's Elite Eight is their seventh since 2000.  That is tied with Kansas and North Carolina for the most since 2000.  (Michigan State could also tie them tomorrow.)

This is the fifth consecutive year that the SEC will have at least one team in the Elite Eight.  Florida has been from 2011 to 2014.  Kentucky also went from 2010 to 2012 and Tennessee went in 2010.

Arizona is in their first Elite Eight since 2011.  It is Arizona's 10th Elite Eight appearance overall.  They lost to Connecticut 65-63 in their last Elite Eight appearance and is 4-5 overall.

This is the Pacific Twelve's first Elite Eight appearance since Arizona's appearance in 2011.  The last team other than Arizona to advance to the Elite Eight was UCLA in 2008.

Arizona and Wisconsin have split their two previous tournament meetings.  Wisconsin defeated Arizona 66-59 in the 2000 Round of 32 and Arizona defeated Wisconsin 94-75 in the 2006 Round of 64.

Double Digit Seed Matchups

#11 Dayton vs. #10 Stanford is only the third matchup of double-digit seeds in the Sweet Sixteen in tournament history.

The other two were
  • 2011 - #11 VCU 72 #10 Florida State 71
  • 1997 - #10 Providence 71 #14 Chattanooga 65
VCU defeated Kansas 71-61 to advance to the Final Four in 2011.
Providence lost to Arizona in OT 96-92 in the Elite Eight 1997.

There have been 19 matchups of double-digit seeds in the Round of 32.  Since 2011, there has been at least one each year.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Lowest Scoring Game for Jamie Dixon

Pittsburgh's 61-45 loss to Florida was the lowest tournament game ever for Jamie Dixon.  His previous low was 51 in the 2004 Sweet Sixteen against Oklahoma State.  Here are the 5 lowest scoring games for Jamie Dixon in the tournament:

  • 45 - vs. Florida, Round of 32, 2014
  • 51 - vs. Oklahoma State, Sweet Sixteen, 2004
  • 53 - vs. Central Florida, Round of 64, 2004
  • 54 - vs. Michigan State, Round of 32, 2008
  • 55 - vs. Wichita State, Round of 64, 2013
  • 55 - vs. UCLA, Sweet Sixteen, 2007

Sweet Sixteen History

Here is a summary of this year's Sweet Sixteen teams and their Sweet Sixteen history:

Florida vs. UCLA
  • Florida is in their 10th Sweet Sixteen and their 4th consecutive.
  • Florida is 7-2 all-time in the Sweet Sixteen and has won six straight Sweet Sixteen games.
  • Billy Donovan is in his 8th Sweet Sixteen - all with Florida.  He is 6-1.
  • UCLA is in their 32nd Sweet Sixteen and their first since 2008.
  • UCLA is 21-10 all-time in the Sweet Sixteen and has won three straight Sweet Sixteen games.
  • Steve Alford is in his 2nd Sweet Sixteen - first with UCLA.  He is 0-1.
  • Florida is 3-0 vs. UCLA all-time in the NCAA tournament.
  • Florida defeated UCLA 73-65 in the 2011 Round of 32 in their last tournament meeting.
Dayton vs. Stanford
  • Dayton is in their 7th Sweet Sixteen and their first since 1984.
  • Dayton is 2-4 all-time in the Sweet Sixteen.
  • Archie Miller is in his first Sweet Sixteen.
  • Stanford is in their 5th Sweet Sixteen and their first since 2008.
  • Stanford is 2-2 all-time in the Sweet Sixteen.
  • Johnny Dawkins is in his first Sweet Sixteen.
  • Dayton and Stanford have never faced each other in the tournament.
  • Archie Miller and Johnny Dawkins will be the first coaches to face each other in the Sweet Sixteen in their first tournament since 1999 when Florida coached by Billy Donovan played against Gonzaga coached by Dan Monson.
Virginia vs. Michigan State
  • Virginia is in their 8th Sweet Sixteen and their first since 1995.
  • Virginia is 5-2 all-time in the Sweet Sixteen.
  • Tony Bennett is in his 2nd Sweet Sixteen - first with Virginia.  He is 0-1.
  • Michigan State is.in their 18th Sweet Sixteen and their 3rd consecutive.
  • Wisconsin is 11-6 all-time in the Sweet Sixteen, but has lost their last two.
  • Tom Izzo is in his 12th Sweet Sixteen - all with Michigan State.  He is 7-4.
  • Virginia and Michigan State have never faced each other in the tournament.
Iowa State vs. Connecticut
  • Iowa State is in their 4th Sweet Sixteen and their first since 2000.
  • Iowa State is 1-2 all-time in the Sweet Sixteen.
  • Fred Hoiberg is coaching in his first Sweet Sixteen game.
  • Connecticut is in their 18th Sweet Sixteen and their first since 2011.
  • Connecticut is 10-7 all-time in the Sweet Sixteen.  They have won their last four.
  • Kevin Ollie is coaching in his first Sweet Sixteen game.
  • Iowa State defeated Connecticut 77-64 in the 2012 Round of 64 in their only tournament meeting.
Arizona vs. San Diego State
  • Arizona is in their 17th Sweet Sixteen and their 2nd consecutive.
  • Arizona is 9-7 all-time in the Sweet Sixteen.
  • Sean Miller is in his 5th Sweet Sixteen and his 3rd with Arizona.  He is 2-2 all-time and 1-1 with Arizona.
  • San Diego State is in their 2nd Sweet Sixteen and their first since 2011.
  • San Diego State is 0-1 all-time in the Sweet Sixteen.
  • Steve Fisher is in his 6th Sweet Sixteen and his 2nd with San Diego State.  He is 4-1 all-time and 0-1 with San Diego State.
  • Arizona and San Diego State have never faced each other in the NCAA Tournament.
Baylor vs. Wisconsin
  • Baylor is in their 3rd Sweet Sixteen and their first since 2012.
  • Baylor is 2-0 all-time in the Sweet Sixteen.
  • Scott Drew is in his 3rd Sweet Sixteen - all with Baylor.  He is 2-0.
  • Wisconsin is in their 7th Sweet Sixteen and their first since 2012.  It is their 3rd in 4 years.
  • Wisconsin is 2-4 all-time in the Sweet Sixteen.
  • Bo Ryan is in his 6th Sweet Sixteen - all with Wisconsin.  He is 1-4.
  • Baylor and Wisconsin have never faced each other in the NCAA Tournament.
Kentucky vs. Louisville
  • Kentucky is in their 41st Sweet Sixteen and their 1st since 2012.
  • Kentucky is 30-10 all-time in the Sweet Sixteen and has won five straight Sweet Sixteen games.
  • John Calipari is in his 11th Sweet Sixteen and his 4th with Kentucky.  He is 8-2 all-time and 3-0 with Kentucky.
  • Louisville is in their 27th Sweet Sixteen and their 3rd consecutive.
  • Louisville is 13-13 all-time in the Sweet Sixteen and has won six straight Sweet Sixteen games.
  • Rick Pitino is in his 12th Sweet Sixteen and his 6th with Louisville.  He is 11-0 all-time and 5-0 with Louisville.
  • Kentucky is 3-2 vs. Louisville all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
  • Kentucky defeated Louisville 69-61 in the 2012 National Semifinals in their last tournament meeting.
Tennessee vs. Michigan
  • Tennessee is in their 7th Sweet Sixteen and first since 2010.
  • Tennessee is 1-5 in the Sweet Sixteen.
  • Cuonzo Martin is coaching in his first Sweet Sixteen.
  • Michigan is in their 13th Sweet Sixteen and their 2nd consecutive.
  • Michigan is 11-1 all-time in the Sweet Sixteen.  That is the most wins for any school with 1 or fewer losses.  They have won five straight Sweet Sixteen games.
  • John Beilein is in his 4th Sweet Sixteen and his 2nd with Michigan.  He is 2-1 all-time and 1-0 with Michigan.
  • Michigan defeated Tennessee 75-45 in the 2011 Round of 64 in their only tournament meeting.


Teams winning first tournament game in 2014

Five teams recorded their first ever tournament win in this year's tournament. 

Albany and Cal Poly recorded their first wins in the First Four.  North Dakota State, Stephen F. Austin and Mercer won their first games in the Round of 64. 

There are now 218 schools that have at least 1 win in the tournament.

The 5 teams recording their first win is tied for the 4th most of any tournament in history and the most since 1981.

Round of 32 Rematches

The following games in the Round of 32 are rematches from past tournaments:

  • Kansas defeated Stanford 86-63 in the 2002 Round of 32
  • North Carolina is 2-0 vs. Iowa State (73-51 in 1995 Round of 32, 92-65 in 2005 Round of 32)
  • Arizona defeated Gonzaga 96-95 (2OT) in the 2003 Round of 32
  • Texas and Michigan are 1-1 vs. each other (Michigan won 84-79 in 1994 Round of 32, Texas won 80-76 in 1996 Round of 64)

Number of Teams by Conference - Round of 32

Number of teams in Round of 32 for each Conference


4 Atlantic Coast
4 Big Twelve
4 Pacific Twelve
3 American Athletic
3 Big Ten
3 Southeastern
Atlantic Ten
2 Big East
1 Atlantic Sun
1 Ivy League
1 Missouri Valley
1 Mountain West
1 Southland
1 Summit League
1 West Coast

Friday, March 21, 2014

Round of 32 Streaks - Part 2

Streak of two or more Round of 32 appearances:
  • Kansas 8
  • Syracuse 6
  • Gonzaga 6
  • Florida 4 
  • North Carolina 4
  • Creighton 3
  • Iowa State 3
  • Louisville 3
  • Michigan State 3
  • Saint Louis 3
  • Arizona 2
  • Harvard 2
  • Memphis 2
  • Michigan 2
  • Oregon 2
  • San Diego State 2 
  • Wichita State 2
Here are teams whose streaks were snapped:
  • Ohio State 4
  • Marquette 3
  • VCU 3
  • Indiana 2

Winning by Single Digits as a #1 Seed in Round of 64



Arizona is the 16th #1 seed to defeat a #16 seed by single digits with their 68-59 victory over Weber State.  Here are the other 15 and how far they advanced in the tournament:

  • 1985 – Michigan 59-55 over Fairleigh Dickinson (Lost in Round of 32 to Villanova)
  • 1986 – Duke 85-78 over Mississippi Valley (Lost in National Championship to Louisville)
  • 1986 – St. John’s 83-74 over Montana State (Lost in Round of 32 to Auburn)
  • 1989 – Illinois 77-71 over McNeese State (Lost in National Semifinals to Michigan)
  • 1989 – Oklahoma 72-71 over East Tennessee State (Lost in Sweet Sixteen to Virginia)
  • 1989 – Georgetown 50-49 over Princeton (Lost in Elite Eight to Duke)
  • 1990 – Oklahoma 77-68 over Towson (Lost in Round of 32 to North Carolina)
  • 1990 – Michigan State 75-71 (OT) over Murray State (Lost in Sweet Sixteen to Georgia Tech)
  • 1996 – Purdue 73-71 over Western Carolina (Lost in Round of 32 to Georgia)
  • 1996 – Connecticut 68-59 over Colgate (Lost in Sweet Sixteen to Mississippi State)
  • 1997 – North Carolina 82-74 over Fairfield (Lost in National Semifinals to Arizona)
  • 2009 – Pittsburgh 72-62 over East Tennessee State (Lost in Elite Eight to Villanova)
  • 2012 – Syracuse 72-65 over North Carolina-Asheville (Lost in Elite Eight to Ohio State)
  • 2013 – Kansas 64-57 over Western Kentucky (Lost in Sweet Sixteen to Michigan)
  • 2013 – Gonzaga 64-58 over Southern (Lost in Round of 32 to Wichita State)

Out of the 15 teams, here is a summary of their results:

  • Lost in Round of 32: 5
  • Lost in Sweet Sixteen: 4
  • Lost in Elite Eight: 3
  • Lost in National Semifinals: 2
  • Lost in National Championship: 1
  • Won National Championship: 0

Worst tournament records all-time

With Nebraska's loss, they tied Louisiana-Monroe and Eastern Kentucky with the worst record in the tournament all-time at 0-7.  However, Eastern Kentucky's loss to Kansas moved them to 0-8 all-time moving them into sole possession of the worst record all-time.

Losing in First Round as a 2 seed and 3 seed.

With Duke's loss to Mercer, they became the 5th school to lose in the first round (I know it is called the second round) as a 2 seed and as a 3 seed.  Here are the schools and when they lost:

  • Arizona - #2 (1993), #3 (1992)
  • Duke - #2 (2012), #3 (2014)
  • Georgetown - #2 (2013), #3 (2010)
  • Missouri - #2 (2012), #3 (1990)
  • South Carolina - #2 (1997), #3 (1998)


Thursday, March 20, 2014

Tom Izzo's Highest Scoring Games

Michigan State's 93 points in today's game was the second most scored in the tournament since Tom Izzo has been the coach.  Here are highest scoring games under Izzo:

  • 94 - vs. Kentucky, 2005 Elite Eight, won 94-88
  • 93 - vs. Delaware, 2014 Round of 64, won 93-78
  • 89 - vs. Florida, 2000 National Championship, won 89-76
  • 89 - vs. Old Dominion, 2005 Round of 64, won 89-81
  • 89 - vs. Long Island, 2012 Round of 64, won 89-67

Biggest Margin of Victory for an Upset in Round of 64

Pittsburgh's 29-point win over Colorado was the second largest margin of victory for a lower seed in the Round of 64 in tournament history.  Here are the top 5 margins of victory for lower seeds in the Round of 64:

  • (30) #10 West Virginia 82 #7 Temple 52, 1998
  • (29) #9 Pittsburgh 77 #8 Colorado 48, 2014
  • (24) #9 Purdue 80 #8 LSU 56, 2003
  • (23) #9 Mississippi St 93 #8 Stanford 70, 2005
  • (23) #13 Navy #4 LSU 55, 1985
  • (23) #11 Lamar #6 Alabama, 1983

Round of 64 Rematches

The following games in the Round of 64 are rematches from prior NCAA Tournaments:

  • Tulsa defeated UCLA 112-102 in the 1994 Round of 64
  • St. Joseph's defeated Connecticut 67-61 in the 1965 Round of 32
  • Kentucky defeated Kansas State 68-58 in the 1951 National Championship

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Round of 32 Streaks

64 teams will be playing on Thursday and Friday with one goal in mind.  To advance to the Round of 32.  (Many have loftier goals, but that is the immediate goal.)  Here are the teams that have been to the Round of 32 for each of the last two tournaments with their current streak:

1. Kansas 7
2. Gonzaga 5
    Syracuse 5
4. Ohio State 4
5. Florida 3
    Marquette 3 (did not make tournament)
    North Carolina 3
    VCU 3
9. Creighton 2
    Indiana 2 (did not make tournament)
    Iowa State 2
    Louisville 2
    Michigan State 2
    Saint Louis 2

Out of the #1 seeds, only Florida has been to the Round of 32 each of the last 2 tournaments.
   


Number 1 Seeds

None of this year's #1 seeds were a #1 or #2 seed last year.  The last time that occurred was in 1995.

None of this year's #1 seeds were from the same conference as any of last year's #1 seeds.  This is the first time since 1980 that has happened.

Florida is a #1 seed for the second time in school history.  They were also a #1 seed in 2007.  That year they won the National Championship with a 84-75 victory over Ohio State.

Arizona is a #1 seed for the 6th time in school history.  The last time that they were a #1 seed was 2003.  Their 6 #1 seeds is the 5th most in tournament history behind North Carolina (14), Duke (12), Kansas (11) and Kentucky (11).  Their record when seeded #1 is 13-5.  Their best finish as a #1 seed was in 1988 when they advanced to the Final Four.

Wichita State is a #1 seed for the first time in school history.  Their previous highest seed was #5 in 2012.  It is only the second time that a team from the Missouri Valley has been a #1 seed.  The other time was in 1979 when Indiana State was a #1 seed.

Virginia is a #1 seed for the 4th time in school history.  The last time that they were a #1 was 1983 which was their third consecutive year as a #1 seed.  Their record when seeded #1 is 7-3.  Their best finish as a #1 seed was in 1981 when they advanced to the Final Four and finished third (in the last ever third place game).

Virginia achieved a #1 seed after missing the tournament the previous season.  They become the second school to accomplish that feat twice.  Here are other teams that have accomplished that feat:
  • Kentucky 2010
  • Memphis 2006
  • Minnesota 1997
  • Connecticut 1990
  • Michigan State 1990
  • Michigan 1985
  • DePaul 1984
  • Virginia 1981
  • Kentucky 1980
  • Indiana State 1979

First Tournament

The following teams are playing in their first tournament:
  • Cal Poly
  • North Carolina Central
The last team to win their first tournament game was Florida Gulf Coast in 2013.  They defeated Georgetown 78-68 in the Round of 64.

The following coaches are coaching in their first tournament:

  • Mike Brennan, American
  • Joe Callero, Cal Poly
  • Jamion Christian, Mt. St. Mary's
  • Ed Cooley, Providence
  • Johnny Dawkins, Stanford
  • Bob Hoffman, Mercer
  • Derek Kellogg, Massachusetts
  • Danny Manning, Tulsa
  • Cuonzo Martin, Tennessee
  • Steve Masiello, Manhattan
  • Archie Miller, Dayton
  • LeVelle Moton, North Carolina Central
  • Craig Neal, New Mexico
  • Kevin Ollie, Connecticut
  • Monte Ross, Delaware
  • Brad Underwood, Stephen F. Austin
In 2013, 4 coaches won in their first tournament game coached:
  • Matt Brady, James Madison
  • Andy Enfield, Florida Gulf Coast
  • John Giannini, LaSalle
  • Andy Kennedy, Mississippi

The following coaches are coaching in their first tournament for a new team:
  • Steve Alford, UCLA (formerly Missouri State, Iowa and New Mexico)
  • Mike Davis, Texas Southern (formerly with Indiana and UAB)
  • Cliff Ellis, Coastal Carolina (formerly South Alabama, Clemson and Auburn)
  • Mike Lonergan, George Washington (formerly Vermont)
  • Bob Marlin, Louisiana-Lafayette (formerly Sam Houston State)
  • Fran McCaffrey, Iowa (formerly Lehigh, North Carolina-Greensboro and Siena)
In 2013, x coaches won in their first tournament game in which they coached for a new team:
  • John Groce, Illinois
  • Larry Eustachy, Colorado State
  • Jim Crews, Saint Louis
  • Dana Altman, Oregon
  • Jim Larranaga, Miami
  • Cy Alexander, North Carolina A&T 

Monday, February 10, 2014

National Champions Previous Result

The last two national champions (Louisville and Kentucky) lost in the national semifinals the previous year.  If the streak were to continue, then either Syracuse or Wichita State will win the tournament.  Considering that both are the only remaining unbeaten teams this year, it would not be a shock for one of them to win. 

Here are the past 5 national champions and their previous year's result:

2013: Louisville - lost to Kentucky 69-61 in 2012 in national semifinals
2012: Kentucky - lost to Connecticut 56-55 in 2011 in national semifinals
2011: Connecticut - did not make the tournament in 2010 (but did lose in national semifinals in 2009)
2010: Duke - lost to Villanova 77-54 in 2009 in Sweet Sixteen
2009: North Carolina - lost to Kansas 84-66 in 2008 in national semifinals