Elite Eight Tidbits - Sunday

Miami, Florida 88 Texas 81

Miami is in their first Final Four in school history.

Miami's Final Four is the 3rd for the ACC in the last two years.

Miami is 1-1 vs. Texas in the tournament.  Texas defeated Miami in the 2008 Round of 32.

Jim Larranaga is in the Final Four with his 2nd school.  He also led George Mason to the Final Four in 2006.

Miami is 2-3 vs. the Big Twelve in the tournament.  Both victories were over teams for which Tyrese Hunter played (2022 Iowa State, 2023 Texas)

Miami defeats a #2 seed for the 2nd consecutive tournament.  They defeated #2 Auburn in last year's tournament.

With San Diego State and Miami's wins, #5 seeds are now 10-3 in the Elite Eight.  #5 seeds are 3-0 vs. the Big Twelve.

San Diego State 57 Creighton 56

San Diego State is in their first Final Four in school history.

San Diego State's Final Four is the first one for the Mountain West.

With San Diego State and Miami's wins, #5 seeds are now 10-3 in the Elite Eight.  #5 seeds are 3-0 when playing lower seeded teams. (Creighton was a #6 seed)

San Diego State is now 1-3 vs. #6 seeds.

San Diego State is 1-1 vs. Creighton in the tournament.  Creighton defeated San Diego State in the First Round last year.

San Diego State's win is their first ever tournament win on a Sunday.

San Diego State is 6-0 when allowing fewer than 60 points in tournament games.

Creighton is 0-2 in Elite Eight games.  They also lost in 1941 to Washington State.

Creighton is 1-7 on tournament games played on Sunday.

For the first time in tournament history, there are no #1, #2 or #3 seeds in the Final Four.

Elite Eight Tidbits - Saturday

Connecticut 82 Gonzaga 54

Connecticut is in the Final Four for the first time since 2014 and the 6th time overall.

Connecticut has won four consecutive Elite Eight games and is 6-6 overall.

Connecticut is the 2nd straight Big East team to advance to the Final Four.  Villanova was in the Final Four in 2022.

Connecticut is the first #4 seed in the Final Four since Michigan and Syracuse in 2013.

Dan Hurley is coaching in his first Final Four.

Connecticut is 2-0 vs. Gonzaga in the tournament.  Connecticut also defeated Gonzaga in the 1999 Elite Eight.

Connecticut defeated two West Coast teams in this year's tournament (St. Mary's in Round of 32, Gonzaga in Elite Eight)

Connecticut has won 5 straight games vs. #3 seeds and is 5-2 overall.

Connecticut's 28-point win is their largest margin of victory in their 6 Elite Eight wins.  Their previous high was 16 vs. Alabama 2004.

Gonzaga is 2-4 in the Elite Eight.

Gonzaga's loss snaps a 5-game winning streak vs. the Big East in the tournament.

#3 seeds are now 19-26 in the Elite Eight.

Gonzaga's 28-point loss is their largest margin of defeat in 25 tournament losses.  Their previous high was 24 in their very first tournament game against Maryland in 1995.

Florida Atlantic 79 Kansas State 76

Florida Atlantic is in the Final Four for the first time in school history.

Dusty May is coaching in his first Final Four.

Florida Atlantic is the 4th Conference USA team to advance to the Final Four and the first since Memphis in 2008.  Marquette in 2003 and Louisville in 2005 are the other Conference USA teams to advance to the Final Four.

Florida Atlantic is the 3rd #9 seed to advance to the Final Four joining Penn (1979) and Wichita State (2013)

Florida Atlantic is the first #9 seed to defeat a #3 seed in the Elite Eight.  #9 seeds were previously 0-3 vs. #3 seeds.

Florida Atlantic's 79 points is the most points they have scored in 5 tournament games.  Their previous high was 78 against Alabama in the 2002 Round of 64 and again against Fairleigh Dickinson in the 2023 Round of 32.

Kansas State loses their 8th straight Elite Eight game.  They are 4-10 overall in the Elite Eight.  They are 0-4 as the higher seed.

Kansas State loses their 5th straight tournament game played on a Saturday.

#3 seeds are now 19-25 in the Elite Eight.  #3 seeds from the Big Twelve are 1-6.

The loss by Kansas State snaps a 4-game Elite Eight winning streak by the Big Twelve.

Elite Eight Fun Facts

Matchups

South (Louisville)

#5 San Diego State vs. #6 Creighton

East (New York City)

#9 Florida Atlantic vs. #3 Kansas State

Midwest (Kansas City)

#5 Miami vs. #2 Texas

West (Las Vegas)

#4 Connecticut vs. #3 Gonzaga

Tournament Rematches

Creighton defeated San Diego State 72-69 in the 2022 Round of 64.

Texas defeated Miami 75-72 in the 2008 Round of 32.

Connecticut defeated Gonzaga 67-62 in the 1999 Elite Eight.

Elite Eights by Conference

• Big 12 - 2
• Big East - 2
• ACC - 1
• Conference USA - 1
• Mountain West - 1
• West Coast - 1

Last Appearance in Elite Eight

• Miami - 2022 (2nd consecutive)
• Gonzaga - 2021
• Kansas State - 2018
• Connecticut - 2014
• Texas - 2008
• Creighton - 1941
• Florida Atlantic - First Appearance
• San Diego State - First Appearance

Elite Eight Appearances (including this year)

• Kansas State 14
• Connecticut 12
• Texas 8
• Gonzaga 6
• Creighton 2
• Miami 2
• Florida Atlantic 1
• San Diego State 1

Elite Eight Records

• Connecticut 5-6
• Kansas State 4-9
• Texas 3-4
• Gonzaga 2-3
• Creighton 0-1
• Miami 0-1
• San Diego State 0-0
• Florida Atlantic 0-0

Previous Elite Eights Matchups for Current Seeds

• #5 vs. #6
• #5 is 1-0 vs. #6
• #5 Michigan State defeated #6 Tennessee 70-69 in 2010
• #3 vs. #9
• #3 is 3-0 vs. #9
• #3 Michigan defeated #9 Florida State 58-54 in 2018
• #3 Florida defeated #9 Boston College 74-66 in 1994
• #3 Indiana defeated #9 St. Joseph's 78-46 in 1981
• #2 vs. #5 
• #5 is 4-1 vs. #2
• #2 Villanova defeated #5 Houston 50-44 in 2022
• #5 Auburn defeated #2 Kentucky 77-71 in 2019
• #5 Butler defeated #2 Kansas State 63-56 in 2010
• #5 Michigan State defeated #2 Kentucky 94-88 in 2005
• #5 Mississippi State defeated #2 Cincinnati 73-63 in 1996
• #3 vs. #4
• #3 is 3-3 vs. #4
• #4 Michigan defeated #3 Florida 79-59 in 2013
• #4 Syracuse defeated #3 Marquette 55-39 in 2013
• #3 Georgia Tech defeated #4 Kansas 79-71 in 2004
• #4 Ohio State defeated #3 St. John's 77-74 in 1999
• #3 Seton Hall defeated #4 UNLV 84-61 in 1989
• #3 Louisville defeated #4 UAB 75-68 in 1982

Tournament Record vs. Conference

• Gonzaga is 6-2 vs. the Big East
• Texas is 5-4 vs. the ACC
• Connecticut is 2-1 vs. the West Coast
• Creighton is 1-0 vs. the Mountain West
• Kansas State is 1-0 vs. Conference USA
• San Diego State is 1-2 vs. the Big East
• Miami is 1-3 vs. the Big Twelve
• Florida Atlantic has not faced a Big Twelve team

Coach's Record in Elite Eight

• Mark Few, Gonzaga 2-2
• Jim Larranaga, Miami 1-1
• Brian Dutcher, San Diego State - First Appearance
• Dan Hurley, Connecticut - First Appearance
• Dusty May, Florida Atlantic - First Appearance
• Greg McDermott, Creighton - First Appearance
• Jerome Tang, Kansas State - First Appearance
• Rodney Terry, Texas - First Appearance

Sweet Sixteen Tidbits - Friday

Texas 83 Xavier 71

Texas is in the Elite Eight for the first time since 2008 and the 8th time overall.

Texas wins its 3rd straight Sweet Sixteen game and is 5-6 overall.

Texas is 2-1 vs. Xavier in the tournament.  Texas also defeated Xavier in the 1990 Sweet Sixteen,  Xavier defeated Texas in the 2004 Sweet Sixteen.

Texas is a #2 seed for the 3rd time in school history.  All 3 times, they have advanced to the Elite Eight.  The lost in the Elite Eight in their previous two trips.

This is Texas's first time that they have advanced to the Elite Eight with an automatic bid.

Xavier has lost 3 straight tournament games against the Big 12 and is 1-4 overall.

Xavier's loss snaps a 3-game tournament winning streak on games played on a Friday.

With Texas's win, there are two Big 12 teams in the Elite Eight.  It is the 11th time that multiple Big 12 teams have advanced to the Elite Eight.

There will be six coaches making their first Elite Eight appearance which is the most since 1978.

Creighton 86 Princeton 75

Creighton is in the Elite Eight for the first time since 1941 and the 2nd time overall.

Creighton wins their first ever Sweet Sixteen game.  They are 1-4 in Sweet Sixteens.

Creighton is the first #6 seed to ever play (and defeat) a #15 seed.

Creighton is 6-0 when scoring 80 or more points in a tournament game.

Princeton is 0-5 vs. the Big East in the tournament.  Only Texas Tech is worse at 0-7.

Princeton is 1-6 in the Sweet Sixteen.

Princeton is a tournament worst 0-3 vs. #6 seeds.

With Creighton's win, there are two Big East teams in the Elite Eight.  It is the 22nd time that multiple Big East teams have advanced the Elite Eight.

There are 7 teams seeded #3 or worse in the Elite Eight breaking the old record of 5 which occurred in (1980, 1990, 2000 and 2022).

Miami, Fla 89 Houston 75

Miami is in the Elite Eight for the second consecutive tournament and the 2nd time overall.

Miami's win is their first ever vs. a #1 seed.  They lost to #1 seed Kansas in the Elite Eight last year.

Miami has won 4 consecutive tournament games played on a Friday.

Miami's 89 points is the most that they have scored in 25 tournament games.  Their previous high was 85 in this year's Round of 32 game against Indiana.

Houston is 0-2 vs. #5 seeds.

Houston loses in the state of Missouri for the 2nd straight time after winning their first six.

#5 seeds have won the last three Sweet Sixteen games played against #1 seeds.

For the first time in tournament history (since seeds started in 1979), there will be no #1 seeds in the Elite Eight

San Diego State 71 Alabama 64

San Diego State is in the Elite Eight for the first time in school history.

San Diego State is 1-2 in Sweet Sixteen games.

San Diego State's win is their first ever vs. a #1 seed.  They previously had never defeated any team seed #6 or higher.

San Diego State is the first Mountain West team to advance to the Elite Eight.  Mountain West teams are now 1-6 in the Sweet Sixteen.

Alabama has lost 3 straight tournament games against teams from California.

Alabama is 1-9 in the Sweet Sixteen.

Alabama has lost 4 straight tournament games played on a Friday and is 4-9 overall.

For the first time since 1991, there will be no team from the SEC, Pac 12 and Big Ten in the Elite Eight.

Sweet Sixteen Tidbits - Thursday

Gonzaga 79 UCLA 76

Gonzaga is in the Elite Eight for the first time since 2021 and the 6th time in school history.

Gonzaga is 3-1 vs. UCLA in the tournament and has won the last three times the two teams have played.

Gonzaga wins a Sweet Sixteen game as a lower seed for the first time since 1999, which was their first Sweet Sixteen game.

Gonzaga has won 5 straight tournament games against the Pac 12.

Gonzaga has a tournament leading 10 wins during this decade.  Houston has a chance to tie them with a win tomorrow.

UCLA has lost 5 of their last 6 Sweet Sixteen games.

UCLA's loss snaps a 4-game tournament winning streak on Thursdays.

Florida Atlantic 62 Tennessee 55

Florida Atlantic is in the Elite Eight for the first time in school history.

Florida Atlantic is the first Conference USA team to advance to the Elite Eight since Memphis in 2008.

With Florida Atlantic's win (as a #9 seed), #9 seeds are now 7-3 in the Sweet Sixteen including four straight wins.

Florida Atlantic's 62 points is the fewest they have scored in 4 tournament games.  Their previous low was 66 vs. Memphis in the 2023 Round of 64.

Tennessee's 55 points is the fewest that Florida Atlantic has allowed in 4 tournament games.  The previous high allowed was 65 also vs. Memphis.

Tennessee is 1-8 in the Sweet Sixteen including 3 straight losses.

Tennessee is 0-2 vs. Conference USA in the tournament.

Tennessee has lost 3 straight against #9 seeds.

Connecticut 88 Arkansas 65

Connecticut is in the Elite Eight for the first time since 2014 and the 12th time in school history.

Connecticut is 12-7 in the Sweet Sixteen and has won 6 straight Sweet Sixteen games.

Connecticut has won 7 straight tournament games against the SEC.

Connecticut is 7-1 vs. #8 seeds.  Their only loss was 77-64 to Iowa State in 2012 First Round.

With Connecticut's win (as a #4 seed), #4 seeds are now 5-8 vs. #8 seeds.

Arkansas's loss snaps a streak of 2 straight trips to the Elite Eight.

Arkansas's loss snaps a 4-game tournament winning streak on Thursdays.

Connecticut-Arkansas game was the first ever tournament game played in Nevada.

Kansas State 98 Kentucky 93 (OT)

Kansas State is in the Elite Eight for the first time since 2018 and the 14th time in school history.

Kansas State is 13-5 in the Sweet Sixteen and has won 4 straight Sweet Sixteen games.

Kansas State is 4-9 in the Elite Eight and has lost their last 7 Elite Eight games.

Kansas State is 4-2 in overtime games in the tournament including 3-0 in Sweet Sixteen games.

Kansas State's win snaps a 3-game tournament losing streak vs. the Big Ten.  Kansas State is 3-0 in the Sweet Sixteen vs. the Big Ten and 0-4 vs. the Big Ten in all other rounds.

Kansas State has won 7 consecutive tournament games played on a Thursday and is 15-4 overall.

Big Twelve has at least one team in the Elite Eight for the 7th consecutive tournament.

Michigan State's loss snaps a 3-game Sweet Sixteen winning streak.

Michigan State is 3-6 in overtime games in the tournament.

Michigan State has lost 3 straight tournament games against the Big Twelve.

Kansas State's 98 points is the most that Michigan State has allowed in 107 tournament games.  The previous high allowed was 96 against Kansas in the 1986 Sweet Sixteen.

Michigan State is 0-5 when allowing 90 or more points in the tournament.

Sweet Sixteen Fun Facts

Matchups

South (Louisville)

#1 Alabama vs. #5 San Diego State

#6 Creighton vs. #15 Princeton

East (New York City)

#9 Florida Atlantic vs. #4 Tennessee

#3 Kansas State vs. #7 Michigan State

Midwest (Kansas City)

#1 Houston vs. #5 Miami

#3 Xavier vs. #2 Texas

West (Las Vegas)

#8 Arkansas vs. #4 Connecticut

#3 Gonzaga vs. #2 UCLA

Tournament Rematches

Texas and Xavier have played twice and split the two games.  Texas defeated Xavier 102-89 in the 1990 Sweet Sixteen.  Xavier defeated Texas 79-71 in the 2004 Sweet Sixteen.

UCLA and Gonzaga have played three times.  Gonzaga has won 2 of the 3.  UCLA defeated Gonzaga 73-71 in the 2006 Sweet Sixteen.  Gonzaga defeated UCLA 74-62 in the 2015 Sweet Sixteen and 93-90 (OT) in the 2021 National Semifinals.

Sweet Sixteens by Conference

Big East 3

SEC 3

Big Twelve 2

ACC 1

American 1

Big Ten 1

Conference USA 1

Ivy League 1

Mountain West 1

Pac Twelve 1

West Coast 1

Consecutive Sweet Sixteen Appearances

Gonzaga 8

Houston 4

Arkansas 3

UCLA 3

Miami 2

Last Appearance for Other Teams

Florida Atlantic - First Appearance

Princeton - 1967

Texas - 2008

Connecticut - 2014

San Diego State - 2014

Xavier - 2017

Kansas State - 2018

Michigan State - 2019

Tennessee - 2019

Alabama - 2021

Creighton - 2021

Sweet Sixteens by Seed

#1 - 2 (Alabama, Houston)

#2 - 2 (Texas, UCLA)

#3 - 3 (Kansas State, Xavier, Gonzaga)

#4 - 2 (Tennessee, Connecticut)

#5 - 2 (San Diego State, Miami)

#6 - 1 (Creighton)

#7 - 1 (Michigan State)

#8 - 1 (Arkansas)

#9 - 1 (Florida Atlantic)

#15 - 1 (Princeton)

Sweet Sixteen Streaks Snapped

Michigan 5

Villanova 2

Longest Sweet Sixteen Droughts (Teams currently in major conferences)

Nebraska - Never

Northwestern - Never

TCU - 1968

Colorado - 1969

Rutgers - 1979

DePaul - 1987

Arizona State - 1995

Georgia - 1996

Mississippi State - 1996

California - 1997

Minnesota - 1997

Iowa - 1999

St. John's - 1999

Seton Hall - 2000

Mississippi - 2001

Penn State - 2001

Georgia Tech - 2004

Wake Forest - 2004

Illinois - 2005

Oklahoma State - 2005

Record in Sweet Sixteen

UCLA 22-14

Michigan State 14-6

Kansas State 12-5

Connecticut 11-7

Arkansas 8-5

Houston 7-7

Gonzaga 5-7

Texas 4-6

Xavier 3-5

Miami 1-3

Princeton 1-5

Tennessee 1-7

Alabama 1-8

San Diego State 0-2

Creighton 0-4

Sweet Sixteens by State

California 2

Florida 2

Texas 2

Alabama 1

Arkansas 1

Connecticut 1

Kansas 1

Michigan 1

Nebraska 1

New Jersey 1

Ohio 1

Tennessee 1

Round of 32 Tidbits - Sunday

Gonzaga 84 TCU 81

Gonzaga is in the Sweet Sixteen for the 8th consecutive tournament and the 13th time overall.

Gonzaga has won 5 straight games against #6 seeds.

Gonzaga is 5-1 in tournament games played in Colorado.  The 5 wins is a tournament high.

Gonzaga matches Houston and UCLA at for the most wins this decade at 9.

TCU is 0-4 all-time in the Round of 32 including losses in back-to-back years.

TCU is 0-2 on Sundays in the tournament.  Their other Sunday game was last year's Round of 32 loss to Arizona.

TCU is 0-4 when scoring 80 or more points in a tournament game.

Miami, Florida 85 Indiana 69

Miami is in the Sweet Sixteen for the 2nd consecutive tournament and the 5th time overall.

Miami is 3-4 all-time vs. Top 4 seeds.  All 3 wins occurred when they were the lower seeded team.

Miami is 3-0 on March 19 in the tournament.

Miami's 85 points is the most they have scored in 24 tournament games.  Their previous high was 84 vs. Western Kentucky in the 1960 Round of 32.

Indiana's loss ends a 3-game winning streak in the Round of 32.

Indiana loses on March 19 for the first time.  They are now 4-1 on today's date.

Florida Atlantic 78 Fairleigh Dickinson 70

Florida Atlantic is in the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in school history.

Florida Atlantic's Sweet Sixteen berth is the first for Conference USA since Memphis went to the Sweet Sixteen in 2009.

Conference USA teams are now 2-0 vs. teams from the Northeast Conference. Marquette defeated Monmouth in 1996 Round of 64.

Fairleigh Dickinson is 0-2 vs. teams from Florida.  They also lost to Florida Gulf Coast in the 2016 First Four.

Creighton 85 Baylor 76

Creighton is in the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2021 and the 5th time overall.

Creighton is 1-1 vs. Baylor in the tournament.  Baylor defeated Creighton in the 2014 Round of 32.

Creighton's win is their first against the Big 12 in the tournament.  They are now 1-3.  They were eliminated by Kansas in the Round of 32 last year.

Creighton's win is their first ever against a Top 4 seed in tournament history.  They had lost their first 8 games against Top 4 seeds.

Creighton's win is their first ever tournament win on a Sunday.  They had lost their first 6 games played on a Sunday.

Creighton is 5-0 when scoring at least 80 points in the tournament.

Baylor is knocked out in the Round of 32 for the 2nd straight year where they were eliminated by North Carolina last year.

Baylor is 0-2 vs. #6 seeds.

Baylor is 0-5 when allowing at least 80 points in the tournament.

Connecticut 70 Saint Mary's 55

Connecticut is in the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2014 and the 19th time overall.

Connecticut is 6-1 vs. #5 seeds and has won 5 straight.

Connecticut is 12-8 when playing tournament games in the state of New York.  The 12 wins is a tournament best.

Saint Mary's is 1-3 in the Round of 32 and have lost 3 straight in the round.

Saint Mary's has lost as a #5 seed vs. the #4 seed in consecutive years.  They lost to #4 seed UCLA last year.

Today's game was the first time that Saint Mary's has played a tournament game on a Sunday.

Saint Mary's is 0-8 in the tournament when scoring fewer than 60 points.

Michigan State 69 Marquette 60

Michigan State is in the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2019 and the 21st time overall.

Michigan State is 3-0 vs. Marquette in the tournament.  They also defeated Marquette in the 1959 Sweet Sixteen and the 2007 Round of 64.

Michigan State is 8-1 vs. the Big East in the tournament.  

Michigan State is 5-0 vs. teams from Wisconsin in the tournament.

Michigan State is 11-5 as a #7 seed.  The 11 wins is the most all-time.  Three of the 11 wins are as a #7 vs. a #2 which is the most in a #7 vs. #2 match-up.

Marquette is 1-9 vs. the Big Ten in the tournament.

Marquette's loss ends a 3-game winning streak in the Round of 32.

Marquette is 0-3 vs. #7 seeds.

Kansas State 75 Kentucky 69

Kansas State is in the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2018 and the 18th time overall.

Kansas State is 2-2 in the tournament vs. Kentucky.  They also defeated Kentucky in the 2018 Sweet Sixteen.  They lost to Kentucky in the 2014 First Round and the 1951 National Championship Game.

Kansas State also played their first two games in North Carolina in 2018.  They played in Charlotte in 2018 and Greensboro this year.

Kansas State is 3-0 in the Round of 32 on Sundays.  

Kentucky's loss ends a 3-game Round of 32 winning streak.

Kentucky's loss ends a 4-game winning streak against #3 seeds.  However, the previous 4 games were as #1 or #2 seeds.  Kentucky was a #6 seed in this game.

Kentucky's loss ends a 5-game tournament winning streak in North Carolina.

Kentucky has now lost their last 3 tournament games played on a Sunday.

Xavier 84 Pitt 73

Xavier is in the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2017 and the 9th time overall.

Xaiver is 2-1 vs. Pitt in the tournament.  They also defeated Pitt 71-68 in the 2010 Round of 32.  Pitt defeated Xavier in the 2009 Sweet Sixteen.

Xavier also defeated an ACC Team (Florida State) to advance to the Sweet Sixteen team in 2017.

Xavier is 4-0 on March 19.  Only Georgetown has a better record on March 19 at 6-0.

Pitt is 0-2 vs. Big East teams.  Their other loss was to Villanova in the 2009 Elite Eight.

Pitt has lost four consecutive Round of 32 games.

Pitt is 0-4 vs. #3 seeds.  Only Northeastern is worse at 0-5.

Pitt is 0-8 vs. Top 3 seeds all-time.  Only Notre Dame is worse at 0-10.

Round of 32 Tidbits - Saturday

Alabama 73 Maryland 51

Alabama is in the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2021 and the 10th time overall.

Alabama is 2-0 vs. Maryland in the tournament.  They also defeated Maryland 96-77 in the 2021 Round of 32.

Alabama is 4-0 playing in their home state.

Alabama wins 2 games in the tournament by more than 20 points for the first time in school history.

Maryland has lost 3 straight vs. the SEC and has been knocked out in the Round of 32 by and SEC team in 3 of the last 4 tournaments.

Maryland has lost 3 straight Round of 32 games and 8 of their last 9.

UCLA 68 Northwestern 63

UCLA is in the Sweet Sixteen for the 3rd consecutive tournament and the 37th time overall.

UCLA has won 6 straight Round of 32 games.

UCLA has won 3 straight tournament games against the Big Ten and 6 of their last 7.  They are 12-5 all-time.

UCLA is 3-0 vs. #7 seeds.

UCLA is 31-1 when playing in California and has won 16 straight.

UCLA's win is their 9th this decade which is the most of any team tied with Houston. (Baylor and Gonzaga can tie them tomorrow)

UCLA wins their 46th tournament game on a Saturday which is the most all-time.

Northwestern is 0-2 in the Round of 32.  They have been in 2 tournaments and lost in the Round of 32 both times.

Both of Northwestern's losses were on March 18 and on a Saturday.

Texas 71 Penn State 66

Texas is in the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2008 and the 11th time overall.

Texas ends a 4-game losing streak in the Round of 32.

Texas played a Big Ten team in the Round of 32 for the 2nd straight year.  They lost to Purdue 81-71 last year.

Texas ends a 4-game losing streak on Saturdays in the Tournament.  They had lost 12 of their previous 13 tournament games played on a Saturday.

Penn State loses to a Top 4 seed for the first time.  They were previously 2-0 vs. Top 4 seeds.

Penn State loses a tournament game in Iowa for the first time in 4 games.

Houston 81 Auburn 64

Houston is in the Sweet Sixteen for the 4th consecutive tournament and the 15th time overall.

Houston defeats a team from Alabama for the 2nd consecutive tournament.  They beat UAB in the Round of 64 last year.

Houston is 7-1 all-time as a #1 seed.  Their only loss was to North Carolina State in the 1983 National Championship Game.

Houston's win is their 9th this decade which is the most of any team tied with UCLA.  (Baylor and Gonzaga can tie them tomorrow)

Auburn loses in the Round of 32 for the 2nd consecutive tournament.

Princeton 78 Missouri 63

Princeton is in the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1967 and the 7th time overall.

The win by Princeton ends a 6-game losing streak in the Round of 32.

With Princeton's win, a #15 seed is in the Sweet Sixteen for the 3rd consecutive tournament.

Princeton is the first Ivy League team in the Sweet Sixteen since Cornell in 2010.  It will be the 19th appearance by an Ivy League team overall.

The 15-point win by Princeton is the largest margin of victory by a #15 seed in tournament history (16 wins).  The previous high was by Coppin State over South Carolina 78-65 in 1997.

Missouri joins Arizona as the only schools to lose to a #15 seed twice.  Missouri is a tournament worst 0-2 vs. #15 seeds.

Arkansas 72 Kansas 71

Arkansas is in the Sweet Sixteen for the 3rd consecutive tournament and the 14th time overall.

Arkansas is 1-1 vs. Kansas in the tournament.  Kansas defeated Arkansas 93-81 in the 1991 Elite Eight.

Arkansas is 3-1 vs. the Big 12 in the tournament.

Arkansas defeats a #1 seed for the 2nd consecutive tournament after losing their first 10 times against #1 seeds.

With Kansas's loss, the defending champion fails to make the Sweet Sixteen for the 6th consecutive tournament.  Here is the defending champion's result in each of the last 6 tournaments:

• 2016 Champion Villanova - Lost to Wisconsin 65-62 in the 2017 Round of 32
• 2017 Champion North Carolina - Lost to Texas A&M 86-65 in the 2018 Round of 32
• 2018 Champion Villanova - Lost to Purdue 87-61 in the 2019 Round of 32
• 2019 Champion Virginia - Lost to Ohio 62-58 in the 2021 Round of 64
• 2021 Champion Baylor - Lost to North Carolina 93-86 in the 2022 Round of 32
• 2022 Champion Kansas - Lost to Arkansas 72-71 in the 2023 Round of 32

With Kansas and Duke losing today, and Villanova and North Carolina not making the tournament, all of last year's final four teams fail to make the Final Four.  The last time that happened was 2021 when Auburn, Virginia, Texas Tech and Michigan State all failed to make the Sweet Sixteen.

Kansas loses in the Round of 32 for the 3rd time in 4 tournaments.

It is the 4th time that Kansas has lost in the Round of 32 as a #1 seed (in 16 appearances as #1 seed)

Kansas has lost their last three tournament games against the SEC.

Tennessee 65 Duke 52

Tennessee is in the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2019 and the 9th time overall.

Tennessee's win is their 2nd straight against the ACC in the tournament after losing their first four.

Tennessee's win is only their 2nd all-time on a Saturday in the tournament.  They are now 2-6 on Saturdays.

The SEC has at least one team in the Sweet Sixteen for the 13th consecutive tournament.  Last year, Arkansas was the only SEC team in the Sweet Sixteen.

Duke is 5-8 vs. the SEC in the tournament.  Of conferences that they have faced more than once, it is the only one they have a losing record against.

Duke has never made it to the Final Four as a #4 seed or lower.  They were a #5 seed this year.

Duke's 52 points are tied for their lowest scoring game in their tournament history (159 games).  They also scored 52 points against Penn in the 1980 Round of 32, but they won that game 52-42.

San Diego State 75 Furman 52

San Diego State is in the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2014 and the 3rd time overall.

San Diego State's Sweet Sixteen berth is the first for the Mountain West since Nevada went to the Sweet Sixteen in 2018.

San Diego State is 0-2 in the Sweet Sixteen.  The Mountain West is 0-6 in the Sweet Sixteen.

Both of San Diego State's wins in this year's tournament are vs. teams from South Carolina (Charleston, Furman)

Since the field expanded to 64 teams, San Diego State has been the Round of 32 five times.  They have won 3 times, all on Saturday, and lost twice, both on Sunday.

The 23-point win is the largest margin of victory for San Diego State in 8 tournament wins.  Their previous high was 19 vs. North Dakota State in the 2014 Round of 32.

Furman is 1-5 in the Round of 32.  Their only Sweet Sixteen appearance was in 1974.

Furman's 52 points is the fewest they have scored in 10 tournament games.  Their previous low was 62 vs. Indiana in the 1978 Round of 32.

Round of 64 Tidbits - Friday

Baylor has won 5 consecutive Round of 64 games and is in the Round of 32 for the 4th consecutive tournament.  They are 8-4 in the Round of 64.

Baylor joins Kansas, Houston and UCLA for the most wins this decade with 8.  Gonzaga could tie them with a win today.

Baylor is 4-0 in the Round of 64 on Fridays.

Cal-Santa Barbara loses their 6th consecutive tournament game.  They are 1-7 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.

Xavier wins their first tournament game since 2018.

Xavier has won their last 6 Round of 64 games and is 18-8 overall in the Round of 64.

Sean Miller wins his first tournament game for Xavier since 2009 and his 7th overall.

Xavier wins on St. Patrick's Day in the tournament for the first time ever.  They are now 1-4 overall.

Kennesaw State loses their first ever tournament game.

This is the second time that Xavier was the opponent in a team's first tournament game.  The other time was Troy in 2003.

Michigan State is 2-0 vs. USC in the tournament.  They also defeated USC 74-69 in the 2009 Round of 32.

Michigan State has won 5 consecutive Round of 64 games.  They are 24-7 overall in the Round of 64.

Michigan State is 8-1 vs. #10 seeds.  The 8 wins is the most all-time.

USC is 0-3 vs. the Big Ten in the tournament.

Saint Mary's is 2-0 vs. VCU in the tournament.  They also defeated VCU 85-77 in the 2017 Round of 64.

Saint Mary's is 3-0 vs. the Atlantic Ten in the tournament.

Saint Mary's is in the Round of 32 in back to back tournaments for the first time in school history.

VCU's 51 points is the fewest that points that Saint Mary's has allowed in 18 tournament games.  Their previous low allowed was 53 vs. Indiana in the 2022 Round of 64.

VCU has lost 5 of their last 6 Round of 64 games.  They are 9-9 overall in the Round of 64.

VCU has lost 4 consecutive tournament games and 7 of their last 8.

Marquette wins a tournament game for the first time since 2013.  The win snaps a 4-game tournament losing streak.

Shaka Smart wins his first tournament game for Marquette (in 2 tries).  He is the 9th Marquette coach to win a tournament game.  Only UCLA and Western Kentucky have had more coaches win a game with 10.  Ohio State also has had 9 coaches win a tournament game.

Vermont loses their 5th consecutive tournament game and are 2-9 overall.

Pittsburgh wins a Round of 64 game for the first time since 2014.

Iowa State is 1-7 vs. the ACC in the tournament.

Iowa State's 41 points is the fewest that Iowa State has scored and the fewest that Pittsburgh has allowed in the shot-clock era.

Creighton is in the Round of 32 for the 3rd consecutive tournament.  It is the 2nd time in school history that they have been in the Round of 32 three consecutive years matching 2012-14.

Creighton's win is their first ever against an ACC team in the tournament.  They are now 1-4.

North Carolina State has lost 4 of their last 5 Round of 64 games.

Connecticut wins their first tournament game since 2016.

Dan Hurley wins his first tournament game for Connecticut (in 3 tries). He is the 6th Connecticut coach to win a tournament game.

Connecticut wins their first tournament game as a member of the Big East Conference since they won the 2011 National Championship.

Connecticut is 11-8 in tournament games played in the state of New York.  The 11 wins and 19 games are both the most all-time.

Iona has lost 15 consecutive tournament games and is 1-16 all-time in the the tournament.

Fairleigh Dickinson is the 2nd #16 seed to defeat a #1 seed all-time.  They are the first #16 seed to win two games, winning the First Four game as well.

Fairleigh Dickinson's win is the first ever by a Northeast Conference team in the Round of 64.  They were previously 0-33 in that Round.  They were the only conference that had never won a game in the Round of 64 before today.

Counting First Four games, Fairleigh Dickinson now has 3 wins as a #16 seed which is tied with Texas Southern as the most all-time.

Fairleigh Dickinson has won 3 of their last 4 tournament games after starting 0-5.

Fairleigh Dickinson is 1-1 vs. Purdue in the tournament.  Purdue defeated Fairleigh Dickinson 94-79 in the 1988 Round of 64.

Purdue has been upset by double digit seeds a record 9 times in the tournament including each of the last 3 tournaments (2021 - #13 North Texas, 2022 - #15 St. Peter's, 2023 - #16 Fairleigh Dickinson)

Purdue loses to a double-digit seed from the state of New Jersey for the 2nd consecutive year.

Purdue has been a #1 seed 4 times and never made it to the Final Four which is the most all-time tied with DePaul

Kentucky wins their first tournament game since 2019.

Providence is now 4-9 in the Round of 64.  They have not won consecutive Round of 64 games in their history.

Providence is 0-5 when scoring less than 60 points in the tournament.

Gonzaga wins their 14th straight Round of 64 game.  They are 21-4 in the Round of 64.  They are in the Round of 32 for the 14th consecutive tournament.

Gonzaga joins Baylor, Kansas, Houston and UCLA for the most wins this decade with 8.  

Grand Canyon is 0-2 in the NCAA Tournament

Miami is in the Round of 32 for the 2nd consecutive year for the 2nd time in school history matching 1999-2000.

Miami defeats a team from the state of Iowa for the 2nd consecutive tournament.  They defeated Iowa State in the Sweet Sixteen last year.

Miami is 6-0 when allowing fewer than 60 points

Drake is 0-3 in Round of 64 games.

Florida Atlantic wins their first ever tournament game.  They are 1-1 in the tournament.

Memphis's loss snaps a 3-game winning streak in the Round of 64.

Memphis was a tournament-best 7-0 on March 17 before their loss to Florida Atlantic.  With the loss, Stanford now has the most wins without a loss on March 17 with 3.

Memphis loses a 1-point game in the tournament for the first time.  They are now 3-1 in 1-point games.  They were tied with Oklahoma and Loyola Chicago for most wins without a loss in 1-point games.

Kansas State wins their first tournament game since 2018.

Dusty May, Florida Atlantic's coach, becomes the 5th coach  and Jerome Tang of Kansas State becomes the 6th coach in this year's tournament to win in their first ever tournament game joining Tobin Anderson (Fairleigh Dickinson), Micah Shrewsberry (Penn State), Jon Scheyer (Duke) and Bob Richey (Furman)

Jerome Tang is the 8th Kansas State coach to win a tournament game.

Montana State is 0-5 in the NCAA Tournament

TCU wins a Round of 64 game for the 2nd consecutive year.  It is their first back-to-back appearances in the Round of 32 in school history.

The 72-70 win by TCU is the 12th occurrence of that score in tournament history which is tied for the 4th most common score.

Arizona State has lost their last 3 Round of 64 games after winning their first 5.

Arizona State is 0-3 vs. the Big Twelve in the tournament.

Arizona State is 0-7 vs. teams seeded #6 or better

Indiana is 2-1 vs. Kent State in the tournament.  They also defeated Kent State in 2002 Elite Eight.

Indiana is in the Round of 32 for the first time since 2016.

Kent State loses their 5th consecutive conference tournament game and drops to 4-7 overall.

Kent State is 0-4 on St. Patrick's Day in the tournament.

Round of 64 Tidbits - Thursday

Maryland is 2-1 vs. West Virginia in the tournament.  They also defeated West Virginia 102-77 in the 1984 Round of 32.

Kevin Willard wins his first tournament game as coach of Maryland.  He is the 6th Maryland coach to win a tournament game.

Maryland is 22-3 in the Round of 64 including winning 15 of their last 16 First Round games.

The win by Maryland ended a 5-game tournament losing streak by the Big Ten.

The loss by West Virginia snaps a 3-game winning streak in the Round of 64.

Furman wins their first tournament game since 1974 when they defeated South Carolina 75-67 in the Round of 32.  The win snaps a 5-game tournament losing streak for Furman.

Furman is the first Southern Conference team to win as a lower seed since #10 seed Davidson defeated #3 seed Wisconsin in the 2008 Sweet Sixteen

Bob Richey, Furman coach, wins his first ever tournament game.  He is the second coach in this tournament to do so, joining Tobin Anderson of Fairleigh Dickinson.

Virginia is upset in the Round of 64 for the 7th time in tournament history including 3 of their last 4 tournament appearances.  Only Arizona (see below) and Indiana have been upset more in the Round of 64 with 8.

Missouri wins their first tournament game since 2010 when they defeated Clemson 86-78 in the Round of 32.  The win snaps a 6-game tournament losing streak for Missouri.

Dennis Gates wins his first tournament game as coach of Missouri.  He is the 5th Missouri coach to win a tournament game.

Missouri plays their first tournament game as a #7 seed.  They have now been 12 different seeds in the tournament which ties Arkansas, Gonzaga, Iowa State, Oklahoma and Xavier for the most.

Utah State's loss is their 10th consecutive tournament loss.  Their last win was in 2001.  Their loss also extended the Mountain West's losing streak to 11 games.

Utah State is 1-15 in the Round of 64.

Utah State is a tournament-worst 0-4 as a #10 seed (tied with Oklahoma).  They are also a tournament-worst 0-4 vs. #7 seeds (tied with Michigan State).

Kansas is 2-0 vs. Howard in the tournament.  They also defeated Howard 100-67 in the 1992 Round of 64.

Kansas has won 16 consecutive Round of 64 games and is 37-2 overall in the Round of 64.

Kansas is a tournament-best 16-0 vs. #16 seeds.

Kansas is 11-1 on March 16 and has won their last 8 games on March 16.

Kansas is 25-3 on Thursdays and has won their last 15 tournament games played on Thursday.

Kansas is 25-0 when scoring at least 90 points in a tournament game.

Howard is 0-3 all-time in the tournament with 2 of their losses coming to Kansas.

The 68 points scored by Howard is the most they have scored in 3 tournament games.  Their previous high was 67 against Kansas in the 1992 Round of 64.

Alabama's win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is their first against the Southland Conference.  They had previously lost to Lamar in the 1983 Round of 64.

Alabama is 3-0 when playing in their home state of Alabama.  They also played in Birmingham in the 1987 first and second rounds.

Alabama's 96-65 win is their largest margin of victory in tournament history.  Their previous high was 25 when defeated New Orleans 101-76 in the 1987 Round of 64.

Brian Dutcher wins his first tournament game (in 4 tries) for San Diego State.  He is only the 2nd coach in San Diego State history to win a tournament game joining Steve Fisher who has 6 wins for the Aztecs.

San Diego State wins their first tournament game since 2015 when they defeated St. John's 76-64 in the Round of 64.  The win snaps a 4-game tournament losing streak.

San Diego State's win also snaps an 11-game losing streak by the Mountain West.

San Diego State is 4-0 when allowing fewer than 60 points in a tournament game.

Charleston's loss is their 5th consecutive in the tournament.  Their last win was in 1997.

Princeton wins their first tournament game since 1998 when they defeated UNLV 69-57 in the Round of 64.  The win snaps a 5-game tournament losing streak.

Mitch Henderson wins his first tournament game (in 2 tries) for Princeton.  He is the 5th coach in Princeton history to win a tournament game.

Princeton's win snaps a 5-game tournament losing streak by the Ivy League.

Princeton's 59-55 win over Arizona is the 4th most common score in tournament history (12 times).

Arizona becomes the first team to lose twice as a #2 seed in the Round of 64.

Arizona is upset in the Round of 64 for a record 8th time (tied with Indiana).

Arizona has lost their last three tournament games against teams from the state of New Jersey.

Arkansas is 18-7 in the Round of 64.  They have won 6 of their last 7 first round games.  They are in the Round of 32 for the 3rd consecutive year.

Arkansas is 6-1 vs. the Big Ten in the tournament.

Illinois loses a first round game for the first time since 2009.  They had won their last 4 game in the Round of 64.

Illinois is 1-8 vs. the SEC in the tournament.

Auburn is 11-1 in the Round of 64 and has won their last 11 first round games.  Their only loss in the Round of 64 was in 1984.

With Iowa and Utah State both losing, Utah State now has the most appearances since 2000 without a Sweet Sixteen with 11.  Iowa is tied with Winthrop, New Mexico State and Iona with 10.  (If Iona fails to make the Sweet Sixteen, they will join Utah State with 11).  Out of those teams, Iowa is the only one from a major conference.

Duke is 32-4 in the Round of 64 and has won their last 7 first round games.

Jon Scheyer, Duke coach, wins his first ever tournament game.  He is the third coach in this tournament to do so, joining Tobin Anderson of Fairleigh Dickinson and Bob Richey of Furman.

Duke's win as a #5 seed ties for the lowest seed for which they have had a win.  They won 2 games in the 1987 tournament as a #5 seed.  They were a #6 seed in 2007 and #8 seed in 1996, but lost in the first round both of those years.

Duke is 33-0 when giving up less than 60 points in the tournament.

Oral Robert's 51 points is the fewest they have scored in 11 tournament games.  Their previous low was 54 against Washington State in the 2007 Round of 64.

Oral Robert's 23-point loss is their largest margin of defeat in 7 tournament losses.  Their previous high was 19 vs. Pittsburgh in the 2008 Round of 64.

Rodney Terry wins his first tournament game for Texas.  He is the 8th coach in Texas history to win a tournament game.

Colgate is now 0-6 in the NCAA Tournament.

Colgate's 20-point loss is their largest margin of defeat in 6 tournament losses.  Their previous high was 17 vs. Arkansas in the 2021 Round of 64.

Northwestern is now 2-0 in the Round of 64.  They won in the first round in their only other tournament appearance in 2017

Northwestern's 75-67 win over Boise State is tied for the 5th most common score in tournament history (11 times).

Since 1985 (when field expanded to 64), only 4 schools have never lost a First Round Game:

• Auburn (11-0)
• Tulane (3-0)
• Northwestern (2-0)
• Furman (1-0)

Boise State is now a tournament-worst 0-9 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.

Houston is in the Round of 32 for the 5th consecutive tournament.

Northern Kentucky is 0-3 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.

Tennessee is 3-0 vs. Louisiana in the tournament.  They also defeated Louisiana 61-57 in the 1982 Round of 64 and 63-58 in the 2000 Round of 64.

Tennessee is in their 2nd consecutive Round of 32.  They have won 5 of their last 6 first round games.

Louisiana has lost 7 consecutive tournament games.  Their last tournament win was in the 1992 Round of 64 against Oklahoma.

UCLA is in their 3rd consecutive Round of 32.  They are 23-6 in the Round of 64 and have won their last 6 first round games.

UCLA is 30-1 playing in their home state of California.  They have won their last 15 games played in California.

North Carolina-Asheville has lost 4 consecutive tournament games.  Their last tournament win was in the 2011 First Four.

North Carolina-Asheville is 0-5 all-time in the Round of 64.

North Carolina-Asheville's 33-point loss is their largest margin of defeat in 5 tournament losses.  Their previous high was 30 against Villanova in the 2016 Round of 64.

Penn State wins their first tournament game since the 2001 Round of 32 when they defeated North Carolina 82-74.

Micah Shrewsberry, Penn State coach, wins his first ever tournament game.  He is the 4th coach in this tournament to do so, joining Tobin Anderson of Fairleigh Dickinson, Bob Richey of Furman, and Jon Scheyer of Duke.

Penn State's 17-point win is their largest margin of victory in 10 tournament wins.  Their previous high was 12 against Toledo in the 1954 Round of 32.

Texas A&M is 0-3 vs. the Big Ten in the tournament.

Texas A&M loses for only the 3rd time in the Round of 64.  They are now 8-3 in that round.

First Round Tournament Rematches

Here are First Round Games that are rematches of previous NCAA Tournament Games:

Maryland and West Virginia are 1-1 vs. each other

• 1984 Round of 32 - Maryland 102 West Virginia 77
• 2015 Round of 32 - West Virginia 69 Maryland 59

Purdue defeated Fairleigh Dickinson 94-79 in the 1988 Round of 64

Tennessee is 2-0 vs. Louisiana

• 1982 Round of 64 - Tennessee 61 Louisiana 57
• 2000 Round of 64 - Tennessee 63 Louisiana 58

Michigan State defeated USC 74-69 in the 2009 Round of 32

Saint Mary's defeated VCU 85-77 in the 2017 Round of 64

Kansas defeated Howard 100-67 in the 1992 Round of 64

Indiana and Kent State are 1-1 vs. each other

• 2001 Round of 64 - Kent State 77 Indiana 73
• 2002 Elite Eight - Indiana 81 Kent State 69

First Four Tidbits - Wednesday

Fairleigh Dickinson is 2-6 in the NCAA Tournament.  Both of their wins are in the First Four and against SWAC teams from Texas.

Fairleigh Dickinson coach Tobin Anderson wins the first tournament game that he has coached.  It is the 3rd straight year that a coach won their first tournament game in the First Four.

• 2021 - Drake (Darian DeVries) defeated Wichita State 53-52
• 2021 - Norfolk State (Robert Jones) defeated Appalachian State 54-53
• 2022 - Mike Woodson (Indiana) defeated Wyoming 66-58
• 2023 - Tobin Anderson (Fairleigh Dickinson) defeated Texas Southern 84-61

Texas Southern plays in a game before the Round of 64 for the 6th time (including 5 since it was branded as the First Four).  They are now 3-3 in those games.  They had won their last 3 games in the First Four.

Arizona State is now 2-1 in the First Four.  They become the first team to win multiple First Four games as an at-large team.

Arizona State's 98 points is the most in a First Four game.  The previous high was 96 by Florida Gulf Coast in a 96-65 win over Fairleigh Dickinson in 2016.

With Nevada's loss, the Mountain West Conference has lost 10 consecutive tournament games.

First Four Tidbits - Tuesday

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi wins their first tournament game in school history.  They previously lost to Wisconsin in the 2007 First Round and Texas Southern in the 2022 First Four.

With Texas A&M-Corpus Christi winning their first tournament game, it is the 7th consecutive tournament that a team got their first tournament win.  In each of the prior 6 tournaments, at least two teams won their first tournament game.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's 75 points is their most in their 3 tournament games.  Their previous high was 67 against Texas Southern in the 2022 First Four.

Southeast Missouri State is now 0-2 in the NCAA Tournament.

Pitt wins their first tournament game since 2014.

With Pitt's win over Mississippi State, ACC teams are now 5-1 in First Four games.

• 2023 - Pitt 60 Mississippi State 59
• 2022 - Notre Dame 89 Rutgers 87
• 2018 - Syracuse 60 Arizona State 56
• 2017 - Kansas State 95 Wake Forest 88
• 2014 - North Carolina State 74 Xavier 59
• 2011 - Clemson 70 UAB 52

Jeff Capel becomes the 8th Pitt coach to win an NCAA Tournament game.  The 8 coaches is the 4th most in tournament history.

• UCLA and Western Kentucky - 10 coaches with a win
• Ohio State - 9 coaches
• Michigan, Iowa State, Marquette and Pitt - 8 coaches

Pitt is 4-0 playing in Ohio in the tournament.

Mississippi State loses their 4th consecutive tournament game.  They have not won a tournament game since 2008.

Mississippi State is 0-2 vs. the ACC in the tournament.

Selection Sunday Tidbits

New Teams

Kennesaw State is the only new team in this year's tournament.  Every NCAA Tournament has had at least one new NCAA Tournament team.  This is the first time since 2018 that there was only one new team. This is the 84th NCAA Tournament and the 11th time that there has only been one new team in the tournament.

• 1949 - Yale
• 1965 - Vanderbilt
• 1973 - Austin Peay
• 1978 - Cal State-Fullerton
• 2002 - Florida Atlantic
• 2004 - Eastern Washington
• 2007 - Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
• 2011 - Northern Colorado
• 2013 - Florida Gulf Coast
• 2018 - Lipscomb
• 2023 - Kennesaw State

New Coaches 

There are 10 coaches who are coaching in the tournament for the first time. 

• Amir Abdur-Rahim, Kennesaw State
• Tobin Anderson, Fairleigh Dickinson
• Kenneth Blakeney, Howard
• Brad Korn, Southeast Missouri State
• Dusty May, Florida Atlantic
• Mike Morrell, North Carolina-Asheville
• Bob Richey, Furman
• Jon Scheyer, Duke
• Micah Shrewsberry, Penn State
• Jerome Tang, Kansas State

Coach First Year with New Team 

There are 10 coaches who have coached in the tournament, but are making their first appearance with their current team.

• Steve Alford, Nevada (1999 - Missouri State; 2001, 2005-06 - Iowa; 2010, 2012-13 - New Mexico; 2014-15, 2017-18 - UCLA)
• Jeff Capel, Pittsburgh (1994 - North Carolina A&T; 1995, 1997 - Old Dominion; 2008-09 - Oklahoma)
• Dennis Gates, Missouri (2021 - Cleveland State)
• Darrin Horn, Northern Kentucky (2008 - Western Kentucky)
• Chris Jans, Mississippi State (2018-19, 2022 - New Mexico State)
• Pat Kelsey, Charleston (2017, 2021 - Winthrop)
• Ryan Odom, Utah State (2018 - UMBC)
• Rodney Terry, Texas (2016 - Fresno State)
• Kevin Willard, Maryland (2016-19, 2022 - Seton Hall)
• Buzz Williams, Texas A&M (2009-13 - Marquette; 2017-19 - Virginia Tech)

Nevada is the 5th school that Steve Alford has coached in the NCAA Touranment which ties Lon Kruger, Rick Pitino and Tubby Smith for the most all-time.

 

Consecutive Tournaments

• Kansas 33
• Michigan State 25
• Gonzaga 24
• Purdue 8
• Houston 5
• Tennessee 5
• Baylor 4
• Colgate 4
• Alabama 3
• Arkansas 3
• Connecticut 3
• Creighton 3
• Illinois 3
• San Diego State 3
• Southern California 3
• Texas 3
• Texas Southern 3
• UCLA 3

Consecutive Appearances Snapped

• North Carolina 11
• Villanova 9
• Virginia Tech 5
• Ohio State 4
• Texas Tech 4
• Louisiana State 3
• Wisconsin 3
• Loyola  Chicago 2
• Norfolk State 2
• Rutgers 2

Longest Droughts Broken

• Furman 1980
• Howard 1992
• Southeast Missouri State 2000
• Florida Atlantic 2002
• Penn State 2011
• Louisiana 2014
• North Carolina-Asheville 2016
• Pittsburgh 2016
• Kent State 2017
• Northwestern 2017
• Princeton 2017

Consecutive Top 4 Seeds

• Kansas 22
• Gonzaga 6
• Purdue 6
• Baylor 3
• Arizona 2
• Tennessee 2
• UCLA 2

Last Top 4 Seed (for those that weren't Top 4 last year)

• Alabama 2021
• Houston 2021
• Texas 2021
• Virginia 2021
• Kansas State 2019
• Xavier 2018
• Indiana 2013
• Marquette 2013
• Connecticut 2011

Consecutive Top 4 Seeds Snapped

• Arkansas 2
• Illinois 2

#1 Seed History

• Kansas - 16th #1 Seed (45-13, 5 Final Fours, 2008 and 2022 National Champions)
• Purdue - 4th #1 Seed (6-3, 1 Elite Eight - Lost in 1994)
• Houston - 2nd #1 Seed (4-1, 1 Final Four, Lost 1983 National Championship Game)
• Alabama - 1st #1 Seed

Other Seeds - Teams achieving best seeds in school history

• Marquette - #2 (First Time - Previous High was #3 in 1979, 2003, 2012 and 2013)
• Saint Mary's - #5 (2nd Time - Also in 2022)
• Northwestern - #7 (First Time - Previous High was #8 in 2017)
• Florida Atlantic - #9 (First Time - Previous High was #15 in 2002)
• Grand Canyon - #14 (First Time - Previous High was #15 in 2021)
• Kennesaw State - #14 (First Appearance)
• North Carolina-Asheville - #15 (2nd Time - Also in 2016)