Arizona Elite Eight Facts

Arizona defeated Xavier 68-60 to advance to the Elite Eight. 

Arizona is in their 11th Elite Eight and their 2nd consecutive.  It is the second time that Arizona has been to consecutive Elite Eights.  The other time was 1997-1998.

They are 4-6 in their previous 10 appearances.

• Lost to UCLA  82-66 in 1976 
• Defeated North Carolina 70-52 in 1988 
• Defeated Missouri 92-72 in 1994 
• Defeated Providence 96-92 in 1997 in OT 
• Lost to Utah 76-51 in 1998 
• Defeated Illinois 87-81 in 2001 
• Lost to Kansas 78-75 in 2003 
• Lost to Illinois 90-89 in 2005 in OT 
• Lost to Connecticut 65-63 in 2011 
• Lost to Wisconsin 64-63 in 2014 in OT 

Arizona’s Elite Eight is the 4th for Sean Miller and his 3rd with Arizona.  The 3 Elite Eights rank him 2nd all-time in Arizona history behind Lute Olson who has 7.


Arizona's appearance makes 2 consecutive years that a Pac 12 team has been in the Elite Eight.  It is the first time the Pac 12 has made consecutive appearances in the Elite Eight since 2008 when it had four consecutive years with an appearance.

Arizona will face Wisconsin in the Elite Eight for the second consecutive year.  It is the 9th time that two teams have faced each other in the Elite Eight in consecutive years.  However, it is the first time since the tournament started seeding in 1979.

• Kentucky vs. St. John's (1951, 1952)
• Kentucky vs. Ohio State (1961, 1962)
• Cincinnati vs. Colorado (1962, 1963)
• San Francisco vs. UCLA (1964, 1965)
• Davidson vs. North Carolina (1968, 1969)
• Santa Clara vs. UCLA (1968, 1969)
• Long Beach State vs. UCLA (1971, 1972)
• San Francisco vs. UCLA (1973, 1974)

Sweet Sixteen Quick Facts

Number of Sweet Sixteen Appearances with Sweet Sixteen Record for this years teams
Kentucky 42 (31-10)
UCLA 33 (21-11)
North Carolina 31 (24-6)
Duke 28 (19-8)
Louisville 28 (13-14)
Michigan State 19 (12-6)
Arizona 18 (10-7)
Notre Dame 16 (5-10)
Utah 16 (5-10)
North Carolina State 13 (5-7)
Oklahoma 10 (5-4)
West Virginia 9 (3-5)
Wisconsin 8 (3-4)
Xavier 7 (2-4)
Wichita State 6 (4-1)
Gonzaga 6 (1-4)
 
Consecutive Sweet Sixteen Appearances
Louisville 4
Michigan State 4
Arizona 3
Kentucky 2
UCLA 2
Wisconsin 2

Sweet Sixteen Droughts Snapped with Last Year in Sweet Sixteen
Notre Dame - 2003
Utah - 2005
Gonzaga - 2009
Oklahoma - 2009
West Virginia - 2010
North Carolina - 2012
North Carolina State - 2012
Xavier - 2012
Duke - 2013
Wichita State - 2013

Longest Sweet Sixteen Streaks Snapped
Florida 4
Michigan 2

Number of Teams by Conference (Record in Parenthesis)
Atlantic Coast 5 (11-1)
Pacific Twelve 3 (7-1)
Big Ten 2 (7-5)
Big Twelve 2 (5-5)
Big East 1(5-5)
Missouri Valley 1 (3-1)
Southeastern 1 (4-4)
West Coast 1 (2-1)

The 5 Sweet Sixteens by the ACC ties the record for the most set by the Big East in 2009.

Number of Teams by State (Record in Parenthesis)
North Carolina 3 (6-1)
Kentucky 2 (4-0)
Arizona 1 (2-0)
California 1 (3-2)
Indiana 1 (3-4)
Kansas 1 (3-1)
Michigan1 (2-0)
Ohio 1 (6-3)
Oklahoma 1 (2-1)
Utah 1 (2-1)
Washington 1 (2-1)
West Virginia 1 (2-0)
Wisconsin 1 (2-0)

Sweet Sixteen Tournament Rematches

Midwest

• Kentucky is 1-1 vs. West Virginia
• West Virginia defeated Kentucky 73-66 in the 2010 Elite Eight
• Kentucky defeated West Virginia 71-63 in the 2011 Round of 32
• Notre Dame and Wichita State have never met in the tournament

West

• North Carolina defeated Wisconsin 88-82 in the 2005 Elite Eight
• Xavier and Arizona have never met in the tournament

East

• North Carolina State and Louisville have never met in the tournament
• Michigan State defeated Oklahoma 54-46 in the 1999 Sweet Sixteen

South

• Duke defeated Utah 79-77 in the 1966 National Third Place Game
• UCLA defeated Gonzaga 73-71 in the 2006 Sweet Sixteen

Both 1 and 2 seed missing Sweet Sixteen in Same Regional

Both #1 Villanova and #2 Virginia were defeated in the Round of 32 in the East Regional.  This marks the 6th time since the field expanded to 64 that both the #1 and #2 seeds failed to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.

• 1990 Midwest - #1 Oklahoma, #2 Purdue
• 1992 Midwest - #1 Kansas, #2 Southern California
• 2000 South - #1 Stanford, #2 Cincinnati
• 2000 West - #1 Arizona, #2 St. John's
• 2004 Midwest - #1 Kentucky, #2 Gonzaga
• 2015 East - #1 Villanova, #2 Virginia

Saturday Round of 32 Rematches

Louisville

• Kentucky defeated Cincinnati 69-60 in the 2005 Round of 32
• UCLA defeated UAB 68-56 in the 1990 Round of 64

Portland

• Ohio State defeated Arizona 73-70 in the 2013 Sweet Sixteen

Jacksonville

• North Carolina is 2-2 vs. Arkansas
• Arkansas defeated North Carolina 96-73 in the 1990 Sweet Sixteen
• North Carolina defeated Arkansas 80-74 in the 1993 Sweet Sixteen
• Arkansas defeated North Carolina 75-68 in the 1995 National Semifinals
• North Carolina defeated Arkansas 108-77 in the 2008 Round of 32

Pittsburgh

• North Carolina State defeated Villanova 67-62 in the 1951 Sweet Sixteen

Losing as a #2 and #3 seed in the Round of 64

With Iowa State's 60-59 loss to UAB in the first round, they become the 6th team to lose as a #2 seed and #3 seed in Round of 64.  Here are the teams that have "accomplished" that dubious feat:

• Arizona (#2 vs. Santa Clara - 1993, #3 vs. East Tennessee State - 1992)
• Duke (#2 vs. Lehigh - 2012, #3 vs. Mercer - 2014)
• Georgetown (#2 vs. Florida Gulf Coast - 2013, #3 vs. Ohio - 2010)
• Iowa State (#2 vs. Hampton - 2001, #3 vs. UAB - 2014)
• Missouri (#2 vs. Norfolk State - 20112, #3 vs. Northern Iowa -1990)
• South Carolina (#2 vs. Coppin State - 1997, #3 vs. Richmond - 1998)

UAB's win marks the third straight year a #14 seed has won a Round of 64 game.  The record for most consecutive years with a #14 victory is 7 - happened 8 times from 1986 to 1992.

Sweet Sixteen streaks

Only 3 of this year's tournament teams have been to 2 or more consecutive Sweet Sixteens.  Out of last year's Sweet Sixteen teams, 11 are in this year's tournament.

Here are the teams that were in last year's Sweet Sixteen and their current streak of Sweet Sixteen appearances:

• Florida - 4 Not in Tournament
• Louisville - 3
• Michigan State - 3
• Arizona - 2
• Michigan - 2 Not in Tournament
• Baylor - 1
• Connecticut - 1 Not in Tournament
• Dayton - 1
• Iowa State - 1
• Kentucky - 1
• San Diego State - 1
• Stanford - 1 Not in Tournament
• Tennessee - 1 Not in Tournament
• UCLA - 1
• Virginia - 1
• Wisconsin - 1

UCLA holds the record for the most consecutive Sweet Sixteens with 14.  Here are the longest all-time streaks:

• UCLA - 14 (1967 to 1980)
• North Carolina - 13 (1981 to 1993)
• Duke - 9 (1998 to 2006)
• Duke - 7 (1986 to 1992)
• Cincinnati - 6 (1958 to 1963)
• Kentucky - 6 (1968 to 1973)
• Notre Dame - 6 (1974 to 1979)
• Kansas - 5 (1993 to 1997)
• Kentucky - 5 (1955 to 1959)
• Kentucky - 5 (1995 to 1999)
• St. Joseph's - 5 (1959 to 1963) 

By Year - Longest Current Streak (starting in 1952 because 1951 was first year with Sweet Sixteen)

1952 - 2 (Illinois, Kentucky, North Carolina State, St. John's)
1953 - 2 (Kansas, Oklahoma City, Santa Clara, Texas Christian, Wyoming)
1954 - 3 (Santa Clara)
1955 - 2 (Bradley, Colorado, La Salle, Penn State)
1956 - 2 (Canisius, Iowa, Kentucky, San Francisco, Seattle, SMU, Utah)
1957 - 3 (Canisius, Kentucky, San Francisco, SMU)
1958 - 4 (Kentucky, San Francisco)
1959 - 5 (Kentucky)
1960 - 4 (California)
1961 - 4 (Cincinnati)
1962 - 5 (Cincinnati)
1963 - 6 (Cincinnati)
1964 - 3 (UCLA)
1965 - 4 (UCLA)
1966 - 3 (Michigan)
1967 - 3 (Dayton, Houston, SMU)
1968 - 4 (Houston)
1969 - 3 (North Carolina, UCLA)
1970 - 4 (UCLA)
1971 - 5 (UCLA)
1972 - 6 (UCLA)
1973 - 7 (UCLA)
1974 - 8 (UCLA)
1975 - 9 (UCLA)
1976 - 10 (UCLA)
1977 - 11 (UCLA)
1978 - 12 (UCLA)
1979 - 13 (UCLA)
1980 - 14 (UCLA)
1981 - 3 (LSU)
1982 - 2 (Boston College, Kansas State, North Carolina, UAB, Virginia)
1983 - 3 (Boston College, North Carolina, Virginia)
1984 - 4 (North Carolina, Virginia)
1985 - 5 (North Carolina)
1986 - 6 (North Carolina)
1987 - 7 (North Carolina)
1988 - 8 (North Carolina)
1989 - 9 (North Carolina)
1990 - 10 (North Carolina)
1991 - 11 (North Carolina)
1992 - 12 (North Carolina)
1993 - 13 (North Carolina)
1994 - 4 (Indiana)
1995 - 3 (Arkansas, Kansas)
1996 - 4 (Arkansas, Kansas)
1997 - 5 (Kansas)
1998 - 4 (Kentucky)
1999 - 5 (Kentucky)
2000 - 3 (Duke, Michigan State, Purdue)
2001 - 4 (Duke, Michigan State)
2002 - 5 (Duke)
2003 - 6 (Duke)
2004 - 7 (Duke)
2005 - 8 (Duke)
2006 - 9 (Duke)
2007 - 2 (Florida, Georgetown, Memphis, UCLA)
2008 - 3 (Memphis, UCLA)
2009 - 4 (Memphis)
2010 - 3 (Michigan State, Xavier)
2011 - 3 (Duke)
2012 - 3 (Kentucky, Ohio State)
2013 - 4 (Ohio State)
2014 - 4 (Florida)

Consecutive Tournament Appearances

Mike Krzyzewski will be coaching in his 20th consecutive tournament.  Kansas will be playing in their 26th consecutive tournament.  Where do they rank all-time?

Most consecutive tournament appearances for a coach (all-time):

• Lute Olson - 23 (1985 - 2007)
• Dean Smith - 23 (1975 - 1997)
• Mike Krzyzewski - 20 (1996 - 2015)
• Roy Williams - 20 (1990 - 2009)
• Tom Izzo - 18 (1998 - 2015)
• Rick Barnes - 17 (1996 - 2012)
• Bill Self - 17 (1999 - 2015)
• Mark Few - 16 (2001 - 2015)
• Bob Knight - 15 (1986 - 2000)
• Bog Huggins - 14 (1992 - 2005)
• Bo Ryan - 14 (2002 - 2015) 
• Tubby Smith - 14 (1994 - 2007)
• John Thompson - 14 (1979 - 1992)

Most consecutive tournament appearances for coaches in this year's tournament:

• Mike Krzyzewski, Duke - 20
• Tom Izzo, Michigan State - 18
• Bill Self, Kansas - 17
• Mark Few, Gonzaga - 16
• Bo Ryan, Wisconsin - 14 
• Rick Pitino, Louisville - 9
• Thad Matta, Ohio State - 7
• Steve Fisher, San Diego State - 6
• Mick Cronin, Cincinnati - 5
• Shaka Smart, VCU - 5
• Roy Williams, North Carolina - 5

Most consecutive tournament appearances (All-Time):

• North Carolina - 27 (1975 - 2001)
• Kansas - 26 (2000 - 2015)
• Arizona - 25 (1985 - 2009)
• Duke - 20 (1996 - 2015)
• Indiana - 18 (1986 - 2003)
• Michigan State - 18 (1998 - 2015)
• Gonzaga - 17 (1999 - 2015)
• Kentucky - 17 (1992 - 2008)
• Wisconsin - 17 (1999 - 2015)
• UCLA - 15 (1967 - 1981)

Most consecutive tournament appearances for teams in this year's tournament:

• Kansas - 26
• Duke - 20
• Michigan State - 18
• Gonzaga - 17
• Wisconsin - 17
• Louisville - 9
• Ohio State - 7
• San Diego State - 6
• Cincinnati - 5
• North Carolina - 5
• VCU - 5

Longest streaks snapped this year for schools:

• Jim Boeheim, Syracuse - 6
• Billy Donovan, Florida -5
• Josh Pastner, Memphis - 4
• John Beilein, Michigan - 4
• Tad Boyle, Colorado - 3
• Greg McDermott, Creighton - 3

Longest streaks snapped this year for teams:

• Syracuse - 6
• Florida - 5
• Kansas State - 5
• Memphis - 4
• Michigan - 4

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.

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.

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)

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

Arizona is the 16^th #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

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)

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

West Region Tournament Facts

Here are some tournament facts about tonight's West Region Semifinalists:

Ohio State is in the Elite Eight for the 2nd consecutive year.  It is their 15th Elite Eight appearance.

Ohio State has won their last 3 Elite Eight appearances.  They are 11-3 overall in the Elite Eight.

Thad Matta is in his 4th Elite Eight and his 3rd with Ohio State.

Wichita State is in the Elite Eight for the first time since 1981.  It is their 4th Elite Eight appearance.

Gregg Marshall will be coaching in his first Elite Eight.

This is the first Elite Eight appearance for the Missouri Valley since Wichita State's appearance in 1981.  Missouri Valley teams are 16-8 in the Elite Eight.

Ohio State is now 10-3 as a #2 seed.

Ohio State is 4-1 when playing in the State of California.  Their only loss was to North Carolina 80-66 in the 1968 National Semifinals.

Ohio State now has 11 wins since 2010.  That is the second most (tied with Kansas and Butler) behind Kentucky.

Gregg Marshall is now tied with Gene Smithson for the most tournament wins in Wichita State history with 3.

Wichita State is now 4-1 in the Sweet Sixteen.  Their only loss was in 2006 to George Mason.

La Salle loses their first Sweet Sixteen game.  They are now 2-1.

Before winning their last 2 tournament games by 3 points, Ohio State was 1-4 in games decided by exactly 3 points.

Arizona is 1-4 in games decided by exactly 3 points.  Their only win was vs. Kansas in 1997 Sweet Sixteen.

Arizona is now 12-14 vs. teams ranked in Top 10 in the AP.  They are 9-10 vs. #1 or #2 seeds.

La Salle's 58 points is their 2nd fewest points scored in 25 tournament games.  La Salle is 0-2 when scoring fewer than 60 points.

West Regional Sweet Sixteen Matchups

Wichita State vs. La Salle
Have never played in the tournament

Wichita State vs.

• Atlantic Ten: 0-0
• State of Pennsylvania: 1-0
• Location-California: 0-0
• Seed - #9: 2-0
• Opp. Seed - #13: 0-0

La Salle vs.

• Missouri Valley: 0-0
• State of Kansas: 1-1
• Location-California: 0-0
• Seed - #13: 3-2
• Opp. Seed - #9: 0-1

Ohio State vs. Arizona
Have never played in the tournament

 

Ohio State vs. 

• Pacific Twelve: 3-2
• State of Arizona: 1-0
• Location-California: 3-1
• Seed - #2: 9-3
• Opp. Seed - #6: 2-3

Arizona vs. 

• Big Ten: 5-3
• State of Ohio: 1-1
• Location-California: 13-7
• Seed - #6: 2-0
• Opp. Seed - #2: 2-3

Sweet Sixteen Tournament Facts

Longest Current Streak of Sweet Sixteen Appearances
1. Ohio State 4
2. Florida 3
    Kansas 3
    Marquette 3
5. Indiana 2
    Louisville 2
    Michigan State 2
    Syracuse 2

Longest Droughts Snapped
1. La Salle (1955)
2. Michigan (1994)
3. Miami, Fla (2000)
4. Wichita State (2006)
5. Oregon (2007)
6. Duke (2011)
    Arizona (2011)

First Appearance
Florida Gulf Coast

Appearances by Conference
1. Big Ten 4
2. Big East 3
3. Atlantic Coast 2
    Pacific Twelve 2
5. Atlantic Sun 1
    Atlantic Ten 1
    Big Twelve 1
    Missouri Valley 1
    Southeastern 1

Consecutive Years with Multiple Sweet Sixteens by Conference
1. Big East 12
2. Big Ten 6
3. Atlantic Coast 3

Big Ten has 4 teams in the Sweet Sixteen for the second consecutive year.  It is the first time in conference history that they have achieved that feat. 

Conferences that have had consecutive years with 4 Sweet Sixteen teams:

• ACC (1984 to 1986, 1989 to 1990, 1992 to 1993)
• Big Ten (2012 to 2013)
• Pacific Twelve (1997 to 1998)

Appearances by State
1. Florida 3
2. Kansas 2 
    Michigan 2 
4. Arizona 1
    Indiana 1
    Kentucky 1
    New York 1
    North Carolina 1
    Ohio 1
    Oregon 1
    Pennsylvania 1
    Wisconsin 1

Consecutive Years with a Sweet Sixteen Bid by State
1. North Carolina 34
2. Kansas 8
3. Ohio 7
4. Kentucky 6
5. Indiana 5
6. Florida 3
    Wisconsin 3
8. Michigan 2
    New York 2

Arizona - Harvard Tournament Facts

Here are some NCAA Tournament facts about Arizona and Harvard:

Post-Game:
Arizona is the Sweet Sixteen for the 16th time.  It is their 3rd appearance in 5 years.

Arizona has advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in each of their last 3 tournament appearances.

The 51 points that Harvard scored is the fewest that Arizona has allowed since 2000 and the 5th fewest overall. 

The Pacific Twelve is 6-2 vs. the Ivy League.  The last loss was UCLA vs. Princeton in 1996.

Pre-Game:
Arizona is in the Round of 32 for the 19th time.  It is their 3rd appearance in 5 years.  They are 14-4 in the Round of 32.


Arizona is 12-5 when their RPI is between #11 and #20.  They finished #15 in the RPI.

The only time that Arizona has played an Ivy League opponent was in the 1988 Round of 64 when they defeated Cornell 90-50.

Harvard is in the Round of 32 for the 1st time.

Arizona - Belmont Tournament Facts

Here are some NCAA Tournament facts about Arizona and Belmont:

Post-Game:
The Pacific Twelve is now 3-0 vs. the Ohio Valley.  The other wins were Oregon State over Middle Tennessee State 78-67 in 1975 Round of 32 and Arizona over Eastern Illinois 101-76 in 2001 Round of 64.

Belmont joins Boise State and Long Island-Brooklyn as the third team to lose their first 6 tournament games.  Eastern Kentucky and Louisiana-Monroe have the most losses without a win with 7 and Nebraska is also 0-6.

Arizona's 81 points is the most that Belmont has allowed.  Their previous high allowed was 80 vs. Georgetown in the 2007 Round of 64.

Pre-Game:
Sean Miller is second in Arizona history in tournament wins with 3 behind Lute Olson who has 39.

Arizona has faced an Ohio Valley team one time before in the tournament.  They defeated Eastern Illinois 101-76 in the 2001 Round of 64.

Arizona is 5-2 when playing in the state of Utah.

Belmont has their highest seed ever at #11.

Belmont is 0-5 all-time.  The closest they came to winning a game was a 71-70 loss to Duke in 2008.