Final Four Postgame Facts

A Big Ten team has played a Big East team two previous times in the National Championship Game.  The Big Ten team won the previous two, both by one point.

• 1987 – Indiana 74 Syracuse 73
• 1989 – Michigan 80 Seton Hall 79 (OT) 

It has been 20 years since either Louisville or Michigan has played in the Championship Game.  The last time both teams in Championship game had not played in the previous 20 years was 2000 when Michigan State (previous was 1979) defeated Florida (1^st appearance).

 

This will be the third time that a #1 seed has faced a #4 seed in the Championship Game.  All 3 times, Rick Pitino has coached the #1 seed.

• 1996 - #1 Kentucky defeated #4 Syracuse 76-67
• 1997 - #4 Arizona defeated #1 Kentucky 84-79 (OT)

Louisville is in the National Championship Game for the 3^rd time and the first time since 1986.  Rick Pitino is in the National Championship Game for the 3^rd time, but his first with Louisville.

Rick Pitino becomes the 5^th coach to take two different schools to the National Championship Game.  Games won in bold.

• Frank McGuire (1952 – St. John’s; 1957 – North Carolina)
• Larry Brown (1980 – UCLA; 1988 – Kansas)
• Roy Williams (1991, 2003 – Kansas; 2005, 2009 – North Carolina)
• John Calipari (2008 – Memphis; 2012 – Kentucky)
• Rick Pitino (1996, 1997 – Kentucky; 2013 – Louisville)

Rick Pitino will attempt to become the first coach to win a Championship for two different schools.

Louisville is 3-7 in National Semifinals, but is 2-0 in National Championship games.

Louisville is now 3-0 vs. #9 seeds in the tournament.

Louisville is 3-0 when playing in the state of Georgia.

With Wichita State losing, teams seeded #9 or lower are now 0-5 in the National Semifinals.  Wichita State's 4-point loss is the closest margin of defeat by a team seeded #9 or lower.  The previous low was 8 by #11 VCU in 2011.

Since 2010, 7 of the 8 National Semifinal games have been decided by single digits.  The exception was Duke over West Virginia 78-57 in 2010.

Wichita State is now 0-2 in National Semifinal games.

Michigan is in National Championship Game for the 6th time and the first time since 1993.  John Beilein is in the National Championship Game for the first time.

Michigan is 6-1 in National Semifinal Games; Syracuse is 3-2.

Michigan has the longest current winning streak in National Semifinal games with 6.  It is also tied with Duke for the third longest winning streak in National Semifinal games.  Only UCLA (9) and Kentucky (7) have had longer winning streaks in the National Semifinals.

Michigan is 6-1 when playing in the state of Georgia; Syracuse is 1-3.

Syracuse is now 2-8 vs. the Big Ten.  Both times that they have defeated a Big Ten team, they lost to another one later in the tournament.

Past Final Four Results

Here are the past Final Four results for this year's Final Four:

1959 - Louisville - Fourth Place
Lost to West Virginia 94-79
Lost to Cincinnati 98-85

1964 - Michigan - Third Place
Lost to Duke 91-80
Defeated Kansas State 100-90

1965 - Michigan - Second Place
Defeated Princeton 93-76
Lost to UCLA 91-80

1965 - Wichita State - Fourth Place
Lost to UCLA 108-89
Lost to Princeton 118-82 

1972 - Louisville - Fourth Place
Lost to UCLA 96-77
Lost to North Carolina 105-91

1975 - Louisville - Third Place
Lost to UCLA 75-74 (OT)
Defeated Syracuse 96-88 (OT)

1975 - Syracuse - Fourth Place
Lost to Kentucky 95-79
Lost to Louisville 96-88 (OT) 

1976 - Michigan - Second Place
Defeated Rutgers 86-70
Lost to Indiana 86-68

1980 - Louisville - National Champions
Defeated Iowa 80-72
Defeated UCLA 59-54

1982 - Louisville - Semifinalist
Lost to Georgetown 50-46

1983 - Louisville - Semifinalist
Lost to Houston 94-81 

1986 - Louisville - National Champions
Defeated Louisiana State 88-77
Defeated Duke 72-69 

1987 - Syracuse - Second Place
Defeated Providence 77-63
Lost to Indiana 74-73

1989 - Michigan - National Champions
Defeated Illinois 83-81
Defeated Seton Hall 80-79 (OT)

1992 - Michigan - Second Place
Defeated Cincinnati 76-72
Lost to Duke 71-51

1993 - Michigan - Second Place
Defeated Kentucky 81-78 (OT)
Lost to North Carolina 77-71 

1996 - Syracuse - Second Place
Defeated Mississippi State 77-69
Lost to Kentucky 76-67

2003 - Syracuse - National Champions 
Defeated Texas 95-84
Defeated Kansas 81-78 

2005 - Louisville - Semifinalist
Lost to Illinois 72-57


2012 - Louisville - Semifinalist
Lost to Kentucky 69-61

Final Four Tournament Facts

This is the 4th consecutive year without multiple #1 seeds in the Final Four which is a tournament record.  Since 2010, only 3 #1 seeds have made the Final Four.  That is the fewest #1 seeds over a 4-year period in history.  The previous low was 4 from 2003 to 2006 and again from 2009 to 2012.

The Big East has a team in the Final Four for the 5th consecutive year.  Before this streak, they had never had more than 2 years in a row with a team in the Final Four.  Here are the Big East Final Four streaks:

• 2009-2013
• 2003-2004
• 1984-1985

The Big East has had 7 teams in the Final Four over the last 5 years.  The ties the record for the most teams in the Final Four over a 5-year period:

• SEC (1993 to 1997, 1994 to 1998)
• ACC (1988 to 1992, 1989 to 1993, 1990 to 1994)

ACC has not had a Final Four team for the last 3 years.  This is the first time since 1961 that they have missed the Final Four for 3 straight years.  They missed 4 straight from 1958 to 1961.  Since the conference began in 1953-54 season, it is only their third time missing 3 or more consecutive Final Fours:

• 1954 to 1956
• 1957 to 1961
• 2011 to 2013

The Big East has 2 teams in the Final Four. The last time that 2 teams from the same conference were in the Final Four was 2009.

Consecutive Final Four Appearances
Louisville 2

Final Four  Droughts Snapped
Syracuse 2003
Michigan 1993
Wichita State 1965

Final Four Streaks Snapped
Kentucky 2


All-Time Final Four Appearances
Louisville 10
Michigan 7
Syracuse 5
Wichita State 2

All-Time Tournament Wins for Final Four Coaches
Jim Boeheim 52
Rick Pitino 46 (20 with Louisville)
John Beilein 12 (6 with Michigan)
Gregg Marshall 5 (4 with Wichita State)