Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Rog wants answers, dammit!
I was on the phone with our absentee 'meater, the Rog, and we started talking about NCAA hoops and the chatter that always surrounds bubble teams. Rog had a good question, for which neither of us had an answer: How well do bubble teams fare in the tournament? It's really a series of questions that begins with what makes a bubble team (our best definition: the eight lowest-seeded at-large teams). Next questions: What percentage make it past the first weekend? Into the Final Four? Has a "bubble team" ever won it all? Or, simply put, was the '85 Villanova team one of the eight lowest-seeded at-large teams?
Rog suggested I post this, in case anyone is very bored and would like to do a significant amount of tedious research just so that we can say, "Huh, how 'bout that." So there it is. McDayter.
Rog suggested I post this, in case anyone is very bored and would like to do a significant amount of tedious research just so that we can say, "Huh, how 'bout that." So there it is. McDayter.
# posted by Budds @ 2:14 PM 
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My guess would be that the eight lowest-seeded at-large bids would come somewhere between seed Nos. 9 and 12. I’m assuming that no No. 8 seed or lower would have been a bubble team (or at least a bubble team in real jeopardy of not making the field).
Operating on those assumptions, here are the No. 9 seeds and lower that have made the Final 4 since the current format was established in 1979:
2006 – George Mason (11)
1986 – LSU (11)
1979 – Penn (9)
Of those three, only LSU was an at-large team.
There are four No. 8 seeds that have made the Final 4, though. They are as follows:
2000 – Wisconsin, North Carolina
1985 – Villanova (champion)
1980 – UCLA (runner-up)
As to the lowest-seeded champions, they are as follows:
1985 – Villanova (8)
1983 – N.C. State (6)
1988 – Kansas (6)
1997 – Arizona (4)
Everyone else was a No. 3 seed or better. By the way, I got all this from the following website: http://www.fanbay.net/ncaa/final4.htm
Operating on those assumptions, here are the No. 9 seeds and lower that have made the Final 4 since the current format was established in 1979:
2006 – George Mason (11)
1986 – LSU (11)
1979 – Penn (9)
Of those three, only LSU was an at-large team.
There are four No. 8 seeds that have made the Final 4, though. They are as follows:
2000 – Wisconsin, North Carolina
1985 – Villanova (champion)
1980 – UCLA (runner-up)
As to the lowest-seeded champions, they are as follows:
1985 – Villanova (8)
1983 – N.C. State (6)
1988 – Kansas (6)
1997 – Arizona (4)
Everyone else was a No. 3 seed or better. By the way, I got all this from the following website: http://www.fanbay.net/ncaa/final4.htm
Yeah, I think LSU is the only actual "bubble" team to make the final four. I looked back a few years, and generally the last 5 or so teams in (I'd call those the bubble) are in the 11-13 seed range.
Penn in 1979 is extra impressive because their #9 seed was out of 10. It was a 40 team tournament.
Also, the 1997 Arizona Wildcats hold what distinction? The only team to beat 3 #1 seeds in one tournament (which is obv the most you can beat).
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Penn in 1979 is extra impressive because their #9 seed was out of 10. It was a 40 team tournament.
Also, the 1997 Arizona Wildcats hold what distinction? The only team to beat 3 #1 seeds in one tournament (which is obv the most you can beat).
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