Since the growth of the NCAA Tournament in 1985, we have now observed a handful of double-digit seeds make their method during the first few rounds and into the Final 4.
HOUSTON — The Florida Atlantic Owls, the winningest group in faculty basketball’s common season, proved they don’t seem to be only a mid-major darling, advancing previous Kansas State and into the Final 4 over the weekend.
It isn’t just the primary Final 4 look in program historical past, it marks their first ever NCAA Tournament victories – an improbable testomony to the activity trainer Dusty May and his squad have accomplished this 12 months.
Parity in faculty basketball seems to be at an all-time top, with NIL and switch portal permitting extra participant motion and not more imbalanced rosters. However, this is not a one time factor both, with many different groups making implausible runs within the growth technology.
Since the growth of the NCAA Tournament in 1985, we have now observed a handful of double-digit seeds make their method during the first few rounds and into the Final 4.
Here is a take a look at all 8 cases of a double-digit seed making it to the Final 4. For extra on FAU’s ancient run, and previewing the video games this weekend, take a look at the Locked on College Basketball podcast.
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1. VCU Rams – 2011 (11 seed)
Shaka Smart’s group is considered one of 4 11 seeds to make the Final 4, however taking into consideration they misplaced 4 in their ultimate 5 common season video games, and entered the event a lowly 84th at KenPom, they’re probably the most implausible of all of them.
Smart’s group beat Georgetown and three seed Purdue through 18 issues each and every, and took down a most sensible seeded Kansas group to advance to the Final 4.
2. George Mason Patriots – 2006 (11 seed)
Jim Larranaga’s first travel the Final 4 was once again in 2006, and he is again 17 years later with the Miami Hurricanes – cementing himself as considered one of faculty basketball’s perfect coaches.
George Mason earned an at-large bid in spite of dropping to Hofstra within the CAA Tournament, however after they made the dance they took complete benefit. Wins over seven seed Michigan State, 3 seed North Carolina and 7 seed Wichita State had been spectacular sufficient, however the legacy defining sport was once the win over one seed UConn, who entered the event as a preseason favourite.
3. Loyola Chicago Ramblers – 2018 (11 seed)
The run that trained the sector about super-fan Sister Jean, Loyola Chicago was once if truth be told considered one of the freshest groups within the nation coming into the event – having gained 17 in their final 18 video games.
They didn’t have to head thru a one seed to get to their Final 4, defeating six seed Miami through two, 3 seed Tennessee through one, seven seed Nevada through one, after which blowing out 9 seed Kansas State to make the Final 4. Still, it was once an unusual run for the Ramblers.
4. LSU Tigers – 1986 (11 seed)
LSU is not your conventional cinderella, however they’re the one 11 seed to advance to the Final 4 having performed the absolute best seed in each and every in their matchups, together with a particularly pleasing win over one seed Kentucky within the Elite 8 – having performed them thrice within the common season and dropping each and every of them.
5. UCLA Bruins – 2021 (11 seed)
The most up-to-date 11 seed to make a Final 4, UCLA is rarely an underdog within the faculty basketball panorama – however a coarse common season led Mick Cronin’s group to a play-in sport the place they proceeded to knock off BYU, Abilene Christian, two seed Alabama and one seed Michigan earlier than Jalen Suggs and undefeated Gonzaga defeated them within the ultimate seconds.
6. Syracuse Orange – 2016 (10 seed)
Jim Boeheim’s ultimate look within the Final 4 was once the one time a ten seed has ever complicated that a long way. Syracuse misplaced 5 in their ultimate six video games heading into the event, however the 2-3 zone got here alive in March.
The Orange blasted seven seed Dayton in spherical one, beat 15 seed Middle Tennessee, took out a in a similar fashion plucky Gonzaga group (as an 11 seed) and beat Virginia to advance to the Final 4.
7. Wichita State Shockers – 2013 (9 seed)
The Shockers had an impressive run as the primary ever 9 seed into the Final 4 again in 2013, disposing of Gonzaga and Ohio State and beating 3 most sensible 12 groups in keeping with KenPom. The momentum from this run led Wichita State to an undefeated common season the next 12 months.
8. Florida Atlantic Owls – 2023 (9 seed)
Dusty May’s group is the 8th 9 seed or upper to make the Final 4, having narrowly escaped Memphis within the first spherical and getting a good draw in opposition to Fairleigh Dickinson in spherical two. They took care of very cast squads in Tennessee and Kansas State after that, then again, proving their run was once the rest however a fluke.
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