Chances are strong that, as one of two No. 1 seeds remaining in the field, North Carolina will come away with the title in the upcoming Final Four. Of course we said that last year, too, when the Tar Heels were the sole top seed in the final foursome.
Top seeds have won 20 of 38 men’s national championships since seeding began in 1979. Ten of the last 16 titles were won by a No. 1 seed, most recently Duke in 2015.
Gonzaga is the first non-power conference squad to reach the Final Four in the past four years, since Wichita State did it in 2013.
This is the first Final Four since 1996 in which a pair of virgin participants are making an appearance. Back in ’96 it was No.1-seed UMass and Mississippi State, neither one of which won upon reaching the national semifinals. This year it’s Gonzaga, the top seed in the West, and South Carolina.
Oregon went from regional final to national championship in 1939, the tournament’s inaugural season, meaning you could argue the Ducks are in their inaugural Final Four as well.
By the way, the ’39 NCAAs were the first in which an eventual ACC member was in the field. Perhaps surprisingly, it was Wake Forest.
FOURTUITOUS Final Four Fields Since 1979, When Seeding Began (Champions Underlined, ACC Champions in Bold, Asterisk for Louisville Denotes Now in ACC) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Seed, Team | Seed, Team | Seed, Team | Seed, Team | Non-Power League |
2017 | 1 UNC | 1, Gonzaga | 3 Oregon | 7 South Carolina | Gonzaga |
2016 | 1 UNC | 2 Villanova | 2 Oklahoma | 10 Syracuse | |
2015 | 1 Duke | 1 Wisconsin | 1 Kentucky | 7 Michigan State | |
2014 | 1 Florida | 2 Wisconsin | 7 UConn | 8 Kentucky | |
2013 | 1 Louisville | 4 Michigan | 4 Syracuse | 9 Wichita State | |
2012 | 1 Kentucky | 2 Kansas | 2 Ohio St. | 4 Louisville | |
2011 | 3 UConn | 4 Kentucky | 8 Butler | 11 VCU | Butler, VCU |
2010 | 1 Duke | 2 West Virginia | 5 Butler | 5 Michigan St. | Butler |
2009 | 1 UNC | 1 UConn | 2 Michigan St. | 3 Villanova | |
2008 | 1 UNC | 1 Kansas | 1 Memphis | 1 UCLA | Memphis |
2007 | 1 Florida | 1 Ohio State | 2 Georgetown | 2 UCLA | |
2006 | 2 UCLA | 3 Florida | 4 LSU | 11 George Mason | George Mason |
2005 | 1 UNC | 1 Illinois | 4 Louisville | 5 Michigan State | Louisville* |
2004 | 1 Duke | 2 UConn | 2 Oklahoma St. | 3 Georgia Tech | |
2003 | 1 Texas | 2 Kansas | 3 Marquette | 3 Syracuse | Marquette |
2002 | 1 Maryland | 1 Kansas | 2 Oklahoma | 5 Indiana | |
2001 | 1 Duke | 1 Michigan St. | 2 Arizona | 3 Maryland | |
2000 | 2 Michigan St. | 5 Florida | 8 UNC | 8 Wisconsin | |
1999 | 1 Duke | 1 UConn | 1 Michigan St. | 4 Ohio State | |
1998 | 1 UNC | 2 Kentucky | 3 Stanford | 3 Utah | Utah |
1997 | 1 UNC | 1 Kentucky | 1 Minnesota | 4 Arizona | |
1996 | 1 Kentucky | 1 UMass | 4 Syracuse | 5 Mississippi St. | UMass |
1995 | 1 UCLA | 2 Arkansas | 2 UNC | 4 Oklahoma St. | |
1994 | 1 Arkansas | 2 Arizona | 2 Duke | 3 Florida | |
1993 | 1 UNC | 1 Kentucky | 1 Michigan | 2 Kansas | |
1992 | 1 Duke | 2 Indiana | 4 Cincinnati | 6 Michigan | Cincinnati |
1991 | 1 UNC | 1 UNLV | 2 Duke | 3 Kansas | UNLV |
1990 | 1 UNLV | 3 Duke | 4 Arkansas | 4 Georgia Tech | UNLV |
1989 | 1 Illinois | 2 Duke | 3 Michigan | 3 Seton Hall | |
1988 | 1 Arizona | 1 Oklahoma | 2 Duke | 6 Kansas | |
1987 | 1 Indiana | 1 UNLV | 2 Syracuse | 6 Providence | UNLV |
1986 | 1 Duke | 1 Kansas | 2 Louisville | 11 LSU | Louisville* |
1985 | 1 Georgetown | 1 St. John's | 2 Memphis | 8 Villanova | Memphis |
1984 | 1 Georgetown | 1 Kentucky | 2 Houston | 7 Virginia | Houston |
1983 | 1 Houston | 1 Louisville | 4 Georgia | 6 N.C. State | Houston, Louisville* |
1982 | 1 Georgetown | 1 UNC | 3 Louisville | 6 Houston | Louisville*, Houston |
1981 | 1 LSU | 1 Virginia | 2 UNC | 3 Indiana | |
1980 | 2 Louisville | 5 Iowa | 6 Purdue | 8 UCLA | Louisville* |
1979 | 1 Indiana St. | 2 DePaul | 2 Michigan St. | 9 Penn | DePaul, Ind. St., Penn |
CHAMPIONS: | ||
---|---|---|
Seed | No. | Seasons Won |
1 | 20 |
2015, 2013, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2005, 2002, 2001, 1999, 1996, 1995 1994, 1993, 1992, 1990, 1987, 1984, 1982 |
2 | 8 | 2016, 2004, 2000, 1998, 1991, 1986, 1980, 1979 |
3 | 5 | 2011, 2006, 2003, 1989, 1981 |
4 | 1 | 1997 |
6 | 2 | 1988, 1983 |
7 | 1 | 2014 |
8 | 1 | 1985 |