2011 NCAA Tournament: Stats, Trends and Tips

The following stats, facts, trends and tips are tools you can use to win your 2011 NCAA Tournament office pools.


2011 NCAA Tournament Picks:
Sweet 16 Redo | East | West | Southwest | Southeast | Final Four | Winning Tips | 2011 NCAA Tournament Home
2011 NCAA Tournament Bracket Breakdowns:
West | East | Southwest | Southeast | Final Four | Schedule
2011 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Breakdowns:
West | Southeast |
2011 NCAA Tournament Preview:
ACC | Atlantic 10 | Big 12 | Big East | Big Ten | Mid-Majors | Mountain West | Pac 10 | SEC




2011 NCAA Tournament – Championship Characteristics

The teams to appear in the NCAA Championship since 2000 have shared the following characteristics:

  • All were seeded 1-5.

  • All but one team (Butler) had a top-28 offense.

  • All 11 champions had an offense ranked 11th or greater.

  • Every team to appear in the national championship since 2000 had a defense ranked 19th or better.

  • 18 of the 22 teams had six or more blowouts (15+ points) against conference opponents.

  • No team lost in the first game of their conference tournament.

  • 20 of the 22 teams scored more than 70 ppg.

  • Every team allowed 72 ppg or fewer.

  • The 11 champions all scored at least 74 ppg. The average of the 11 champions is 82 ppg.

  • The 11 champions had point differentials of 10+ points. Their average point differential was 16.1 ppg.

  • Every champion had a returning coach.

  • Every champion was in the NCAA Tournament the year before.

    So, which teams does all of this apply to this year. Here’s the list:

  • Duke
  • Kansas
  • Ohio State
  • Texas

    Here are two additional teams that would qualify if they had enough conference blowout wins:

  • San Diego State
  • Syracuse




    2011 NCAA Tournament – Poor Defenses

    How do poor defensive teams fare in the NCAA Tournament? Not well. Check out the seed breakdowns of teams ranked 101st or worse in defense since 2003:

    1-4: 7-4
    5-9: 5-12
    10-14: 11-42

    * – A 7-4 record isn’t very good because teams seeded 1-4 are expected to win at least two games. Plus, most of those victories came from Marquette’s Final Four run in 2003 – and Dwyane Wade had something to say about that.

    Here are teams ranked 75-100 defensively since 2003:

    1-4: 6-5
    5-9: 10-16
    10-14: 5-20

    As you can see, all of these teams have underachieved.




    2011 NCAA Tournament – Elite Eight and Final Four Qualifications

    Jerod – http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/march_madness_2011_using_advanced_metrics_to_separate_contenders_from_pretenders_in_this_years_tournament_field/4391382
  • Since the 2004, no team has made the Elite Eight that had an offense 65th or worse – the lowest being Tennessee’s 64 in 2010. Also, no team has made the Elite Eight with a defense 83rd or worse – the lowest being West Virginia�s 83 in 2005.

  • For any team ranked worse than 30th in one category, the other category was not any worse than 18.
  • The lowest individual ranking for a Final Four team was 50th offense held by LSU in 2006 and Butler in 2010.
  • The lowest combined offense and defensive ranking for a Final Four team was George Mason’s 67 in 2006.


    2011 NCAA Tournament – The Slop

    If a team has trouble scoring, do you really want to be rooting for it if it’s down eight with six minutes to go? Here are the 2011 NCAA Tournament teams that scored fewer than 68 points per game this year (a lot less this season than last season).

    1. No. 16 Alabama State, 61.3
    2. No. XX Saint Peter’s, 61.4
    3. No. XX Penn State, 63.1
    4. No. XX Indiana State, 66.0
    5. No. XX Michigan, 66.4
    6. No. XX Clemson, 67.6
    7. No. XX Hampton, 67.7
    8. No. XX Arkansas-Little Rock, 68.0


    How have these teams done in the past? You can check the previous four years below, but here’s the breakdown by seeds:

    1-4: 9-6
    5-9: 1-6
    10-14: 6-23

    Remember, 1-4 seeds are expected to win at least two games, so a 9-6 record isn’t very good.


    2010 NCAA Tournament – The Slop

    If a team has trouble scoring, do you really want to be rooting for it if it’s down eight with six minutes to go? Here are the 2010 NCAA Tournament teams that scored fewer than 68 points per game this year (a lot less this season than last season).

    1. No. 16 Winthrop, 62.4 – Lost in play-in game
    2. No. 9 Northern Iowa, 63.3 – Lost in Sweet 16
    3. No. 16 Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 64.9 – Lost in first round
    4. No. 5 Temple, 65.4 – Lost in first round
    5. No. 11 Old Dominion, 67.5 – Lost in second round
    6. No. 4 Wisconsin, 67.9 – Lost in second round



    2009 NCAA Tournament – The Slop

    If a team has trouble scoring, do you really want to be rooting for it if it’s down eight with six minutes to go? Here are the 2009 NCAA Tournament teams that scored fewer than 68 points per game this year.

    1. No. 12 Wisconsin, 64.4 – Lost in second round
    2. No. 14 American, 64.5 – Lost in first round
    3. No. 5 Illinois, 65.0 – Lost in first round
    4. No. 13 Cleveland State, 66.1 – Lost in second round
    5. No. 10 Minnesota, 66.5 – Lost in first round
    6. No. 15 Morgan State, 66.5 – Lost in first round
    7. No. 8 Ohio State, 66.6 – Lost in first round
    8. No. 13 Akron, 66.9 – Lost in first round
    9. No. 11 Dayton, 67.0 – Lost in second round
    10. No. 10 Michigan, 67.2 – Lost in second round
    11. No. 9 Butler, 67.6 – Lost in first round
    12. No. 12 Northern Iowa, 67.7 – Lost in first round



    2008 NCAA Tournament – The Slop

    If a team has trouble scoring, do you really want to be rooting for it if it’s down eight with six minutes to go? Here are the 2008 NCAA Tournament teams that scored fewer than 68 points per game this year.

    1. No. 16 Coppin State, 59.8 – Lost in play-in game
    2. No. 16 Mississippi Valley State, 62.7 – Lost in first round
    3. No. 15 American, 65.1 – Lost in first round
    4. No. 15 Winthrop, 65.6 – Lost in first round
    5. No. 13 San Diego, 65.6 – Lost in second round
    6. No. 4 Washington State, 67.1 – Lost in Sweet 16
    7. No. 3 Wisconsin, 67.5 – Lost in Sweet 16



    And here are the 2007 NCAA Tournament teams that scored fewer than 68 a game last year and how they fared. Wisconsin* had its stats masked by an easy non-conference schedule.:

    1. No. 14 Miami-Ohio, 59.6 – Lost in first round
    2. No. 4 Southern Illinois, 63.2 – Lost in Sweet 16
    3. No. 13 Holy Cross, 64.2 – Lost in first round
    4. No. 12 Illinois, 64.5 – Lost in first round
    5. No. 14 Wright State, 64.6 – Lost in first round
    6. No. 9 Michigan State, 65.1 – Lost in second round
    7. No. 16 Eastern Kentucky, 65.2 – Lost in first round
    8. No. 3 Washington State, 66.5 – Lost in second round
    9. No. 10 Creighton, 67.2 – Lost in first round
    10. No. 2 Wisconsin* – Lost in second round





    2011 NCAA Tournament – Road Woes

    Why would anyone ever have a team advancing deep into the tournament when it had trouble winning on the road in the regular season? These squads fall very quickly. Here are the 2011 NCAA Tournament teams that couldn’t win on the road this year.

  • No. 16 Alabama State, 4-14
  • No. XX Missouri, 2-7
  • No. XX Arkansas-Little Rock, 3-10
  • No. XX Colorado, 3-9
  • No. XX Boston University, 4-10
  • No. XX Michigan State, 3-8
  • No. XX Penn State, 3-8
  • No. XX Akron. 4-9
  • No. XX Clemson, 3-7
  • No. XX Texas-San Antonio, 5-10
  • No. XX Marquette, 4-7
  • No. XX Illinois, 4-7
  • No. XX Kentucky, 4-7
  • No. XX USC, 5-8
  • No. XX Louisville, 4-6
  • No. XX St. John’s, 5-7
  • No. XX UC-Santa Barbara, 5-8
  • No. XX Northern Colorado, 6-9
  • No. XX Indiana State, 6-8
  • No. XX Memphis, 5-6
  • No. XX Virginia Tech, 5-6
  • No. XX West Virginia, 5-6
  • No. XX Wisconsin, 5-6

    How have these teams done in the past? You can check the previous four years below, but here’s the breakdown by seeds:

    1-4: 1-2
    5-9: 10-16
    10-14: 12-22

    Remember, 5-8 seeds are expected to win at least one game, so a 10-16 record isn’t very good.


    2010 NCAA Tournament – Road Woes

    Why would anyone ever have a team advancing deep into the tournament when it had trouble winning on the road in the regular season? These squads fall very quickly. Here are the 2010 NCAA Tournament teams that couldn’t win on the road this year.

  • No. 10 Georgia Tech, 3-8 – Lost in second round
  • No. 14 Ohio, 5-9 – Lost in second round
  • No. 16 Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 6-14 – Lost in first round
  • No. 7 Oklahoma State, 3-7 – Lost in first round
  • No. 11 Minnesota, 3-7 – Lost in first round
  • No. 6 Notre Dame, 3-6 – Lost in first round
  • No. 16 Winthrop, 6-11 – Lost in play-in game
  • No. 9 Louisville, 4-7 – Lost in first round
  • No. 10 Missouri, 4-6 – Lost in second round
  • No. 11 Washington, 4-6 – Lost in Sweet 16
  • No. 9 Wake Forest, 5-7 – Lost in second round
  • No. 7 Clemson, 5-6 – Lost in first round
  • No. 8 Texas, 5-6 – Lost in first round
  • No. 15 UC-Santa Barbara, 6-7 – Lost in first round
  • No. 16 Lehigh, 7-8 – Lost in first round


    2009 NCAA Tournament – Road Woes

    Why would anyone ever have a team advancing deep into the tournament when it had trouble winning on the road in the regular season? These squads fall very quickly. Here are the 2009 NCAA Tournament teams that couldn’t win on the road this year.

  • No. 12 Arizona, 2-9 – Lost in Sweet 16
  • No. 10 USC, 2-8 – Lost in second round
  • No. 10 Maryland, 2-6 – Lost in second round
  • No. 10 Michigan, 3-8 – Lost in first round
  • No. 16 Morehead State, 4-12 – Lost in first round
  • No. 12 Wisconsin, 4-7 – Lost in second round
  • No. 7 Texas, 4-6 – Lost in second round
  • No. 10 Minnesota, 4-6 – Lost in first round
  • No. 8 Oklahoma State, 4-6 – Lost in second round
  • No. 8 Ohio State, 4-6 – Lost in first round
  • No. 16 UT-Chattanooga, 5-10 – Lost in first round
  • No. 11 Dayton, 5-6 – Lost in second round
  • No. 5 Utah, 6-7 – Lost in first round


    2008 NCAA Tournament – Road Woes

    Why would anyone ever have a team advancing deep into the tournament when it had trouble winning on the road in the regular season? These squads fall very quickly. Here are the 2008 NCAA Tournament teams that couldn’t win on the road this year.

  • No. 9 Arkansas, 3-7 – Lost in second round
  • No. 11 Kentucky, 4-8 (no road wins vs. winning teams except Georgia, 17-16) – Lost in first round
  • No. 4 Vanderbilt, 4-6 (no road wins vs. winning teams except Georgia, 17-16) – Lost in first round
  • No. 5 Michigan State, 4-6 – Lost in Sweet 16
  • No. 7 Miami, 4-6 – Lost in second round
  • No. 11 Kansas State, 5-9 – Lost in second round


    The following are the 2007 NCAA Tournament teams that couldn’t win on the road last year and how they fared:

  • No. 9 Michigan State, 3-10 – Lost in second round
  • No. 10 Georgia Tech, 3-9 – Lost in first round
  • No. 4 Virginia, 4-8 – Lost in second round
  • No. 9 Purdue, 5-10 – Lost in second round
  • No. 14 Miami-Ohio, 6-12 – Lost in first round
  • No. 7 Indiana, 5-9 – Lost in second round





    2011 NCAA Tournament – Freshmen Point Guards

    Do you really want some acne-ridden kid who had problems finding a prom date just a few months ago ruining your bracket? I think not. Freshmen point guards seldom advance deep into the tournament. The only exception is if the player in question is a once-in-a-decade point guard prospect like Mike Conley and Derrick Rose. Here are the 2011 NCAA Tournament Freshmen Point Guards in this year’s Big Dance:

  • No. XX Joe Jackson, Memphis
  • No. XX Cory Joseph, Texas
  • No. XX Brandon Knight, Kentucky
  • No. XX Kendall Marshall, North Carolina
  • No. XX Jake Odum, Indiana State

    How have these teams done in the past? You can check the previous four years below, but here’s the breakdown by seeds:

    1: 16-4
    2-4: 3-3
    5-9: 5-9
    10-14: 1-5

    Only No. 1 seeds have thrived. The other teams have struggled.



    2010 NCAA Tournament – Freshmen Point Guards

    Do you really want some acne-ridden kid who had problems finding a prom date just a few months ago ruining your bracket? I think not. Freshmen point guards seldom advance deep into the tournament. The only exception is if the player in question is a once-in-a-decade point guard prospect like Mike Conley and Derrick Rose. Here are the 2010 NCAA Tournament Freshmen Point Guards in this year’s Big Dance:

  • No. 14 D.J. Cooper, Ohio – Lost in second round
  • No. 7 Fred Gulley, Oklahoma State – Lost in first round
  • No. 16 C.J. McCollum, Lehigh – Lost in first round
  • No. 1 John Wall*, Kentucky – Lost in Elite Eight



    2009 NCAA Tournament – Freshmen Point Guards

    Do you really want some acne-ridden kid who had problems finding a prom date just a few months ago ruining your bracket? I think not. Freshmen point guards seldom advance deep into the tournament. The only exception is if the player in question is a once-in-a-decade point guard prospect like Mike Conley and Derrick Rose. Here are the 2009 NCAA Tournament Freshmen Point Guards in this year’s Big Dance:

  • No. 13 Dee Bost, Mississippi State – Lost in first round
  • No. 5 Lewis Jackson, Purdue – Lost in Sweet 16
  • No. 9 Shelvin Mack, Butler – Lost in first round
  • No. 4 Isaiah Thomas, Washington – Lost in second round


    2008 NCAA Tournament – Freshmen Point Guards

    Do you really want some acne-ridden kid who had problems finding a prom date just a few months ago ruining your bracket? I think not. Freshmen point guards seldom advance deep into the tournament. The only exception is if the player in question is a once-in-a-decade point guard prospect like Mike Conley and Derrick Rose. Here are the 2008 NCAA Tournament Freshmen Point Guards in this year’s Big Dance:

  • No. 8 Jordan Crawford, Indiana – Lost in first round
  • No. 6 O.J. Mayo, USC – Lost in first round
  • No. 1 Derrick Rose, Memphis – Lost in NCAA Championship


    And here are the 2007 NCAA Tournament Freshman Point Guards and how they fared last year:

  • No. 1 Ty Lawson, North Carolina – Lost in Elite Eight
  • No. 10 Javaris Crittenton, Georgia Tech – Lost in first round
  • No. 6 Edgar Sosa, Louisville – Lost in second round
  • No. 4 Greivis Vasquez, Maryland – Lost in second round
  • No. 6 Tory Jackson, Notre Dame – Lost in first round
  • No. 9 Scottie Reynolds, Villanova – Lost in first round
  • No. 1 Mike Conley Jr., Ohio State – Lost in 2007 NCAA Championship
  • No. 4 D.J. Augustin, Texas – Lost in second round
  • No. 13 Stephen Curry, Davidson – Lost in first round
  • No. 5 Ramar Smith, Tennessee – Lost in Sweet 16




    2011 NCAA Tournament – The “Experts”

    The so-called “experts” on ESPN and CBS usually get a lot of things wrong. As you’ll see below, they’re incorrect more often than not. Also, the players listen to these shows. If someone like Dick Vitale bad-mouths a program, that team will usually respond with a victory. There always seems to be one disrespected school that goes to the Sweet 16. Here are some of the more Controversial Comments made on Selection Sunday:


  • Seth likes Xavier over Syracuse
  • Seth likes Utah State, Belmont and Old Dominion to pull off first-round upsets
  • Seth says St. John’s beats BYU in the second round.
  • Seth likes Florida to come out of the Southeast Bracket
  • Seth likes Oakland to pull an upset
  • Seth likes Purdue to go to the Elite Eight
  • Seth likes Old Dominion to get to the Elite Eight
  • Seth picks Kansas to win it all

  • No one believes UAB and Virginia-Commonwealth should be in


    2010 NCAA Tournament – The “Experts”

    The so-called “experts” on ESPN and CBS usually get a lot of things wrong. As you’ll see below, they’re incorrect more often than not. Also, the players listen to these shows. If someone like Dick Vitale bad-mouths a program, that team will usually respond with a victory. There always seems to be one disrespected school that goes to the Sweet 16. Here are some of the more Controversial Comments made on Selection Sunday:


  • Seth likes San Diego State over Tennessee – WRONG: Tennessee beats San Diego State

  • Seth likes Michigan State over Maryland in Round 2 – RIGHT

  • Seth likes Butler over UTEP – RIGHT

  • Seth likes Vanderbilt to the Sweet 16 – WRONG: Vanderbilt lost to No. 13 Murray State in 1st round

  • Seth likes Marquette over New Mexico – WRONG: Marquette never played New Mexico because they lost in 1st round

  • Seth likes Siena to the Sweet 16 – WRONG: Siena lost in 1st round

  • Seth likes Baylor over Villanova – RIGHT: Baylor went to Elite Eight

  • Seth likes Georgetown over Ohio State – WRONG: Georgetown lost to No. 14 Ohio in 1st round

  • Dicky V angrily states that Wake Forest doesn’t belong in the NCAA Tournament – WRONG: Wake Forest advances to 2nd round

  • Bilas says No. 12 Cornell should be a No. 5 seed – RIGHT

  • Bilas says No. 13 Murray State over No. 4 Vanderbilt – RIGHT

  • Bilas says BYU to the Sweet 16 – WRONG: BYU loses in 2nd round

  • Digger likes No. 11 Washington over No. 6 Marquette – RIGHT




    2009 NCAA Tournament – The “Experts”

    The so-called “experts” on ESPN and CBS usually get a lot of things wrong. As you’ll see below, they’re incorrect more often than not. Here are some of the more Controversial Comments made on Selection Sunday:


  • Seth loves Siena over Ohio State. – RIGHT

  • Seth says UConn and Memphis “walk” to the regional final. – WRONG: Memphis lost in the Sweet 16

  • Seth disses Wisconsin being in the NCAA Tournament. – WRONG: Upset No. 5 Florida State as No. 12 seed

  • Seth likes VCU to beat UCLA. – WRONG: UCLA wins

  • Seth likes Florida State to beat Xavier. – WRONG: Xavier wins

  • Seth likes Western Kentucky over Illinois. – RIGHT

  • Seth picks Pittsburgh to win the national championship. – WRONG: Pittsburgh lost in the Elite Eight

  • Seth thinks Clemson can knock off Oklahoma. – WRONG: Oklahoma won and advanced to Elite Eight

  • Anthony likes Butler over LSU. – WRONG: LSU won

  • Hubert picks Clemson to go to the Sweet 16. – WRONG: Clemson lost in first round

  • Bobby Knight thinks women shouldn’t have a say in the NCAA Tournament. – HILARIOUS




    2008 NCAA Tournament – The “Experts”

    The so-called “experts” on ESPN and CBS usually get a lot of things wrong. As you’ll see below, they’re incorrect more often than not. Also, the players listen to these shows. If someone like Dick Vitale bad-mouths a program, that team will usually respond with a victory. There always seems to be one disrespected school that goes to the Sweet 16. Here are some of the more Controversial Comments made on Selection Sunday:


    CBS Bold Predictions:

  • Seth says Notre Dame will go to Sweet 16. – WRONG: Notre Dame lost in Round 2

  • Seth says No. 4 seed Vanderbilt will lose to Siena in the first round. – RIGHT

  • Seth says No. 10 Davidson has a great chance to make the Sweet 16. – RIGHT: Davidson advances to Elite Eight

  • Kellogg says Memphis is going to the Final Four. – RIGHT

  • Kellogg likes No. 6 Marquette to go deep. – WRONG: Marquette lost in second round

  • Seth says No. 12 Temple will beat No. 5 Michigan State. – WRONG

  • Seth says Drake will go to the Sweet 16. – WRONG: Drake lost in first round

  • Kellogg likes No. 7 West Virginia to go deep. – PUSH: West Virginia advances to Sweet 16




    ESPN Bold Predictions:

  • Dicky V, Digger and Bilas have no respect for Baylor. – RIGHT: Baylor loses straight up and against the spread in first round

  • Dicky V picks No. 11 Kentucky over No. 6 Marquette. – RIGHT

  • Dicky V picks No. 14 Georgia over No. 3 Xavier. – WRONG

  • Dicky V says No. 6 USC will beat No. 3 Wisconsin in the second round. – WRONG: USC lost in first round




    Below are some of the more Controversial Comments made on Selection Sunday in 2007:

  • Gottlieb no respect for Vanderbilt. – WRONG: Vanderbilt advanced to Sweet 16

  • Digger and Seth call Old Dominion over Butler. – WRONG: Butler beats ODU by 11 and eventually advances to Sweet 16

  • Bilas calls GT over UNLV. – WRONG: UNLV beats Georgia Tech and eventually advances to Sweet 16

  • Seth calls Oral Roberts over Washington State. – WRONG: WSU beats Oral Roberts by 16

  • Dicky V says Duke to 16. – WRONG: Duke loses in first round

  • Bilas, Dicky V no respect for Xavier. – WRONG: Almost beat Ohio St. in second round (OSU last-second three to force OT)

  • Digger, Dicky V, Gottlieb no respect for Arkansas. – RIGHT: Arkansas lost in first round

  • Hubert no respect for Illinois. – RIGHT: Illinois lost in first round






    2011 NCAA Tournament – Random Facts

    Here are some of the things you should know about the tournament.

    Random NCAA Tournament Trends:

    First-round NCAA Tournament Trends:

  • No. 8 seeds are 15-17 vs. No. 9 seeds since 2003.
  • No. 7 seeds are 19-13 vs. No. 10 seeds since 2003.
  • No. 6 seeds are 22-10 vs. No. 11 seeds since 2003.
  • No. 5 seeds are 20-12 vs. No. 12 seeds since 2003 (worse than 7vs10 and 6vs11!)
  • No. 4 seeds are 25-7 vs. No. 13 seeds since 2003.
  • No. 3 seeds are 29-3 vs. No. 14 seeds since 2003.
  • No. 2 seeds have lost to No. 15 seeds just four times in NCAA Tournament history.
  • No No. 1 seed has ever lost to a No. 16 seed.

    Second-round NCAA Tournament Trends:

  • Of the 36 No. 1 seeds since 2002, 32 have advanced to the Sweet 16.
  • Of the 36 No. 2 seeds since 2002, 23 have advanced to the Sweet 16.
  • Of the 36 No. 3 seeds since 2002, 22 have advanced to the Sweet 16.
  • Of the 36 No. 4 seeds since 2002, 12 have advanced to the Sweet 16.
  • Of the 36 No. 5 seeds since 2002, 16 have advanced to the Sweet 16.
  • Of the 36 No. 6 seeds since 2002, 10 have advanced to the Sweet 16.
  • Of the 36 No. 7 seeds since 2002, 7 have advanced to the Sweet 16.
  • Of the 36 No. 8 seeds since 2002, 2 have advanced to the Sweet 16.
  • Of the 36 No. 9 seeds since 2002, 2 have advanced to the Sweet 16.
  • Of the 36 No. 10 seeds since 2002, 6 have advanced to the Sweet 16.
  • Of the 36 No. 11 seeds since 2002, 3 have advanced to the Sweet 16.
  • Of the 36 No. 12 seeds since 2002, 7 have advanced to the Sweet 16.
  • Of the 36 No. 13 seeds since 2002, 1 has advanced to the Sweet 16.
  • Of the 36 No. 14 (and 15-16) seeds since 2002, 0 have advanced to the Sweet 16.
  • All four No. 1 seeds have advanced to the Sweet Sixteen 9 times in last 14 years.

    Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament Trends:

  • Of the 36 No. 1 seeds since 2002, 25 have advanced to the Elite Eight.
  • Of the 36 No. 2 seeds since 2002, 17 have advanced to the Elite Eight.
  • Of the 36 No. 3 seeds since 2002, 10 have advanced to the Elite Eight.
  • Of the 36 No. 4 seeds since 2002, 3 have advanced to the Elite Eight.
  • Of the 36 No. 5 seeds since 2002, 4 have advanced to the Elite Eight.
  • Of the 36 No. 6 seeds since 2002, 2 have advanced to the Elite Eight.
  • Of the 36 No. 7 seeds since 2002, 2 have advanced to the Elite Eight.
  • Of the 36 No. 8 seeds since 2002, 1 has advanced to the Elite Eight.
  • Of the 36 No. 9 seeds since 2002, 0 have advanced to the Elite Eight.
  • Of the 36 No. 10 seeds since 2002, 2 have advanced to the Elite Eight.
  • Of the 36 No. 11 seeds since 2002, 1 has advanced to the Elite Eight.
  • Of the 36 No. 12 seeds since 2002, 1 has advanced to the Elite Eight.
  • Of the 36 No. 13 seeds (and 14-16) since 2002, 0 have advanced to the Elite Eight.
  • All four No. 1 seeds have advanced to the Elite Eight just four times since 1996.

    Final Four NCAA Tournament Trends:

  • Of the 36 No. 1 seeds since 2002, 15 have advanced to the Final Four.
  • Of the 36 No. 2 seeds since 2002, 9 have advanced to the Final Four.
  • Of the 36 No. 3 seeds since 2002, 5 have advanced to the Final Four.
  • Of the 36 No. 4 seeds since 2002, 2 have advanced to the Final Four.
  • Of the 36 No. 5 seeds since 2002, 4 have advanced to the Final Four.
  • Only one seed lower than No. 6 (George Mason) has advanced to the Final Four since 2002.
  • All four No. 1 seeds have never reached the Final Four since 1996.
  • Only once has no No. 1 seed reached the Final Four (2006) since 1996.

    NCAA Championship Trends:

  • Of the 36 No. 1 seeds since 2002, 9 have advanced to the NCAA Championship.
  • Of the 36 No. 2 seeds since 2002, 4 have advanced to the NCAA Championship.
  • Of the 36 No. 3 seeds since 2002, 3 have advanced to the NCAA Championship.
  • Of the 36 No. 4 seeds since 2002, 0 have advanced to the NCAA Championship.
  • Of the 36 No. 5 seeds since 2002, 2 have advanced to the NCAA Championship.
  • No seed No. 6 or lower has advanced to the NCAA Championship since 1996.
  • A No. 1 seed has appeared in the NCAA Championship 7 out of the last 11 years.



    2011 NCAA Tournament Picks:
    Sweet 16 Redo | East | West | Southwest | Southeast | Final Four | Winning Tips | 2011 NCAA Tournament Home
    2011 NCAA Tournament Bracket Breakdowns:
    West | East | Southwest | Southeast | Final Four | Schedule
    2011 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Breakdowns:
    West | Southeast |
    2011 NCAA Tournament Preview:
    ACC | Atlantic 10 | Big 12 | Big East | Big Ten | Mid-Majors | Mountain West | Pac 10 | SEC




    NFL Power Rankings - Feb. 22


    2024 NFL Mock Draft - Feb. 21


    Fantasy Football Rankings - Feb. 19


    NFL Picks - Feb. 12