2014 Fairly Fun Final Four Facts For Fans

You may be wondering which team has had the easiest path to the Final Four.  Or you may not be wondering which team has had the easiest path to the Final Four.  Either way, Florida has had the easiest path by far coming out of the South region.  Kentucky, out of the Midwest had the roughest trip to the big dance, followed by CT out of the East and Wisconsin from the West region.

From Smooth Sailing to Turbulent Skies

• FL combined total of seeds to victory out of the South: 40 – Albany (16), Pitt (9), UCLA (4), Dayton (11)
• WI combined total of seeds to victory out of the West: 29 – American (15), Oregon (7), Baylor (6), Arizona (1)
• CT combined total of seeds to victory out of the East: 19 – Saint Joseph’s (10), Villanova (2), Iowa St. (3), Michigan St. (4)
• KY combined total of seeds to victory out of the Midwest: 16 – Kansas St. (9), Wichita St. (1), Louisville (4), Michigan (2)

Who gave Whom Fits

• Some teams simply had the others’ number during the 2013-14 season.  SMU beat UConn twice.  Louisville beat UConn three times.
• Arkansas gave Kentucky fits, beating them twice in OT.  The Gators devoured the Wildcats three times during the season.  The last game was a one point squeaker in the SEC championship game.  They could meet again in the NCAA championship game.

The Edge

• Home town/state advantage:  Kentucky.  Lexington is closest to Arlington and the Wildcats have three players from Texas.
• Home court advantage:  Connecticut.  Even though Storrs is the farthest from Arlington, the Huskies are the only team that has played a game this year near Arlington in a loss to SMU in Dallas.
• Battle tested team:  Kentucky who beat a 1 and a 2 seed and the 4th seeded Louisville Cardinals that beat UConn three times.
• Underdog:  Kentucky – unranked in the AP Top 25.
• Toughest Team Nickname:  Wisconsin Badgers.
• Latest championships: KY (2012), UConn (2011), FL (2007), WI (1941)

 

And Then There Were 4

And then there were 4:  WI (2), FL (1), UConn (7) and KY (8).

• Only two Final Fours in history have had more than 1 of the 2014 group competing.

2011:  UConn, Kentucky
2000: Florida, Wisconsin

• Number of times the SEC has had 2 teams in the Final Four: 2 – 2006 (FL, LSU); 1994 (Ark, FL)

• Number of championships by team: KY (8), CT (3), FL (2), WI (1)

Last Kentucky championship: 2012
Last Connecticut championship: 2011
Last Florida championship: 2007
Last Wisconsin championship: 1941

• Team Records against Final Four opponents:

Wisconsin: 1-0 against Florida
Kentucky: 0-2 against Florida
UConn: 1-0 against Florida
Florida: 2-0 against Kentucky; 0-2 against WI, CT

• # of times Final Four has been in Dallas: 1 – 1986 (Louisville, Kansas, Duke, LSU)

• Distance of Schools to Dallas/Arlington area:

Lexington: 880 miles
Madison: 989 miles
Gainesville: 990 miles
Storrs: 1,686 miles

• Home court advantage:  Kentucky (8)

• Nate Silver’s Five Thirty Eight blog percentage chance of winning: FL: 38%, WI 31%, KY 19%, CT 11%

• Underdog:  UConn (7)

 

 

 

 

And then there were 8

From the cluttered Sports Desk of Ribbie’s Weblog:

Highlights from the second group of Sweet 16 games and a few other oddities:

• In a losing effort, Tennessee had fewer turnovers, more rebounds, more steals and more blocked shots (8) than Michigan
• Michigan outperformed Tennessee in all the shooting categories.
• Louisville went only 13-23, 56.5% at the free throw line; KY, 22-27, 81.5%.
• UConn shot a better 3 point percentage, 47.4%, than Iowa State’s field goal percentage, 46.4%
• UConn made 91% of their free throws – 20-22; Iowa State 40% – 6-15.
• UConn is 3-0 at Madison Square Garden this season.
• The Big Ten reigns supreme with 3 teams left:  WI (2), MI (2) and MI State (4); SEC has 2:  FL (1), KY (8)
• Last #8 National Champion: 1985 – Villanova.
• Big Ten record – 9-3; SEC – 9-1.
• The Lowest seeded teams in the Elite 8 are: Dayton (11), KY (8) and CT (7)
• # of Elite 8 match ups between teams that have played before this season: 0
• # of teams that have not faced an Elite 8 team this year: 1 – Dayton
• Place Dayton finished in the Atlantic 10 conference: 6th.
• Number of 11 seeds to reach the final four:  3: VCU (2011); Geo. Mason (2006); LSU (1986)
• Kentucky’s record against Elite 8 teams:  0-3, losing twice to FL and once to MI St.
• Florida’s record: 35-2.  # of losses to Elite 8 teams: 2 – UConn, WI
• Most games against Elite 8 teams: MI – 6; record 3-3: Wins – WI, MI St. (2); Loses – AZ, WI, MI St.
• Number of coaches in the Elite 8 with one or more championships: 3 – Billy Donovan (2); John Calipari (1); Tom Izzo (1)

Elite 8 Re-seedings based on Academics

Bard College (38)

From the Sports Desk of Ribbie’s Weblog, here are the Elite 8 matchups re-seeded based on US News and World Reports rankings of national universities:

Florida (63) v. Dayton (112)

Arizona (119) v. Wisconsin (41)

Michigan State (73) v. UConn (57)

Michigan (28) v. Kentucky (119)

Of these national universities, Dayton is the only private institution.  With an acceptance rate of 36%, Michigan is technically the most elite of the Elite 8; Arizona, at 76%, the least.

 

And then there were 12

The Dayton Flyers are the big story from the sports desk of Ribbie’s Weblog.  In their Sweet 16 game against a tall Stanford club, the 11 seed Dayton Flyers soared to new heights knocking down 8 threes and breezing to a ten point win to reach the Elite 8.  The last time Dayton advanced to the Elite 8 was 30 years ago.  Florida has had the easiest ride so far of any #1 seed.  Coming out of the least competitive South bracket, they have defeated Albany (16), Pittsburgh (9), UCLA (4) and will face Dayton (11) in the Elite 8.

On the first night of Sweet 16 play, here’s what went down:

• The three California teams lost – Stanford, San Diego and UCLA.
• Florida won extending the SEC undefeated streak in the tournament to 7 games.
• After Baylor and Stanford lost, there are only 2 private universities left:  Dayton and Louisville.
• Arizona, Florida and CT do not border any of the states with teams left in the tournament.
• UCLA missed 15 three points shots shooting only 16.7% beyond the arc.  Florida made 8, shooting 38% from three point land.
• Dayton had 19 assists; Stanford just 10.
• Baylor made 31% of its shots – 18/57 and was only 2/15 beyond the arc.
• Wisconsin’s Frank Kaminsky, the pride of Lisle, IL had 6 blocked shots against Baylor. The 7 footer went 8/11 and scored 19 points.
• Arizona shot 23/48 for 48%; 5/12 behind the arc.

Who will join Dayton, Florida, Arizona and Wisconsin to complete the Elite 8?  We shall see.  Let the games continue!

And then there were 16

Well, with only 9 of the 16 teams left in the 2014 NCAA tournament, a 9 I’ll call the Devine 9, my bracket is busted, but of the Devine 9, I have 3 of them going on to the final four and my championship game and champion are still intact.  I have the Florida Gators taking down the Louisville Cardinals.  So, what to make of this year’s Sweet 16?  Here’s a little breakdown:

• 16 teams, 13 states
• Most teams from a state:  3 – CA (SD State, Stanford, UCLA); 2 – MI (Michigan, Michigan State); KY (Kentucky and Louisville)
• 2013 Final Four teams not in the Sweet 16: 2 – Wichita State and Syracuse
• 2013 Final Four teams in the Sweet 16: 2 – Louisville (last year’s champion) and Michigan
• Number of teams left from the Deep South (defined as LA, MS, AL, GA, SC): 0
• Seeds:  1 – (3); 2 – (2); 3 – (1); 4 – (4); 5 – (0); 6 – (1); 7 – (1); 8 – (1); 9 (0); 10 – (1); 11 – (2)
• Final Four of Four Seeds:  San Diego State, UCLA, Louisville, Michigan State
• In State Matchup:  Kentucky (8) v. Louisville (4)
• Conference Matchups in the Sweet 16: 0
• 9 of the 16 teams from 3 conferences:  SEC, Big Ten, Pac 12
• Teams with nicknames that refer to people:  4 – Virginia Cavaliers, San Diego State Aztecs, Michigan State Spartans, Dayton Flyers
• Wildcats: 2 – Arizona, Kentucky
• Bears: 2 – UCLA (Bruins), Baylor
• Birds: 2 – Louisville Cardinals, Stanford Cardinal
• Cinderella Final Four:  Dayton (11), UCONN (7), Tennessee (11), Baylor (6)
• Favorites Final Four:  Florida (1), VA (1), AZ (1), MI (2)

That’s all for now.  Stay tuned for more maddening facts.