Stuff You Should Know about the Elite 8

• The only 7 footer left in the tournament is Wichita State’s Ehimen Orukpe.  The shortest player is 5-10 Guard Nolan Hart from Syracuse.

• Duke has three players 6-10 or taller.  Two are the Plumlee brothers, Mason and Marshall from Warsaw, Indiana.

• After Cal, and UNC, Michigan is the most selective public university in the field of 64.  At a 14% acceptance rate, Duke is the most selective school of the private universities left in the tournament.

• Wichita State has the most geographically diverse roster with three international players (Canada (2), Nigeria) and 8 from different States.

• Two of the tallest players in the tournament are from Senegal – 6-10 Baye Keita of Syracuse and 6-11 Gorgui Dieng from Louisville.

• Duke is the only team without an international player on its roster.

• Florida has the most homegrown players with 7.  Duke has just two players from North Carolina.

• Wichita State averages the fewest points per game:  69; Duke the most: 78

Elite 8 and other Fun 2013 NCAA March Madness facts

• Syracuse has home court advantage in DC over Marquette in their Elite 8 match up on Saturday.  The driving distance between Syracuse and DC is only 375 miles;  from Milwaukee, the distance is 789 miles.  Plus, Syracuse has two players on its roster from nearby MD.

• One of Syracuse’s 6 losses was to Marquette in February.

• Versus the common opponent Louisville, Syracuse  is 1-2; Marquette 0-1.

• As far as mascots go, Otto the Syracuse Orange may be the silliest least imposing mascot in the history of sports.  He’s a youthful orange who sports a Syracuse hat and looks more like a tangelo than an orange. Rumor has it, Otto is the great grandson of the Kool-Aid man.

• There are five birds including two eagles left in the tournament – the Marquette Golden Eagles and the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles. If they win out, they could face off in the final four.

• The nuts, fruits and grains all made it to the Elite 8.  Ohio State Buckeyes, Syracuse Orange and the Wichita State Shockers (stalk of wheat).

• 9 teams have scored under 50 points in tournament games.  The lowest score was 34 by Montana in a second round loss to Syracuse.  Syracuse held a number 1 seed Indiana to 50 points. 5th seeded Wisconsin scored only 46 points in a loss to Ole Miss in the 2nd round.  And 6th seeded Memphis scored only 48 points in a third round loss to Michigan State.

• Two birds will meet in a Sweet 16 match up:  a Cardinal from Louisville and a Duck from Oregon.

• Two Florida teams will meet in the Sweet 16 – Florida and Florida Gulf Coast.

• Three states still have two teams left in the tournament:  Michigan:  Michigan State and Michigan; Florida – Florida and Florida Gulf Coast; Kansas – Kansas and Wichita State.

• It is possible that we could have a two state Final:  Michigan State and Michigan or Kansas and Wichita State.

• The 1, 2, 3 and 4 seeds made it to the Regional Semis in the East – the 3 and 4 seeds, Marquette and Syracuse made it to the Regional Finals.

• We could have a final four with a 12 seed – Oregon, a 9 seed – Wichita State, a 15 seed Florida Gulf Coast and a 4 seed – Syracuse.  Two Eagles, an Orange and a Duck. That would be a shocker – not likely, but possible.

Round of 32 NCAA Team Mascot Facts & other Oddities

For NCAA March Madness basketball enthusiasts, here are some odd facts about the 32 teams that remain in the tournament:

• State with the Most Teams: Florida (3): Florida, Florida Gulf Coast, Miami

• Teams with Golden in the nicknames: (3) Cal Golden Bears, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Marquette Golden Eagles

• Teams with a color as a mascot: (2) Syracuse Orange, Harvard Crimson

• Teams from the same city: (2) Philadelphia – Temple, La Salle

• Teams with the same mascot: (4) Bulldogs: Butler, Gonzaga; Rams: VCU, Colorado State

• Teams with bird mascots: (7) Marquette Golden Eagles, Creighton Bluejays, Kansas Jayhawks, Florida Gulf Coast Eagles, Louisville Cardinals, Oregon Ducks, Temple Owls

• Teams named after state residents: Indiana Hoosiers, Illinois Fighting Illini

• Teams that are natural disasters: (2) Miami Hurricanes, Iowa State Cyclones

• Weirdest Mascots: Duke Blue Devils, North Carolina Tar Heels, Wichita State Shockers, Syracuse Orange, Harvard Crimson, Saint Louis Billikens

• Strange Animal Mascots: (2) Minnesota Golden Gophers, Michigan Wolverines

• Nuts, Grains and Fruits: Ohio State Buckeyes, Wichita State Shockers, Syracuse Orange