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Here’s 10 crazy facts that will give you an edge in your NCAA Tournament bracket pool for March Madness. According to history, one team stands above the rest.
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1) Some things just aren’t meant to be.
We’ve seen every possible upset in the NCAA Tournament, except for one. No 16-seed has ever beaten a top seed, and don’t expect it to happen anytime soon. Even if a 16-seed does pull off the unfathomable, outside of boasting to your friends and whoever will listen to your prediction, there is no chance they make it past the next opponent. So just do the right thing, fate and destiny do not live on the 16-line.
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2) Sorry Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio State and Clemson.
Don’t blame the messenger, blame the history of college basketball. In its long and storied history, a five-seed has never won the national championship. Three five-seeds have made the final game (Butler in 2010, Indiana in 2002 and Florida in 2000), but none have been able to break through.
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3) Sorry Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio State and Clemson, Part II
As if the last fact wasn’t heartbreak enough, how about another smack across the bow of your team’s national title hopes. A 12 seed has defeated a 5 in 24 of the past 27 years. Out of this year’s matchups, Ohio State–South Dakota State and New Mexico State–Clemson seem to show the most promise.
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4) Finding Cinderella.
Don’t go chalk. Over the last 25 years, the tournament has averaged a little over two teams seeded No. 10 or lower making it to the Sweet 16. The highest rated teams seeded 10 or lower, according to KenPom: Loyola Chicago, Davidson, Arizona State, Oklahoma.
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5) Who is Crashing The Party?
Could Michael Porter, Jr.‘s return lead eight-seed Missouri to postseason success? The last time Syracuse was widely criticized for making the tournament, the Orange made it all the way to the Final Four. Each of the last five years a team seeded 7th or worse has reached the Final Four. Who will it be this year?
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6) Defense Wins Championships.
Since 2002, only two schools have made the Final Four with a defensive efficiency rating outside the top 50, Xavier is 59.
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7) Balance Wins Championships.
The last 10 years, only three times (UConn 2011 and 2014, North Carolina 2009) has a team not ranked in KenPom’s top 11 in both offensive and defensive efficiency won the national championship
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8) And Then There Were Two…
Duke and Michigan State are the only schools currently ranked in the top 11 in both categories this year. If they win their first two games, the two would face off in the Midwest Region’s Sweet 16.
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9) Izzo’s Gorilla
Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo is 1-11 for his career against Duke and Coach Mike Krzyzewski. The only win in Izzo’s career…a Sweet Sixteen win in 2005.
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10) And The Winner Is…
Twenty-three of the past 27 national champions had two or more future NBA first-round picks. But only three times has the future NBA number one pick won a national championship. Both Duke and Michigan State have multiple NBA lottery picks on their roster, but only Duke has a potential number one in Marvin Bagley III.
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NEXT: Cinderella Looks To Tinder For A Dance Partner in the NCAA Tournament
