So I was going to put this up on Cracked Sidewalks after the seed was announced, but never got around to it, and with all the preview stuff there just doesn't seem to be time for it. I went and did some calculations on how the 6th seed has faired since the tournament expanded in 1985, and it brought out some interesting numbers.
First, a look at where the season has ended for all the 6th seeds:
First Round: 30
Second Round: 30
Sweet Sixteen: 24
Elite Eight: 9
Final Four: 1
Title Game: 1
National Champions: 1
Obviously, the numbers show that a #6 seed making it all the way to the National Championship is extremely rare. But there is some good news as well. 69% of #6 seeds have made it out of the first round, which may not seem particularly high, but when you consider that only 67% of #5 seeds have made it out of the first round maybe dropping a spot isn’t so bad.
There's also some interesting historical information:
- Kansas in 1988 is the only 6th seed in the modern era to win the Championship. NC State did it as well in 1983 when the tournament was only 52 teams. I don't believe any 5th seed has won the National Championship, but I didn't check every year.
- Kansas, Providence in 1987 and Michigan in 1992 are the only 6th seeds to make the Final Four.
- Indiana and Purdue are tied for the most NCAA Appearances as a #6 seed with four each. In terms of conferences, the Big 12 and Big Ten are tied with most #6 seeds in history, each has 18(not counting 2009).
- Fourteen different Big East teams have been seeded #6 since 1985. Only once has a Big East team failed to make it out of the first round, Notre Dame in 2007. So MU has a little pressure....but that leads to the most important information of all.....
- Marquette has been a 6 seed twice, 1994 and 2008. Both times MU has won the game. Both times the combined score of the game has been 140 points. 81-59 in 1994, 74-66 in 2008. That has to be a good omen, right? Maybe we're going to see a MU victory with a score of 75-65?
