#1 Regional Seeds

[YeaTexasFight]

Don't ask me why, but after Florida and Clemson dodged the bullet of losing their opening game as #1 seed, I decided to take a look at how often a #1 seed has lost their opening game in a regional since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1999 (it seemed like every year at least one #1 seed loses their opening game...after looking at the results that was true except for 2005).

Some of the results were a bit surprising.

Of note, all 15 #1 seeds who played today won. Due to a postponement in Greenville, North Carolina, East Carolina will look to avoid being the only #1 seed to lose their opening game this year on Saturday (at 9am CDT).

--Every year except 2005 at least one #1 seed has lost their opening game. You can add 2009 to that list if East Carolina wins in their game Saturday.
--The #1 seed has lost their opening game a grand total of 26 times (out of a possible 175 games or 14.8% of the time). Losses are as follows:
1999: Rice, Tulane
2000: Baylor
2001: Georgia, South Alabama, Wake Forest
2002: Alabama, Florida, Wake Forest, Wichita St.
2003: Georgia Tech
2004: Arizona St., Mississippi, Notre Dame, Rice, Virginia
2005: None
2006: Kentucky, Nebraska, Oklahoma
2007: Long Beach St., San Diego, Wichita St.
2008: Georgia, Long Beach St., Florida St., Standford
2009: None (East Carolina pending)

--Of the 26 losses, the #1 seed has come back to make it to a Regional Championship game 17 times.
--Of the 26 losses, the #1 seed has come back to win the Regional 7 times as follows:
1999: Rice
2001: Georgia
2006: Oklahoma
2007: Wichita St.
2008: Florida St., Georgia, Stanford

 

[goosehorn]

Man, awesome work, that is a pretty interesting post. It looks like 2004 the seeding committee dint do so hot, but in 2008, they were vindicated.

 

[HornStar]

Great analysis. Thanks for posting.

 

[roofless]

Boyd referred to that Rice loss to Texas Southern in '04 as probably the biggest upset in NCAA playoff history. They battled back to the finals against A&M, but having used up their three amazing starters (Humber, Townsend, Niemann, if I recall), they didn't have anything left.