How many times has a No. 1 seed won the NCAA men’s basketball tournament?
This is not to be a Cinderella-hating, bracket-buster buzz kill, but ...
Odds are, a No. 1 seed is going to be snipping net at the end of “One Shining Moment.”
Since the NCAA men’s basketball tournament went to a 64-team field, a No. 1 seed has won 24 of the 37 championships. Kansas’ win over North Carolina in last year’s tournament final was the fifth straight by a top dog and the 11th in the last 15 seasons. A two seed (five times) and a three seed (four) have accounted for nine of the remaining 13 titles. The remaining four crowns have gone to four, six, seven and eight seeds.
Here’s everything you need to know about UCLA and USC as the Pac-12 tournament continues, setting the stage for Selection Sunday and March Madness.
The lowest seed to win a championship is Villanova, which won it all in 1985, the inaugural year of the 64-team format.
The 2021 Baylor-Gonzaga finals matchup was the ninth meeting of two No. 1 seeds since 1985. North Carolina has played in four of those games, winning each of them (1982 against Georgetown; ’93 against Michigan; 2005 against Illinois; and 2017 against Gonzaga).
UCLA has been a top seed in three tournaments since 1985, winning the 1995 national championship. The Bruins also were a No. 1 in 1990 (Elite 8 loss to Indiana) and 2008 (Final Four loss to Memphis).
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