#1 Seeds Never Lose

Many teams have tried, every team has failed. Year after year, #16 seeds enter the tournament with the dreams and aspirations of becoming the first #16 seed to ever beat a number one seed. Some teams have come close, but no #16 seed has ever defeated a #1 seed in the first round of the tournament.

Twice in the history of the NCAA tournament has a #16 seed lost by only one point to a number one seed. Both of these games came in 1989. Princeton (#16 seed) lost to Georgetown (#1 seed) 50 to 49. East Tennessee State also lost to the number one seed Oklahoma 72 to 71.

In this year's tournament, two #1 seeds performed very well and two did not. Connecticut and North Carolina blew out their opponents by a combined total of 99 points. Louisville and Pittsburgh, on the other hand, had a harder time with their #16 seed opponents. Louisville won by 20 points, but they only led #16 seed Morehead State by two points at the half. Pittsburgh won by ten points, but the game was played a lot closer than the final score.

Number 16 seeds in the tournament are a combined 0-99 since the expansion of the tournament to 64 teams in 1985. Many teams have come close to winning, but no team has ever won as a #16 seed. This year, both Morehead State and East Tennessee State gave the number one seeds a run for their money, but came up short in the end. This tournament proved to be just another tournament where all four #16 seeds go home in the first round.