After SWEET 16, DAY 2 (*includes play-in games)
13-2*: Pac-12 (Oregon State, UCLA, USC)
8-6: Big XII (Baylor)
8-8*: Big Ten (Michigan)
7-5: SEC (Arkansas)
3-1*: American (Houston)
3-1: WCC (Gonzaga)
4-4: Big East
4-7: ACC
3-2*: MVC
2-1: Summit
1-1: Conference USA
1-1: MAC
1-1: Southland
1-1*: MEAC
1-1*: SWAC
0-1: American East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, CAA, Horizon, MAAC, NEC*, OVC, Patriot, Southern, Sun Belt*, WAC
0-2: Atlantic 10, Mountain West
0-0 Ivy
An interesting tidbit is that most years one conference ends up with at least three teams in the Elite Eight. In fact, this season is the 7th time that has happened in the last 8 tournaments:
2021: 3 Pac-12 teams
2019: didn't happen (2 ACC; 2 SEC; 2 Big 10)
2018: 3 Big 12 teams (and 2 ACC)
2017: 3 SEC teams
2016: 4 ACC teams (and 2 Big 12)
2015: 3 ACC teams (and 2 Big 10)
2014: 3 Big 10 teams (and 2 SEC)
2013: 3 Big East teams (and 2 Big 10)
I first noticed this trend when it happened every tournament from 1985 to 1989, and it's been fairly common ever since. Just one of those oddities, I guess.
Maybe it is partly because I don't really care about any of the teams that are left, but I feel like the altered tournament schedule is sapping my enthusiasm a little bit. I don't feel "up" at all for the Elite 8 today...it's Monday, I've got stuff to do!
After ELITE 8, DAY 1 (*includes play-in games)
13-3*: Pac-12 (UCLA, USC)
9-6: Big XII (Baylor)
8-8*: Big Ten (Michigan)
4-1*: American (Houston)
3-1: WCC (Gonzaga)
7-6: SEC
4-4: Big East
4-7: ACC
3-2*: MVC
2-1: Summit
1-1: Conference USA
1-1: MAC
1-1: Southland
1-1*: MEAC
1-1*: SWAC
0-1: American East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, CAA, Horizon, MAAC, NEC*, OVC, Patriot, Southern, Sun Belt*, WAC
0-2: Atlantic 10, Mountain West
0-0 Ivy
I'm an ACC guy, but this year's tourney clearly favors the western teams. I don't buy into the idea that the West is now the best, something that's going around sportsyak right now. Single elimination tourneys often yield unpredictable results, and this year's tourney-during-COVID is no different. But putting my Duke allegiance aside, I actually find it refreshing that the traditional (east coast) powers are nowhere to be seen. I hope Gonzaga finally gets through, but a potential UCLA-USC FF game is very intriguing. Also given Kelvin Sampson's cheating history, Houston is the villain for me. And finally, a Baylor-Gonzaga final could be a high flyer. But East Coast Bias seems bored. If it makes itself feel better, it should go pick Georgetown to win the Big East next year. I'm so sure that will happen
9F
I will never talk about That Game. GTHC.
I think a big part of it was the teams who were playing today. Oregon State vs Houston and Arkansas vs Baylor doesn’t exactly get the pulse racing.
I would not even have considered turning in to watch either of those games during the regular season. I don’t see why it should be that dramatic of a difference just because they’re meeting in the NCAA tournament.
I would have to imagine the Big Ten performed worse relative to seeds. You can't really expect a conference with a bunch of 11 seeds to get the same record as a conference with 1 seeds... would have to look at "expected wins" by seeds. Of course, the ACC being down is WHY the teams got worse seeds, but that set teams up for harder draws and lower expectations. So yeah, I agree the ACC was down but think the conference probably performed about in line with expectations given seeds. Maybe slightly worse, but not an abberation like the big ten although their record is inflated by one team still in it.
You make it sound as though the Big Ten profile is somehow artificially inflated by having a team alive.
Sure, you could argue that the Big Ten was nearly as disappointing as the ACC if you wanted to. But I'm not a Big Ten fan. So I don't care. On one level, I'm bummed our fellow ACC brethren couldn't carry the torch when we had a really bad year as a team. On another level, I can't quite rationalize how our team managed a tenth place finish among such a bad group of teams.
Mostly, I want "order restored" next season.
After ELITE 8, DAY 2 (*includes play-in games)
14-4*: Pac-12 (UCLA)
9-6: Big XII (Baylor)
4-1*: American (Houston)
4-1: WCC (Gonzaga)
8-9*: Big Ten
7-6: SEC
4-4: Big East
4-7: ACC
3-2*: MVC
2-1: Summit
1-1: Conference USA
1-1: MAC
1-1: Southland
1-1*: MEAC
1-1*: SWAC
0-1: American East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, CAA, Horizon, MAAC, NEC*, OVC, Patriot, Southern, Sun Belt*, WAC
0-2: Atlantic 10, Mountain West
0-0 Ivy
After FINAL FOUR semifinals (*includes play-in games)
10-6: Big XII (Baylor)
5-1: WCC (Gonzaga)
14-5*: Pac-12
8-9*: Big Ten
7-6: SEC 4-2*: American
4-4: Big East
4-7: ACC
3-2*: MVC
2-1: Summit
1-1: Conference USA
1-1: MAC
1-1: Southland
1-1*: MEAC
1-1*: SWAC
0-1: American East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, CAA, Horizon, MAAC, NEC*, OVC, Patriot, Southern, Sun Belt*, WAC
0-2: Atlantic 10, Mountain West
0-0 Ivy
Tough way for the Pac-12 to go out tonight, but what a difference from 3 years ago. The 2018 NCAA Tournament had only three Pac-12 teams. Arizona State and UCLA lost their First Four games, and 4-seed Arizona lost to Buffalo on Day 1 of the first round.
ESPN: The fast and unprecedented fall of the Pac-12
All hope is not lost, ACC.Since the Big 12 was created in 1996-97, no league among the six major conferences (Power 5 and the Big East) had failed to send a team to the second round until Thursday when the Pac-12 became the first, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
Final conference records after NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP (*includes play-in games)
11-6: Big XII (Baylor)
14-5*: Pac-12
8-9*: Big Ten
7-6: SEC
5-2: WCC
4-2*: American
4-4: Big East
4-7: ACC
3-2*: MVC
2-1: Summit
1-1: Conference USA
1-1: MAC
1-1: Southland
1-1*: MEAC
1-1*: SWAC
0-1: American East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, CAA, Horizon, MAAC, NEC*, OVC, Patriot, Southern, Sun Belt*, WAC
0-2: Atlantic 10, Mountain West
0-0 Ivy