PF's Bracket Notes

I usually do pretty well in the brackets. Though I haven’t won it all since 2002, I generally finish near the top of whatever pool I’m in. I think this is because I don’t follow men’s college basketball at all. Well, except for the tournament. Over the years I’ve kept some notes, which I update each year. I will share with you now. I believe them to be 100% accurate. I’ve double-checked quite a bit. The only other bit of advice I can offer is closely look at the scoring in your pool. One year I accidentally wound up in a pool where upsets received extra points. Good grief! Like it wasn’t hard enough picking the winners? I did badly in that one.

In any case, here are my notes. Hope they can be of help:

The favorite has made 5 of the last 6 Final Fours (Won in 2005, 2007, 2009)

36 of 48 Champions have come from east of the Mississippi River. 13 of those Western wins were UCLA

ACC has made the Final Four 21 times since 1990 winning 7. Rest of US 14. None in 2007, 2008 (NC in 2009 won)

In the past 30 years Champ has been an:
8-Once 6-Twice 4-Once 3- 5 times

2- 6 times 1- 17 times 5-Zero 7-Zero

Final Four Seed Totals
2001 7 (3,1,2,1)
2002 9 (5,2,1,1)
2003 9 (3,3,1,2)
2004 8 (3,2,2,1)
2005 11 (1,1,4,5)
2006 20 (11,4,3,2) (Thanks George Mason)
2007 6 (1,2,1,2)
2008 4 (1,1,1,1)
2009 7 (3,2,1,1)

#1 Seeds in Final Four
2001 2
2002 2
2003 1
2004 1
2005 2
2006 0
2007 2
2008 4
2009 2

Seed winner
2001 1
2002 1
2003 3
2004 2
2005 1
2006 3
2007 1
2008 1
2009 1


15/2: The last 15 to beat a 2 was Hampton in 2001. (only 3 other times 91,93,97)

14/3: Since 1989 11 14’s have beaten 3’s. 13% (Last year-None, 06-NW State,
05-Bucknell)

13/4: 13’s win 25% (9 of 36) of the time in the past 20 years. (Two 13’s won in 2008). They didn’t make it out of second until Bradley did in 2006 winning in R2.
2009: 1
2008: 2
2007: 0
2006: Bradley
2005: 1
2004: 0
2003: 1
2002: 1
2001: 2

12/5: 12’s are 16 of 36 (44%) in past 8 (2.25 for 4)
2009: 3 for 4
2008: 2 for 4
2007: 0 for 4
2006: 2 for 4
2005: 1 for 4
2004: 2 for 4
2003: 1 for 4
2002: 3 for 4
2001: 2 for 4

11/6: 11’s are 12 of 36 (33%) since 2001. (1.3 for 4)
2009: 1 of 4
2008: 1 of 4
2007: 2 of 4
2006: 2 of 4 (George Mason went to Final Four)
2005: 1 of 4
2004: 0 of 4
2003: 1 of 4
2002: 2 of 4
2001: 2 of 4

10/7: 10’s are 13 of 36 (36%) since 2001 . (1.4 out of 4)
2009: 3 of 4
2008: 1 of 4
2007: 0 for 4
2006: 2 for 4
2005: 1 for 4
2004: 1 for 4
2003: 2 for 4
2002: 1 for 4
2001: 2 for 4

9/8: 9’s are 20 of 36 (56%) since 2001. 11 of those 20 had a better record than the 8
(2.2 out of 4)
2009: 2 of 4 (9’s won 2)
2008: 2 of 4 (9’s won 2)
2007: 3 of 4 (9’s won 3)
2006: 1 of 4 (9’s won 1)
2005: 3 of 4 (9’s won 3)
2004: 1 of 4 (9’s won 1)
2003: 3 of 4 (9’s won 3)
2002: 0 of 4 (9’s won 0)
2001: 4 of 4 (9’s won 4)


SINCE 1985

The 1 seed has beaten the 16 seed all 100 times (100%).
The 2 seed has beaten the 15 seed 96 times (96%).
The 3 seed has beaten the 14 seed 85 times (85%).
The 4 seed has beaten the 13 seed 79 times (79%).
The 5 seed has beaten the 12 seed 66 times (66%).
The 6 seed has beaten the 11 seed 69 times (69%).
The 7 seed has beaten the 10 seed 61 times (61%).
The 8 seed has beaten the 9 seed 46 times (46%).


SMALL CONFERENCES
Haven’t won in the past 11 years
Atlantic Sun
Ivy League
Mid-Continent
Northeast
Ohio Valley
Southern
SWAC
Southland

OTHERS:
Missouri Valley (Bradley Sweet 16 in 2006, Creighton 2002, Indiana State 2001)
Patriot (Bucknell won in 2005 as a 14 and in 2006 as a 9)
Metro Atlantic (Manhattan won in 2004)
Mid-Eastern (Hampton won in 2001 as a 15. Last 15 to do so)
Sun Belt (West KY won on 2008 as 12, won in 2md round. West KY won in 09)
Big South (Winthrop won in 2007 as a 11)
Big Sky (Montana won in 2006 as a 12)
America East (Vermont won in 2005 as a 13)
Play-In: 5 of last 8 won by team with worse and sometimes losing record. Exception 2006, 2007