March Madness history says Arizona and 13 others eliminated from title contention originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
When you’re looking at who to pick in this year’s field, stay away from crowning a national champion west of Kansas. Why might you ask? Because recent history speaks volumes about who has been able to be the last team standing.
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No team in the west has won a title since 1998. This means history has the odds stacked against 14 teams, including No. 1 seed Arizona. If you play by this factor, twenty percent of the teams are already out of consideration.
The Big 12 champion Wildcats are already walking into a situation of having the toughest path to the Final Four. Now they’ll try to be the first team out west to win a title in nearly 30 years.
As for the other top seeds, No. 1 Duke came into the tournament and was viewed as the favorite to win it all. The Blue Devils will try to take home a championship with Cam Boozer getting Player of the Year buzz. If that happens, Jon Scheyer’s team would snap an 11-year drought without lifting a trophy.
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Michigan took the Big Ten title and could be on a path to shake up the Midwest Region. They’ll likely face the nation’s top-scoring team in Alabama for a Sweet 16 battle.
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Florida has a target on its back. The defending champs didn’t win the SEC and will have to get through a difficult set of opponents to advance. If No. 9 Iowa can upset No. 8 Clemson, the Hawkeyes could give the Gators one of the most intriguing matchups in the South Region.
The NCAA Tournament action kicks off on Tuesday night with the First Four action.
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