March Madness: your five-minute guide
With the 'March Madness' NCAA men's basketball tournament set to begin Tuesday, here's a quick list of fun facts on the 65-team field. Which team has the longest current winning streak, you ask?
Kentucky guard John Wall (11) celebrates his team's 75-74 overtime win over Mississippi State in the final of the Southeastern Conference tournament Sunday. Kentucky will have a No. 1 seed for the 'March Madness' NCAA men's basketball tournament, and is also the most improved team in the field.
Wade Payne/AP
Quick, before it’s too late, get yourself ready for the tsunami of wall-to-wall March Madness college basketball.
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Don’t try to do scouting reports on all 65 teams in the men’s NCAA tournament, which begins Tuesday with the ever-peculiar play-in game. There’s no time for that, especially if you’re trying do your “research” at the office. Instead, we offer this grab-bag of relevant facts to enhance your viewing enjoyment of the best three weeks on the American sports calendar.
Top-seeded teams
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Duke
- Syracuse
Syracuse looks the most vulnerable, having lost its last two games, including the quarterfinal of the Big East Conference tournament, but the Orange were rewarded for their “body of work,” meaning their overall 28-4 record.
Defending champion
The Tar Heels are sitting this one out in a rare off year. If misery loves company, North Carolina can take solace in the fact UCLA and Indiana also missed out, the first time since 1974 that these storied programs have all been left out in the cold in the same year.
Most improved team in the tournament
- Kentucky (+11, factoring in both wins and losses)
- Murray State (+9.5)
- Georgia Tech (+8.5)
- Wofford (+8)
Worst-record teams in the tournament
- Arkansas-Pine Bluff (17-15)
- Houston (19-15)
- East Tennessee State (20-14)
- Winthrop (19-13)
The most losses a championship team have ever had was 11, by Kansas in 1988. Both North Carolina State in 1983 and Villanova in 1985 won with 10 losses each.
Teams with the longest current winning streaks
- Butler (20 games)
- Wofford (13 games)
- North Texas (11 games)
Teams with the highest share of in-state players
- University of California, Santa Barbara (85.6 percent)
- San Diego State (77 percent)
- Morgan State (77 percent)
