And Then There Were None: All #1 Seeds Eliminated in NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament

For the first time since seedings in the NCAA basketball tournament began in 1979, no #1 seeds made it to the Elite Eight. Previously, Purdue and Kansas were eliminated in rounds 1 and 2 respectively, and on March 24th, both Alabama and Houston were sent packing in their Sweet 16 matchups, in games that really weren’t close.

Alabama easily blew through Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Maryland in the Crimson Tide’s first two games and faced #5 San Diego State. The Aztecs were no slouches and came into the game with 29 wins on the season. San Diego State had a 28-23 lead at halftime, but fell behind 48-39 in the second half. The Aztecs then turned on the afterburners, going on a 12-0 run that had Alabama on its heels. The Tide pulled to within two points with 46 seconds left, but the Aztecs scored the last five points of the game on free throws to win 71-64. San Diego State will play #6 Creighton for the South Region championship. The Blue Jays ended Princeton’s surprising run with an 86-75 victory.

The Houston Cougars took on another #5 seed in the form of the Miami Hurricanes. Last season, Miami was beaten by eventual champion Kansas in the Elite Eight. If Houston could make it to the Final Four, the Cougars would play in their home city.

The Cougars will be in their home city for the Final Four, but they’ll be watching the games on TV. The Hurricanes essentially put the game out of reach with a 16-2 second half run on the way to a 89-75 victory. Houston had not given up more than 77 points in any game this season. All five Miami starters scored in double figures, with Nijel Pack leading the way with a season high 26 points. Miami will play #2 seed Texas for the Midwest Region championship. The Longhorns beat #3 Xavier to advance.