One of the reasons March Madness is so beloved is because of its many Cinderella stories. The best part of each March is seeing low-seeded teams come into the tournament with no expectations and go on a tear.
But how often do we see a double-digit seed actually advance past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament and make it to the Sweet Sixteen? The answer is likely more frequent than you thought.
How Often Do Double-Digit Seeds Make the Sweet 16?
In the last 16 NCAA Tournaments, a double-digit seed has made it to at least the Sweet 16. In the 39 tournaments since the field expanded to 64 teams, a double-digit seed has made the Sweet 16 in 37 of them.
So no matter how perfect you think your bracket is, if you don’t have a 10 seed or lower making it to the second weekend, you might want to reevaluate.
Out of all the double-digit seeds, the 11 seeds advance to the Sweet 16 at the highest rate, 17.9% of the time. Furthermore, the 11 seeds also see success in the Sweet 16 and have made it to the Elite Eight 6.4% of the time.
So, knowing that a double-digit seed is very likely to make the Sweet 16 and that it’s likely going to be an 11 seed, which double-digit team this year is poised to make an appearance?
Double Digit Seeds Poised For a Tournament Run
The Drake Bulldogs are the double-digit seeded team that I think can go to the Sweet 16 and maybe even beyond. Not only are they an 11 seed, but they’re uber-talented and sound on both sides of the ball.
Drake plays at the slowest pace in college basketball, going deep into the shot clock on every possession. They are led offensively by junior guard Bennett Stiltz, who scores 19.1 points per game and can hit shots from anywhere on the court.
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You combine Drake’s slow, methodical offense with their stifling defense that ranks 1st in the country in terms of points allowed per game, and Drake is sure to upset a couple of teams this March.
So, if you want to have a better bracket than your friends, I’d pick Drake to be the double-digit seed that makes it to the Sweet 16 in 2025.
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