All four 1-seeds have advanced to the Elite 8 of the NCAA for the first time since 2016. The four teams have dominated this year’s men’s basketball tournament, avoiding the usual March Madness upsets. The four teams have met the expectations of being the top favorites to win the tournament.
1-Seeds in the Elite Eight
This historic March Madness is the first time since the 2016 ACC that all four 1-seeds have made it to the Elite 8, after North Carolina, Syracuse, Virginia, and Notre Dame achieved the feat. The 2009 Big East was the first to achieve the feat with Louisville, Pittsburgh, Villanova, and UConn. This year’s four 1-seeds will hope to emulate that success and qualify for the final four.
In addition, this is the first time that one conference has four Elite 8 teams in four different regions. This means the hopes of a remarkable all-SEC Final Four are still alive. The Big East became the only league to produce three Final Four teams in 1985 when Villanova toppled Georgetown in the national title game, and St. John’s was a semifinalist.
1-Seeds Set Sights on Final Four
Auburn, Florida, Duk,e and Houston have already made history after No. 1 overall seed Auburn secured its place with a 78-65 in the Elite 8 with victory over fifth-seeded Michigan on Friday night.
Auburn also defeated Creighton 82-70 in the second round despite receiving just eight points from national player of the year candidate Johni Broome. Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner won the big-man battle. The Tigers’ prevailing is a compliment to Tahaad Pettiford, who scored 23 points off the bench.
Can History Repeat Itself?
As the teams prepare for the Elite 8, they hope to make more history by scaling to the final four. No. 1 seeds Auburn and Florida are big favorites to win their Elite Eight matchups, while Duke and Houston are not far behind.
The 1-seeds teams who advanced to the Elite 8 are regarded as the most deserving due to their impressive form throughout the season. Each of them finished in the top four in the league standings and made the semifinals of the SEC Tournament.
KEEP READING: Men’s March Madness Elite Eight Predictions: Analyzing the Matchups and Who’s Set to Advance
Only once, in 2008, did No. 1 seeds claim all four Final Four spots. Not many people would be surprised if history repeats itself with the overall strength of this bracket’s top seeds.
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