The FAU Owls and the long shot runs to the men’s Final Four March Madness

NEW YORK — The 2023 Ultimate 4 is poised to be the land of the unknown. UConn is the one workforce nonetheless standing with a nationwide championship to its identify. Neither Creighton nor San Diego State has ever been to a Ultimate 4. Previous to final Friday, Florida Atlantic had by no means even received an NCAA event sport as a program. Mark Few and Jim Larranaga have been to Ultimate Fours, however Greg McDermott is the one different Elite Eight coach who had superior out of the primary weekend of the NCAA event previous to this season.

If somebody aside from UConn cuts down the nets, three of the previous 4 nationwide champions may have been first-time winners.

Parity has hit faculty basketball in a serious approach, with the appearance of the switch portal and the additional yr of eligibility because of COVID among the many causes.

So in a season and event full of parity, how unlikely was it that FAU — the workforce with essentially the most wins in faculty basketball this season — would make a Ultimate 4 run? Solely six groups seeded decrease than the Owls have ever performed in a nationwide semifinal, in order that they’re in fairly uncommon firm. FAU defeated No. 3 seed Kansas State 79-76 on Saturday at Madison Sq. Backyard.

Listed here are the ten unlikeliest Ultimate 4 runs for the reason that NCAA event expanded in 1985. (One fast be aware: 1985 Villanova was the unlikeliest nationwide champion, however this is not the unlikeliest NCAA event runs, it is the unlikeliest Ultimate 4 runs.)

(9) FLORIDA ATLANTIC DANCES TO THE FINAL FOUR 🔥

The Owls take down (3) Kansas State 79-76 to advance to their first ever Ultimate 4! #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/DdHxynvdWk

— NCAA March Insanity (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 26, 2023

10. 2017 South Carolina Gamecocks (7-seed)

A 7-seed has received all of it earlier than, when Shabazz Napier led UConn’s run by the 2014 NCAA event. However arguably essentially the most shocking Ultimate 4 run got here from Frank Martin’s 2017 South Carolina workforce, which entered the NCAA event successful three of its ultimate 9 video games. However the Gamecocks ran by 10-seed Marquette by 20 within the first spherical, then knocked off 2-seed Duke, 3-seed Baylor (additionally by 20) and 4-seed Florida within the Elite Eight. Sindarius Thornwell quietly had the most effective NCAA event runs of any participant up to now decade.

9. 2011 Butler Bulldogs (8-seed)

You may be stunned to be taught that 8-seeds have as many Ultimate 4 groups as 6- and 7-seeds mixed, with six. Actually, 4 have superior to the nationwide championship sport, together with final yr’s North Carolina workforce — and one, 1985 Villanova, received all of it. Whereas Villanova’s nationwide championship was essentially the most shocking title win in event historical past, it wasn’t essentially the most shocking Ultimate 4 run in historical past — that possible goes to 2011 Butler.

It was a yr after the Bulldogs went to the title sport and misplaced within the ultimate seconds to Duke. They had been sitting at 14-9 in early February, on a three-game shedding streak and hovering within the 60s in KenPom. They did not lose one other sport till the ultimate Monday evening of the season, to UConn, beating 9-seed Outdated Dominion, 1-seed Pitt, 4-seed Wisconsin and 2-seed Florida to get to Houston, the place they then beat the 2011 VCU workforce.

8. 2023 Florida Atlantic Owls (9-seed)

On Choice Sunday, one of many greater speaking factors was how underseeded FAU appeared. The Owls entered the NCAA event with a 31-3 file and a top-30 rating in most metrics. But they got a 9-seed because of their lack of high-quality wins. However they went out, silenced the doubters and backed up the supporters. It took a last-second shot from Nick Boyd to beat Memphis within the first spherical earlier than going through 16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson within the second spherical. FDU regarded poised for a second straight stunner, however FAU pulled away late. In opposition to a bodily and defensive-minded Tennessee workforce within the Candy 16, FAU was in a position to impose its will greater than most groups had all season — after which the Owls took down NCAA event star Markquis Nowell and Kansas State within the Elite Eight.

7. 2013 Wichita State Shockers (9-seed)

Till Saturday evening, the Shockers had been the one 9-seed to advance to the Ultimate 4 — and it was a springboard for Gregg Marshall and Wichita State’s 35-0 run to the NCAA event the next season. Not solely did Wichita State beat a 1-seed, 2-seed and 8-seed on its strategy to the Ultimate 4, it beat three of the top-12 groups at KenPom that season. The Shockers blew out Pittsburgh within the first spherical by 18 factors, then knocked off top-seeded Gonzaga to advance to the Candy 16. As soon as there, they took down a good greater Cinderella in 13-seed La Salle earlier than beating Ohio State within the Elite Eight.

6. 2016 Syracuse Orange (10-seed)

Just one 10-seed has ever reached the Ultimate 4 — and it was Jim Boeheim’s final Ultimate 4 of his profession. The Orange backed into the NCAA event, shedding 5 of their ultimate six video games to enter Choice Sunday at simply 19-13 total and 9-9 within the ACC. However the committee gave them a bid and Boeheim’s famed 2-3 zone got here to life, flummoxing everybody on its path. Syracuse blew out 7-seed Dayton within the first spherical by 19, had a lucky draw towards 15-seed Center Tennessee within the second spherical (the Blue Raiders upset 2-seed Michigan State) after which took down Gonzaga and Virginia on its strategy to the Ultimate 4.

5. 1986 LSU Tigers (11-seed)

LSU does not precisely scream Cinderella, however the Tigers are certainly one of simply 5 11-seeds to achieve the Ultimate 4 — and so they’re the one one to undergo the absolute best seed in every spherical. They began off by beating 6-seed Purdue, adopted it up with an 83-81 victory over 3-seed Memphis, knocked off 2-seed Georgia Tech after which defeated top-seeded Kentucky to advance to the Ultimate 4. The win over the Wildcats was particularly satisfying, given that they had confronted them 3 times earlier than the NCAA event — and misplaced all three.

4. 2021 UCLA Bruins (11-seed)

Given their blue-blood standing, the Bruins do not fairly match with the opposite candidates on the high of the rankings. However they had been nonetheless an 11-seed and nonetheless solely the second First 4 workforce ever to make the Ultimate 4. UCLA entered the NCAA event on a four-game shedding streak, together with an extra time Pac-12 event loss to Oregon State that jump-started the Beavers’ Elite Eight run. After beating Michigan State in extra time of the First 4, UCLA went and beat BYU and 14-seed Abilene Christian by double digits, then knocked off 2-seed Alabama in extra time, 1-seed Michigan by two — and Gonzaga wanted a Jalen Suggs 40-footer to beat the Bruins within the Ultimate 4.

3. 2018 Loyola Chicago Ramblers (11-seed)

Sister Jean! Loyola Chicago was really one of many hottest groups within the nation coming into the NCAA event, successful 17 of its ultimate 18 video games, however a troublesome first half of the marketing campaign resulted in an 11-seed. As soon as there, the Ramblers had a few of the finest close-game performances we have ever seen within the event. They beat 6-seed Miami by two, 3-seed Tennessee by one and 7-seed Nevada by one — earlier than erupting towards 9-seed Kansas State within the Elite Eight, blowing out the Wildcats by 16. They did not undergo the area’s 1-seed to get to the Ultimate 4, however it was additionally this system’s first NCAA event since 1985, so No. 3 appears honest.

2. 2006 George Mason Patriots (11-seed)

After shedding to Hofstra within the semifinal of the CAA event, it regarded like George Mason may be not noted of the NCAA event. However the Patriots obtained an at-large bid forward of the Satisfaction and made historical past after that. Jim Larranaga guided his workforce to wins over three of the largest packages within the sport, beating 6-seed Michigan State within the first spherical, 3-seed North Carolina within the second spherical, knocking off 7-seed Wichita State within the Candy 16 — after which the largest stunner of all of them, an 86-84 victory over 1-seed UConn, arguably the event favourite.

1. 2011 VCU Rams (11-seed)

HAVOC! The primary First 4-to-Ultimate 4 workforce, the Rams are tied with 4 different 11-seeds because the lowest seed to ever make the Ultimate 4 — however they’re essentially the most inconceivable of the group. VCU misplaced 4 of its ultimate 5 video games to finish the common season, misplaced within the CAA event and entered the NCAA event ranked No. 84 at KenPom. However one thing flipped for Shaka Good’s workforce within the Dance, the place the Rams beat USC within the First 4, upset Georgetown by 18 within the first spherical after which surprised 3-seed Purdue by 18 in Chicago. They obtained a great break when 10-seed Florida State upset Notre Dame within the second spherical, however they nonetheless needed to take down top-seeded Kansas to get to the Ultimate 4.