The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament 2023 has been one of the most unpredictable Final Fours tournaments in history, with the Atlantic Florida 9-seed and San Diego State 5-seed (Fla.) Miami, and UConn 4-seed teams being the last standings.
With that, we have gathered the figures you should be aware of before the event starts on Saturday in Houston.
See the complete bracket here.
GAMBLING NOTES.
All statistics utilizing information from FOX Bet.
4-0: UConn, Miami, and SDSU have been flawless in terms of covering the spread (ATS) in this tournament so far.
3-1: FAU’s performance against the spread in this tournament, as the Owls failed to cover in their second-round victory over Fairleigh Dickinson.
12-9-1: Underdogs’ performance against the spread (ATS) in the Final Four since 2012. Underdogs have a record of 6-16 straight-up (SU).
UConn emerged victorious in the Final Four, triumphing over Florida in 2014 despite being considered a 6.5-point underdog, making it the sole exception. At present, UConn is predicted to secure the championship, with SDSU as the subsequent favorite. Historically, in the previous 18 Final Fours, the national championship has been claimed by either of the top two contenders entering the weekend on 17 occasions.
Entering this year’s tournament, FAU is listed at 200-1, making them the longest odds to win the title. Since 1976, they have the highest combined odds of any team entering the tournament, which is the third-highest total in the history of the Four Final national title.
The championship has been won by teams with only four odds entering the tournament: UConn in 2014 with odds of 95-1, UConn in 2011 with odds of 25-1, Villanova in 1985 with odds of 35-1, and North Carolina State in 1983 with odds of 25-1.
This will be the initial Final Four without a solitary McDonald’s All-American since 1979, the identical year seeding commenced.
1954: The last time two teams (La Salle and Penn State) from the same state made their first appearance in the Final Four.
The Hurricanes have been underdogs in three seasons and in the past two seasons, with a record of 12-33 ATS and 5-20 ATS, respectively. Miami’s record this season is 2-9, making them an underdog.
UConn’s showing against teams from outside their conference has been remarkable this season. Nevertheless, the Huskies have upheld an impeccable 15-0 record without any losses.
OVERALL NOTES.
All statistics are in the period of seeding (since 1979).
3: This year marks the first time three teams will be making their first-ever Final Four appearance (Miami, FAU, San Diego State).
The past three Final Fours lacking a top-seeded team were claimed by UConn (2011), Florida (2006), Louisville (1980), and this marks only the fourth Final Four without a 1-seed. It is unprecedented that there is no 1-, 2-, or 3-seed in the Final Four.
In 2011, the seed total of No. 3 UConn, No. 4 Kentucky, No. 8 Butler, and No. 11 VCU was 26, which is the second-highest seed total among all Final Four teams (23).
The last four teams in the tournament consist of two Florida-based teams, with one being from Coral Gables and the other from Boca Raton. These teams are situated on the campuses of FAU and the University of Miami, respectively. They are separated by a mere distance of 52 miles.
This year, both Butler and Michigan State, who were seeded 5th, will be the first 5-seeds to feature in the Final Four since 2010, marking the second time in the seeding era.
In the Final Four, a 4- and 5-seed have encountered one another previously, in 1996, where No. 4 Syracuse emerged victorious over No. 5 Mississippi State. Conversely, a 5- and 9-seed have never crossed paths in the Final Four.
1-2: Teams from Conference USA have a historical record of being 1-2 in the Final Four.
1: San Diego State University will be the inaugural team from the Mountain West to compete in the Final Four.
No. 9 Florida Atlantic (35-3) will face off against No. 5 San Diego State (31-6) at 6:09 p.M. ET on CBS.
In the Final Four, teams seeded 9th have a record of 0-2 going into Saturday’s game. If the Owls win, they would become the first-ever 9th seed to win in the Final Four, making it their first national championship game. Both FAU and SDSU will be making their program’s first appearance in the Final Four, marking a historic milestone for both teams. Here’s an overview of the matchup:
If FAU secures a victory in the Final Four, they would be only the second team from Conference USA to reach the national championship game, following in the footsteps of Memphis (currently competing in the American Athletic Conference) in 2008.
(For clarity, I will break the inverted sentences into separate lines)Indiana State, a team that has won four out of five games in its debut tournament in 1979, made history by becoming the national champions. This achievement makes them the team with the fewest games played in the tournament, which is a remarkable feat. Similarly, FAU, with just six games played in the tournament, has the opportunity to make it to the national championship and secure a victory.
Butler (2010), Indiana (2002), and Florida (2000) join San Diego State as the fourth 5-seed all-time to win in the Final Four.
Among all the teams in the tournament, the Aztecs are one of the best teams, allowing the least number of points. This year, they have allowed an average of 56.3 points per game in the tournament, while scoring an average of 57.3 points.
The University of Connecticut, placed fourth with a record of 29-8, will be going head to head with the University of Miami, placed fifth with a record of 29-7, at 8:49 p.M. Eastern Time on CBS.
Miami is having its first appearance in the Final Four. Conversely, the Huskies have a 4-1 record in the Final Four, with their only defeat occurring in 2009. UConn is participating in the Final Four for the sixth time and it is their first appearance since their victory in 2014.
Michigan has a historical record of 7-1 in the Final Four. If UConn wins, they would boost their all-time Final Four record to 5-1, surpassing Georgetown (4-1) and securing the second-best record among teams with at least five appearances.
UConn would become the first 4-seed in history to reach the national championship game in just ten years. Additionally, by following in the footsteps of Michigan (2013), Arizona (1997), and Syracuse (1996), UConn would join the exclusive club of four 4-seeds that have emerged victorious in the Final Four.
PPG 84 posted two games in the ASU Arizona tournament. (In the tournament, PPG 83.5 was posted by Kansas and PPG 81.8 was posted by UConn, both averaging the number of points per game. Among all the teams, ASU Arizona is ranked as the third-best, and among the four teams in the Final Four, it is considered one of the best.)
41.8: The proportion that the Huskies are shooting from the 3-point range, which is the highest among the Final Four teams.
George Mason and Jim Larrañaga from Miami are the two teams that Jim Larrañaga, the third coach in NCAA history, has led to the Final Four. This achievement puts him in the company of coaches like Forddy Anderson with Michigan State and Bradley, as well as Hugh Durham with Georgia and Florida State.
This tournament is scoring the number of points per game, which is 81.3, among the best-second teams and among the fifth-best teams among all teams in the final.
Johnell Davis (17.3 points per game) has secured a spot in FAU, while Adama Sanogo (20.0 points per game) and Jordan Hawkins (17.3 points per game) have earned two spots in UConn. Additionally, Nijel Pack (18.5 points per game), Isaiah Wong, and Jordan Miller (16.5 points per game) possess three of the top-six leading scorers in the tournament. Among the remaining four teams, the Hurricanes possess the aforementioned players.
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