1 Historical tidbit for all March Madness Teams

Alabama
The Tide were ousted in the Sweet 16 by Loyola Marymount in 1990, but Wimp Sanderson obviously understood something no other coach did, which was how to slow down the Lions’ unstoppable offense. Loyola Marymount won its first two tournament games 111-92 and 149-115. The Lions would eventually lose in the Elite Eight to UNLV 131-101. Just before that, they beat Alabama. It was 62-60.

Auburn
The Tigers have played only one Final Four game in their history, and lost it in a way maybe no one ever has. In 2019 they led Virginia by two points when the Cavaliers’ Kyle Guy missed a last-gasp 3-pointer from the corner. Auburn wins! Hold it. A whistle, and a foul on Samir Doughty for a slight bump on Guy, who proceeded to calmly hit three throws with 0.6 seconds left. Virginia won 63-62. A true gut punch — one Guy free throw at a time.

Florida
On January 8, 2007, Florida mashed Ohio State 41-14 in the BCS title game to win the football national championship. Eighty-four days later, it was the Gators and Buckeyes again — in the title game at the Final Four. Florida won 84-75 to repeat as champions. The Gators are still the last team to do it. Some thought them in trouble that February when they lost three games in 11 days by 13, 10 and 10 points. They weren’t.

Kentucky
True, Kentucky’s 17 trips to the Final Four are a massive feat. But consider how much larger the trophy case in Lexington might have to be. The Wildcats have lost in the regional championship game 21 times. Seven of the defeats were by two or one points or in overtime.

Mississippi State
The Bulldogs lost one of the most important NCAA tournament games ever played. In 1963, with the South still deep in segregation, Mississippi teams were prohibited by unwritten rule to play any integrated teams. When Mississippi State was paired with Loyola Chicago — who started four Black players — an injunction was served to prevent the Bulldogs from participating, but the team decided to sneak out of the state before anyone could say no and met the Ramblers in East Lansing. Loyola won 61-51 on its way to the national championship. It became known as the Game of Change.

Ole Miss
The Rebels have won only five NCAA tournament games in their history, the fewest in the SEC. Kentucky, on the other SEC hand, has won 132.

South Carolina
Remember when the Gamecocks charged to the Final Four in 2017? That month included the only four NCAA tournament victories for South Carolina in the past 50 years.

Tennessee
The Vols’ lone advancement to the Elite Eight came in 2010, but that team had already achieved a place in Tennessee lore before March. With the roster down to six scholarship players due to suspensions, the Vols upset No. 1 Kansas 76-68, the biggest shot: a late three-pointer from a walk-on freshman named Skylar McBee.

Texas
When the Longhorns took the floor in 1947, opponents were likely not in awe. Three of the Texas starters were 5-10 or shorter. They were dubbed the Mighty Mice. They went 26-2 and played in the Final Four, losing by one point to Oklahoma and then beating CCNY 54-50 for third place, the only game on the Final Four level Texas has ever won. It would be 56 years before the Longhorns ever got back.

Texas A&M
Nobody ever won an NCAA tournament game quite like the Aggies in 2016. They trailed Northern Iowa 69-57 with 35 seconds left in the second round. Thirty-two seconds and four Northern Iowa turnovers later, the game was 71-71 and going to overtime. Somehow Texas A&M had managed that historic rally with only one three-pointer. The Aggies won in the second OT 92-88.

NCAA.com Link