Immediate Results: Gators Paved Way for FGCU's NCAA Playoff Success

First-time entrants into the NCAA playoffs get no sympathy. The average seeding was #14 for the 40 schools making their tournament debuts since the bracket included at least 64 teams. Florida Gulf Coast, which upset #2 seed Georgetown, 78-68, in the Eagles' first-ever NCAA tourney contest became the first #15 seed ever to reach a Sweet 16 by upending San Diego State.

FGCU, which defeated Miami (Fla.) in non-league competition before the Hurricanes won both the ACC regular-season and tournament titles, will meet Florida in the South Regional semifinals. Many observers know Florida captured back-to-back NCAA crowns but fail to point out those twin titles occurred only 20 years after the Gators' first NCAA playoff appearance in 1987. Newcomers assert themselves when they receive a decent draw. A majority of first-timers with seedings of 10th or better in the late 1980s and early 1990s won their first-round games, including all three times when they had better seeds (sixth-seeded Florida in 1987, seventh-seeded New Orleans in 1987 and eighth-seeded Seton Hall in 1988).

Of the schools making their tournament debuts since the field expanded to at least 52 teams, almost one-fourth of them survived the first round. Three opening-round winners in the mid-1980s also won their next game - Georgia '83, Cleveland State '86 and Florida '87. Georgia '83 was the ultimate underdog. The Bulldogs, the only first-time entrant seeded better than fifth (No. 4 seed in the East Regional) since the field expanded to at least 48 teams in 1980, reached the Final Four.

Following is a chronological list of newcomers who won their debuts since seeding was introduced in 1979:

Year NCAA Playoff Newcomer Debut-Game Victim Score Regional
1980 #8 Alcorn State South Alabama 70-62 Midwest
1980 #6 Clemson Utah State 76-73 West
1981 #10 James Madison Georgetown 61-55 East
1981 #11 Northeastern Fresno State 55-53 West
1981 #7 UAB Western Kentucky 93-68 Mideast
1983 #4 Georgia Virginia Commonwealth 56-54 East
1984 #10 Louisiana Tech Fresno State 66-56 Midwest
1984 #12 Richmond Auburn 72-71 East
1986 #14 Cleveland State Indiana 83-79 East
1986 #14 UALR Notre Dame 90-83 Midwest
1987 #6 Florida North Carolina State 82-70 East
1987 #7 New Orleans Brigham Young 83-79 Southeast
1987 #13 Southwest Missouri State Clemson 65-60 Southeast
1988 #8 Seton Hall Texas-El Paso 80-64 West
1989 #14 Siena Stanford 80-78 East
1990 #14 Northern Iowa Missouri 74-71 Southeast
1992 #10 Tulane St. John's 61-57 Southeast
2001 Northwestern State* Winthrop 71-67 Midwest
2001 #15 Hampton Iowa State 58-57 West
2003 UNC Asheville* Texas Southern 92-84 (OT) South
2005 Oakland* Alabama A&M 79-69 East
2010 Arkansas-Pine Bluff* Winthrop 61-44 South
2012 #15 Norfolk State Missouri 86-84 West
2013 #15 Florida Gulf Coast Georgetown 78-68 South

*Preliminary-round game.