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.