One and Done: NCAA Tournament Knocks the Wind Out of Win Crowd
March 2nd, 2014 - 21:33
Regal regular-season records persuade pollsters, arm alumni with arrogance and impress Division I committee members dispensing seeds in the NCAA Tournament. But Wichita State learned anew they don't guarantee postseason success because the "Road to the Final Four" is filled with potholes.
Over the first 37 seasons since the last undefeated team (Indiana '76), 21 schools entered the NCAA playoffs undefeated or with one setback. None of the squads in this group went on to win the national title. Only nine of these teams - Indiana State '79, UNLV '87, Temple '88, UNLV '91, Massachusetts '96, Duke '99, St. Joseph's '04, Illinois '05 and Memphis '08 - reached a regional final. Of the 19 entrants in this category since seeding was introduced, only four weren't accorded a #1 seed - Alcorn State '80, La Salle '90, Texas Tech '96 and Princeton '98. Wichita State joins the following chronological list of 22 schools entering the NCAA tourney either unbeaten or with only one setback since IU went undefeated in 1975-76: