Power Failures: Majority of #1 Seeds Fail to Win Power-Conference Tourneys
More than half of #1 seeds from each of the six power conferences failed to win their respective league tournaments since the Big Ten introduced its postseason event in 1998. Can you imagine the level of despair among fans of power-league members if a 32-team bracket hadn't been adopted for the 1975 NCAA playoffs allowing teams other than the conference champion to be chosen on an at-large basis from same league? Despite the field subsequently more than doubling to 68, bubble-team dialogue is always a hot topic during conference tournament competition.
Each of the last six years of tourneys included at least one #1 seed in a power alliance losing to an opponent seeded #8 or #9. Blueblood programs such as Kansas and North Carolina have struggled from time to time as top dog in conference tourneys thus far in the 21st Century. KU was eliminated seven times as a top seed since 2002 while Carolina bowed out as #1 seed five times in 12-year span from 2001 through 2012.
Elsewhere, a total of eight #1 seeds in the Big East succumbed to foes seeded seventh or worse in a 15-year span from 2000 through 2014, helping to mitigate Providence's embarrassment for losing to #4 seed Creighton by a whopping 27 points (85-58) this season. PC's setback was the most lopsided for a #1 seed in a power league thus far this century (Washington lost to #6 seed Oregon by 20 in the 2019 Pac-12 final).
A total of five power-league #1 seeds faltered in six different years this century (2002-03-05-09-12-21). Following in reverse order are the top seeds losing in power-conference tournaments during the past 25 years (events cancelled in 2020 due to pandemic):
| Year | Power-League #1 Seeds Failing to Win Conference Tournaments |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Auburn (lost to #8 seed Texas A&M in SEC), Duke (#7 Virginia Tech in ACC), Illinois (#9 Indiana in Big Ten) and Providence (#4 Creighton in Big East) |
| 2021 | Baylor (#5 Oklahoma State in Big 12), Michigan (#5 Ohio State in Big Ten), Oregon (#5 Oregon State in Pac-12), Villanova (#8 Georgetown in Big East) and Virginia (#4 Georgia Tech advanced because of pandemic-related no contest in ACC) |
| 2020 | league tourneys cancelled due to pandemic considerations |
| 2019 | Kansas State (#5 Iowa State in Big 12), Louisiana State (#8 Florida in SEC), Virginia (#4 Florida State in ACC) and Washington (#6 Oregon in Pac-12) |
| 2018 | Auburn (#9 Alabama in SEC), Michigan State (#5 Michigan in Big Ten) and Xavier (#5 Providence in OT in Big East) |
| 2017 | Kansas (#8 Texas Christian in Big 12), North Carolina (#5 Duke in ACC), Oregon (#2 Arizona in Pac-12) and Purdue (#8 Michigan in OT in Big Ten) |
| 2016 | Indiana (#8 Michigan in Big Ten), Texas A&M (#2 Kentucky in OT in SEC) and Villanova (#3 Seton Hall in Big East) |
| 2015 | Kansas (#2 Iowa State in Big 12) and Virginia (#5 North Carolina in ACC) |
| 2014 | Arizona (#2 UCLA in Pac-12), Kansas (#4 Iowa State in Big 12), Michigan (#3 Michigan State in Big Ten) and Villanova (#8 Seton Hall in Big East) |
| 2013 | Florida (#3 Mississippi in SEC), Georgetown (#5 Syracuse in Big East), Indiana (#4 Wisconsin in Big Ten) and UCLA (#3 Oregon in Pac-12) |
| 2012 | Kansas (#4 Baylor in Big 12), Kentucky (#3 Vanderbilt in SEC), North Carolina (#3 Florida State in ACC), Syracuse (#4 Cincinnati in Big East) and Washington (#9 Oregon State in Pac-12) |
| 2011 | Alabama (#E2 Kentucky in SEC), Arizona (#3 Washington in Pac-10), Florida (#E2 Kentucky in SEC), North Carolina (#2 Duke in ACC) and Pittsburgh (#9 Connecticut in Big East) |
| 2010 | California (#3 Washington in Pac-10) and Syracuse (#8 Georgetown in Big East) |
| 2009 | Kansas (#9 Baylor in Big 12), Louisiana State (#W3 Mississippi State in SEC), Michigan State (#5 Ohio State in Big Ten), North Carolina (#4 Florida State in ACC), Tennessee (#W3 Mississippi State in SEC) and Washington (#4 Arizona State in Pac-10) |
| 2008 | Georgetown (#7 Pittsburgh in Big East), Mississippi State (#E6 Georgia in SEC), Tennessee (#W2 Arkansas in SEC) and Texas (#2 Kansas in Big 12) |
| 2007 | UCLA (#8 California in OT in Pac-10) |
| 2006 | Connecticut (#9 Syracuse in OT in Big East), Louisiana State (#E2 Florida in SEC), Ohio State (#2 Iowa in Big Ten), Tennessee (#E5 South Carolina in SEC) and Texas (#2 Kansas in Big 12) |
| 2005 | Alabama (#E2 Florida in SEC), Arizona (#2 Washington in Pac-10), Boston College (#8 West Virginia in Big East), Kentucky (#E2 Florida in SEC), North Carolina (#5 Georgia Tech in ACC) and Oklahoma (#4 Texas Tech in Big 12) |
| 2004 | Duke (#6 Maryland in ACC), Illinois (#2 Wisconsin in Big Ten) and Pittsburgh (#2 Connecticut in Big East) |
| 2003 | Arizona (#8 UCLA in OT in Pac-10), Kansas (#5 Missouri in Big 12), Wake Forest (#4 North Carolina State in ACC), Wisconsin (#8 Ohio State in Big Ten) and both divisional #1 seeds lost in semifinals in Big East |
| 2002 | Alabama (#W2 Mississippi State in SEC), Georgia (#W4 Louisiana State in SEC), Kansas (#2 Oklahoma in Big 12), Maryland (#4 North Carolina State in ACC), Oregon (#4 in Pac-10) and Wisconsin (#9 Iowa in Big Ten) |
| 2001 | Illinois (#4 Indiana in Big Ten), Iowa State (#8 Baylor in Big 12) and North Carolina (#2 Duke in ACC) |
| 2000 | Louisiana State (#W3 Arkansas in SEC), Ohio State (#9 Penn State in Big Ten), Syracuse (#9 Georgetown in Big East) and Tennessee (#E5 South Carolina in SEC) |
| 1999 | Auburn (#E2 Kentucky in SEC), Tennessee (#W4 Mississippi State in SEC) and Texas (#5 Oklahoma State in Big 12) |
| 1998 | Duke (#2 North Carolina in ACC) and Michigan State (#8 Minnesota in Big Ten) |
NOTE: A Pac-10 Tournament wasn't conducted for 11 years from 1991 through 2001.