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How do 7 Seeds do in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament
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The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament comprises 64 teams, with each quarter of the bracket seeded from 1 to 16. The tournament is known for its unpredictable outcomes, with early-round upsets being as memorable as the champions.
NCAA Tournament 7 seeds enter the March Madness bracket as potential dark horses. However, it’s not surprising to see them bow out in the opening round.
Here’s a closer look at how 7 seeds have performed in the Tournament relative to the top half of the bracket.
| Seed | NCAAM Titles | Overall Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 | 65% |
| 2 | 5 | 14% |
| 3 | 4 | 11% |
| 4 | 1 | 3% |
| 5 | 0 | 0% |
| 6 | 1 | 3% |
| 7 | 1 | 3% |
| 8 | 1 | 3% |
The NCAA Tournament bracket was expanded to 64 teams in 1985. It wasn’t until 2014 that the Connecticut Huskies became the first team to enter the tournament as a 7 seed and win a championship. It is rare to see a deep run from this seed as only two other 7 seeds have made it as far as the Final Four, and both failed to advance to the Finals.
Since 1985, NCAA Tournament 7 seeds have a 90-58 record against 10 seeds in the opening round (a little over 60%). Only two tournaments – 1993 and 2007 – saw all four 7 seeds advance past the first round, while the 1999 tournament remains the only instance where all four 7 seeds were swept.
Teams that earn 7 seeds do so on the strength of good regular season performances, but they generally have some glaring flaws leaving them vulnerable to an opening round upset.
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