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The B12's strength has me looking at the last times conferences got 8 or more teams in. To me, there is a lot of pressure for the B12 to perform well in the tournament if we continue to tout the "grind" of the B12.

2011 Big East - 11 Teams - Best Finish: National Champions
- 1 Pitt - Lost round of 32
- 6 St. Johns - Lost round of 64
- 4 Louisville - Lost round of 64
- 6 Georgetown - Lost Round of 64
- 9 Nova - Lost Round of 64
- 5 WVU - Lost round of 32
- 11 Marquette - Lost Sweet 16
- 3 Syracuse - Lost Round of 32
- 1 UConn - NCAA Champion
- 2 Notre Dame - Lost Round of 32
- 6 Cincy - Lost round of 32

2018 ACC - 9 Teams - Best Finish: Elite 8
- 1 Virginia - LOST TO UMBC as a 1 seed.
- 2 Duke - Lost to KU in the Elite Eight
- 2 UNC - Lost round of 32
- 9 Florida State - Lost Elite Eight
- 6 Miami - Lost Round of 64 to the Sister Jean's
- 8 VT - Lost round of 64
- 9 NC St - Lost Round of 64
- 5 Clemson - Lost to KU Sweet 16
- 11 Syracuse - Lost Sweet 16

2017 ACC - 9 Teams - Best Finish: National Champions
- 1 UNC - NCAA Champions
- 9 VT - Lost Round of 64
- 5 UVA - Lost Round of 32
- 2 Duke - Lost Round of 32
- 5 Notre Dame - Lost round of 32
- 3 FSU - Lost round of 32
- 8 Miami - Lost round of 64
- 2 Louisville - Lost Round of 32
- 11 Wake - Lost Play in game

2012 Big East - 9 Teams - Best Finish: Final Four
- 4 Louisville - Lost Final Four
- 3 Georgetown - Lost Round of 32
- 9 UConn - Lost Round of 64
- 7 Notre Dame - lost Round of 64
- 1 Syracuse - Lost Elite Eight
- 10 WVU - Lost round of 64
- 3 Marquette - Lost sweet 16
- 6 Cincinnati - Lost sweet 16
- 12 South Florida - Lost Round of 32

2019 Big 10 - 8 Teams- Best Finish: Final Four
- 2 Michigan - Lost Sweet 16
- 2 MSU - Lost Final Four
- 3 Purdue - Lost Elite Eight
- 5 Wisconsin - Lost Round of 64
- 6 Maryland - Lost Round of 32
- 10 Minn - Lost Round of 32
- 10 Iowa - Lost Round of 32
- 11 Ohio St. - Lost Round of 32

2018 SEC - 8 Teams - Best Finish: Sweet 16
- 3 Tennessee - Lost Round of 32
- 4 Auburn - Lost - Round of 32
- 5 Kentucky - Lost Sweet 16
- 6 Florida - Lost Round of 32
- 7 Texas A&M - Sweet 16
- 7 Arkansas - Lost Round of 64
- 8 Mizzou - Lost Round of 64
- 9 Bama - Lost Round of 32

2013 Big East - 8 Teams - Best Finish: National Champions
- 1 Louisville - NCAA Champions
- 2 Georgetown - Lost Round of 64
- 3 Marquette - Lost Elite Eight
- 4 Syracuse - Lost Final Four
- 7 Notre Dame - Lost Round of 64
- 8 Pitt - Lost Round of 64
- 9 Nova - Lost Round of 64
- 10 Cincy - Lost round of 64

2010 Big East - 8 Teams - Best Finish: Final Four
- 1 Syracuse - Lost Sweet 16
- 2 Nova - Lost Round of 32
- 2 WVU - Lost Final Four
- 3 Georgetown - Lost Round of 64
- 3 Pitt - Lost round of 32
- 6 Marquette - Lost Round of 64
- 6 Notre Dame - Lost Round of 64
- 9 Louisville - Lost Round of 64

2008 Big East - 8 Teams - Best Finish: Elite Eight
- 2 Georgetown - Lost round of 32
- 3 Louisville - Lost Elite Eight
- 4 UConn - Lost Round of 64
- 5 Notre Dame - Lost Round of 32
- 6 Marquette - Lost Round of 32
- 7 WVU - Lost Sweet 16
- 12 Nova - Lost Sweet 16

2006 Big East - 8 Teams - Best Finish: Elite Eight
- 1 UConn - Lost Elite Eight
- 1 Nova - Lost Elite Eight
- 5 Pitt - Lost Round of 32
- 5 Cuse - Lost Round of 64
- 6 WVU - Lost Sweet 16
- 7 Georgetown - lost Sweet 16
- 7 Marquette - Lost Round of 64
- 10 Seton Hall - Lost Round of 64

2018 ACC has to be the funniest, and most disappointing result from a conference ever lol. Hope the B12 doesn't do that...

Right now, B12 has 8 teams projected in with the following seeds:
- KU 1 Seed
- Texas 2 Seed
- Baylor 2 Seed
- KSU 3 Seed
- ISU 3 Seed
- 6 TCU (Dangerous 6)
- 11 Oklahoma State
- 12 WVU

The years that a conference had 4 or more teams with a 4 seed or better they finished no worse than a Final Four. The closest comp to our seeds is probably 2010 Big East, and they SUCKED. All of this to say, a FF appearance by the B12 is almost a lock if these seeds hold. Especially with this TCU team at 6 being dangerously underseeded.

Of note though - current projections have the B10 getting 9 teams in, and SEC getting 8 as well. However, seeding-wise the B12 should have a bit of an advantage.

B12 doesn't have as much pressure seeing as they won the last two titles and probably win the covid year as well meaning 3 in a row.

Good work by the way, and a good case can be made for Texas Tech being in too despite their horrendous start in league play.

@Kcmatt7 I would say 2011 would have to huge disappointment even with UConn winning the title. 11 teams and only 2 made it past the first weekend, especially given a lot their teams that year were single digit seeds.

I would be surprised if at least one Big12 team doesn't make the FF. Beyond that... it's anyone's game.

I'm hoping it's a BIG 12 Final Four. The Big East put three there in 1985 when Villanova famously beat Georgetown. St. Johns played in that
final four also, and Houston was there with Phi Slamma Jamma. Those were, in my opinion, starting with Bird-Magic heady days in NCAA basketball. Most guys played 3-4 years. MJ, Patrick Ewing, Olajuwan, Mullin, Drexler, the epic 1983 upset with NCState, Keith Smart game winner and of course the greatest of all when we won it all with Danny the Great. Glen Rice, then UNLV and Duke played an epic FF before Duke wins back to back including their win over us after we beat Dean Smith in the FF. Duke, UNC and us in the final four? Where have we heard that before?

@Kcmatt7

Great work here!

@drgnslayr said in Tourney Record of the Strongest Conferences:

I would be surprised if at least one Big12 team doesn't make the FF. Beyond that... it's anyone's game.

I also wouldn't be shocked if our teams flame out either. In 2021, the Big 12 sent 7 teams and only Baylor made it past the 1st weekend with 4 of the Big 12's 6 losses coming to lower seeded teams. Only Texas Tech and Oklahoma lost to higher seeded teams. Or it could be last season where the Big 12 sent 6 teams and only Baylor was upset and the league had 3 Sweet 16 teams. The other 4 losses came against higher seeded teams and included 9 seeded TCU taking 1 seed Arizona to OT and 11 seed ISU reaching the Sweet 16. Even Baylor's loss was to the runner ups who weren't playing like an 8 seed at that point.

The field is really wide open this year. Even the favorites have major weaknesses this year. Can Houston score enough points and are they battle tested enough in weaker than normal AAC? Alabama has the Brandon Miller case hovering over them. Is our offense good enough? Can Baylor's defense stop anyone? Can a Rick Barnes team make it past the weekend?

@Texas-Hawk-10

Exactly.

I have a big question mark besides Houston. They haven't played a strong schedule. And playing in the AAC... how many refs for the AAC will be referees in March? Any? Seems like the officiating might be different from what they are used to and the referees aren't used to AAC-style basketball. I have no knowledge how the referee selection works and also how referees shift around in the year with conferences.

So many factors, including injuries, who is peaking... Watching this year a team like UNC with their core back from the NC game last year and look unlikely to make it into the tourney. They prove the concept of peaking last year!

I don't see how Alabama survives long in March regardless if Miller is allowed to play. Might even be worse if he does considering the level of distraction caused.

What the Big 12 has is numbers going into the tourney. I can't imagine a collapse where we get no one into the Elite 8. I think it is likely at least one makes it to the FF. But who knows? It will reflect poorly on our league if no one makes it to the FF... so the league will get media-smacked until next year and all will be forgotten.

The odd-ball team in this field is Purdue. I see the threat but then think the right kind of team will create a mismatch in their favor and crush them. Could that be us with the small, slippery-fast 5 and a guy like Kevin available for doubling down on? I know if I was coaching a team playing Purdue, I would plan everything around forcing Edey to foul. I can't believe they can compete without him on the floor. Get the game in the open court with Edey running then take the ball directly to him. Big guys always get called for fouls in motion.

@drgnslayr Houston absolutely has huge question marks. Even though they are top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, they play at such a slow tempo that makes them vulnerable just like Virginia. I'm just using one example, but Jerry Palm currently has Kentucky/Iowa as the 8/9 match up for Houston. Iowa would be a problematic match up for Houston because that's a really good offense that plays at a high tempo. If they were able to get the game sped up, could Houston keep up offensively with someone like that?

Purdue's concern is talent. They're a good team, but they don't have top end talent like a Jaden Ivey. Teams with their roster construction don't win titles? When was the last time a team won a title without having a 1st round pick somewhere on their roster?

@Texas-Hawk-10 That really good offense is struggling against good D's. 6-52 on 3 pointers this week. A first round matchup between Iowa and Kentucky would be good TV and one of three least favorite college teams would be eliminated on day 1!

@wissox said in Tourney Record of the Strongest Conferences:

@Texas-Hawk-10 That really good offense is struggling against good D's. 6-52 on 3 pointers this week. A first round matchup between Iowa and Kentucky would be good TV and one of three least favorite college teams would be eliminated on day 1!

I wouldn't personally pick Iowa in a game over Houston, or Kentucky for that matter at this point, but that's the style of play that can give a team like Houston issues since they play so slow. That slow tempo can keeps lesser talented teams hanging around because a slower tempo means fewer possessions which means less margin for error for favored teams like Houston. If Houston gets into a game where they have a bad shooting night, their chances of winning go down much lower than if a team that plays at a faster tempo has an off shooting night.