2019 NCAA Tournament: History of Midwest Region Schools

 

1 North Carolina vs 16. Iona

North Carolina Tar Heels

All-time appearances – 50
All-time record – 124-46
Last appearance – 2018 – Lost in Sweet 16 to Texas A&M

UNC has made 28 straight tournament appearances. They won the 2017 National Championship, after losing the 2016 National Championship. 2014 is the last time UNC failed to make the Sweet 16. 

Iona Gaels

All-time appearances – 14
All-time record – 1-13
Last appearance – 2018 – Lost to Duke in first round

2019 in the Gaels’ fourth consecutive tournament appearance. They have lost 12 straight games, since their lone win in 1980 against Holy Cross.

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8. Utah State vs 9. Washington

Utah State Aggies

All-time appearances – 21
All-time record – 6-22
Last appearance – 2011 – Lost to Kansas State in their first game

Aggies do not have a good Tournament record. They have played in the regional third place game three times (1939, 1962, 1964) and made the Elite 8 in 1970. Since 1971 tournament, they are 1-15, with the lone win coming in 2001 vs Ohio State. Aggies have lost 6 straight Tournament games overall.

Washington Huskies

All-time appearances -17
All-time record- 18-17
Last appearance – 2011

After 7 years of no March Madness, the Huskies return, for the first time under second-year head coach Mike Hopkins. They lost in the round of 32 to UNC in their last appearance in 2011. They have won at least one game in each of their last 5 tournament appearances. They haven’t advanced beyond Sweet 16 since 1953.

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5. Auburn vs. 12. New Mexico State

Auburn Tigers

All-time appearances – 10
All-time record – 13-9
Last appearance – 2018 – Lost to Clemson in second round

Before Bruce Pearl’s team won their first round game in 2018, Auburn hadn’t appeared in or won a tournament game since 2003. With the exception of their first tournament appearance in 1984, Auburn has won at least 1 game in each of their 8 tournament appearances.

New Mexico State Aggies

All-time appearances – 24
All-time record – 10-26
Last appearance – 2018 – Lost to Clemson in first round 

This is New Mexico State’s 3rd straight tournament and 7th out of 8 overall. During this time period of WAC dominance, the Aggies are 0-7. Their last tournament win came in 1993 against Nebraska. Overall, they have lost 11 straight games. 

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4. Kansas vs 13. Northeastern

Kansas Jayhawks

All-time appearances -49
All-time record – 107-46
Last appearance – 2018 – Lost in Final Four to Villanova (National Semifinals)

2019 is the 30th consecutive tournament appearance for the Jayhawks, an amazing run. 1989 was the last time the NCAA Tournament was held without Kansas. This run has included 7 Final Four appearances and one National Championship (2008). Kansas has made the Elite 8 each of the last three years. 2006 is the last time Kansas lost in the first round.

Northeastern Huskies

All-time appearances – 9
All-time record – 3-8
Last appearance – 2015 – Lost to Notre Dame in first round

The Huskies three tournament wins came in their first three appearances in 1981, 1983, 1984. They haven’t won in their 5 appearances since.

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6. Iowa State vs. 11 Ohio State

Iowa State Cyclones

All-time appearances -20
All-time record 19-19
Last appearance – 2017 – Lost to Purdue in second round

Cyclones missed tournament in 2018, snapping a 6 year streak of making it. They went 7-6 over that stretch with two Sweet 16 appearances (2014, 2016) and just one first round elimination.

Ohio State Buckeyes

All-time appearances – 33
All-time record – 56-31
Last appearance – 2018 – Lost in second round to Gonzaga

2014 (3 appearances ago) is the last time OSU failed to win 1 game. Only 4 times in their 33 appearances have the Buckeyes failed to win at least 1 game in the tournament. 2013 was the last time they made the second weekend.

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3. Houston vs 14. Georgia State

Houston Cougars

All-time appearances -21
All-time record- 27-25
Last appearance – 2018 – Lost in second round to Michigan

Cougars 2018 tournament ended in dramatic fashion as Michigan hit a buzzer beating three to survive and advance. Cougars are much better in 2018. Prior to last year, Houston hadn’t made the tournament since 2010 and hadn’t won a game since 1984. That year, they lost in the National Championship game.

Georgia State Panthers 

All-time appearances – 5
All-time record – 2-4
Last appearance – 2018 – Lost in first round to Cincinnati 

Coach Ron Hunter has helped lead GSU to the Tournament 3 times in the last 5 years. In 2015, they beat Baylor as a 14 seed, before losing to Xavier in the second round. 

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7. Wofford vs 10. Seton Hall

Wofford Terriers

All-time appearances – 5
All-time record – 0-4
Last appearance – 2015 – Lost in first round

All four of Wofford’s tournament appearances have come between 2010-2015 and they have been seeded as a 12, 13, 14, 15. The margin of defeat is 8 ppg, but that’s largely skewed by a 17 point loss to Michigan in 2014.

Wofford is one of 12 schools seeking their first ever NCAA Tournament win

Seton Hall Pirates

All-time appearances – 13
All-time record – 16-12
Last appearance – 2018 – Lost to #1 Kansas in second round

Seton Hall hasn’t made it to Sweet 16 since 2000. 2019 is the fourth straight appearance under coach Kevin Willard. They are just 1-3 in that stretch.

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2. Kentucky vs 15. Abilene Christian

Kentucky Wildcats

All-time appearances -58
All-time record – 128-52
Last appearance – 2018 – Lost in Sweet 16

2019 is Kentucky’s 6th straight tournament appearance and only once (2016) have they failed to get to the second weekend. John Calipari has been Kentucky coach for 9 seasons, with 8 NCAA Tournament appearances and 1 NIT. Those 8 appearances include 4 Final Fours, 2 National Championship appearances, and 1 win. No Final Fours since 2015. 

Abilene Christian Wildcats

All-time appearances – 1

ACU began playing Division 1 basketball in 2013-14. They beat New Orleans to win the Southland Conference Tournament. They made the Division 2 tournament 9 times, compiling a 9-11 record.