2019 NCAA Tournament: History of West Region Schools

 

1. Gonzaga vs 16. Fairleigh Dickinson/Prairie View A&M

Gonzaga Bulldogs

All-time appearances -22
All-time record- 31-21
Last appearance – 2018 – Lost in Sweet 16 to Florida State

2019 is Gonzaga’s 21st consecutive tournament appearance. Mark Few has done an incredible job building this program. Since 2009, Gonzaga has won at least 1 game every year. In fact, during this 21 year run, only 3 times has Gonzaga lost in the first round. 2014 was the last time they didn’t make it to the Sweet 16. Their lone Final Four was 2017, when they lost to UNC in the National Championship game. 

Fairleigh Dickinson Knights

All-time appearances – 6
All-time record – 0-5
Last appearance – 2016 – Lost in First Four to Florida Gulf Coast

In five previous appearances, FDU has been a 16 seed 4 times and a 15 seed once. Their average margin of defeat is 14 points (skewed by the 31 point defeat to FGCU in 2016).

Prairie View A&M Panthers

All-time appearances – 2
All-time record – 0-1

Prairie View has not made the NCAA Tournament since 1998, when they lost by over 50 points as a 16 seed to Kansas. PV won the SWAC Tournament Championship over Texas Southern. They previously won the NAIA National Championship in 1962. 

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8. Syracuse vs 9. Baylor

Syracuse Orange

All-time appearances – 36
All-time record- 68-39
Last appearance – 2018 – Lost to Duke in Sweet 16

Made the Final Four in 2 of their last 4 tournament appearances (2016 and 2013). 2006 was the last time Syracuse went one-and-done, they have won at least 1 game in 8 straight tournaments.

Baylor Bears

All-time appearances -12
All-time record- 13-13
Last appearance – 2017 – Lost in Sweet 16

Since 2010, Baylor has won 2 of more tournament games in 4 out of 6 appearances. 

All-time series

Syracuse has won both all-time meetings in 2013 and 2006.

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5. Marquette vs 12. Murray State

Marquette Golden Eagles

All-time appearances -33
All-time record – 41-32
Last appearance – 2017 – Lost in first round to South Carolina 

Steve Wojciechowski is 0-1 in tournament games as Marquette head coach. Prior to the 2017 appearance, Marquette last made the tournament three straight years from 2011-2013 and made the Sweet 16 each year (Elite 8 in 2013). 

Murray State Racers

All-time appearances -17
All-time record- 3-16
Last appearance – 2018 – Lost to West Virginia in first round as a 12 seed

Murray State’s last win came in 2012 over Colorado State. From 1990-2006 they made 10 appearances and lost all 10.

All-time series

Marquette has won both all-time meetings, most recently in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, with 3-seeded Marquette beating 6-seeded Murray State

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4. Florida State vs 13. Vermont

Florida State Seminoles

All-time appearances -17
All-time record- 19-16
Last appearance – 2018 – Lost in Elite 8 to Michigan 

In their last 4 tournament appearances, since 2011, Florida State has won at least one game each year. They are 7-4 in that time frame. 

Vermont Catamounts

All-time appearances – 7
All-time record –  2-6
Last appearance – 2016 – Lost in first round to Purdue

Vermont had one of the most famous victories in NCAA Tournament history back in 2005, when they were a 13 seed and upset Syracuse in overtime. Their other win came in the First Four in 2012. But they have never won more than one game and have also never lost by single digits. 

All-time series

Florida State won the only meeting between schools in 1976

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6. Buffalo vs 11. Arizona State/St. John’s

Buffalo Bulls

All-time appearances – 4
All-time record – 1-3
Last appearance – 2018 – Lost in second round to Kentucky 

Buffalo won the school’s first ever tournament game in 2018, upsetting Arizona as a 13 seed in the first round. 

Arizona State Sun Devils

All-time appearances – 16
All-time record 13-15

St. John’s Red Storm 

All-time appearances -29
All-time record- 27-31
Last appearance – 2015

STJ has made the Tournament just 4 times since 2000 and that year was their last victory, beating Northern Arizona in the first round as a 2 seed, before losing to Gonzaga. Including that Gonzaga game, Johnnies have lost 4 Tournament games in a row, most recently as a 9 seed to San Diego State in 2015.

All-time series

St. John’s and Arizona State have played twice, with Arizona State winning in 2017 and St John’s winning in 2010.

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3. Texas Tech vs 14. Northern Kentucky

Texas Tech Red Raiders

All-time appearances -16
All-time record- 11-17
Last appearance – 2018 – Lost in Elite 8 to Villanova

Last year’s run to the Elite 8 were the first tournament wins for Texas Tech since 2005. 

Northern Kentucky Norse

All-time appearances – 2
All-time record – 0-1
Last appearance – 2017 – Lost to Kentucky in first round 

2012 was the Norse first official season as a D1 team and it wasn’t until 2016 that they were eligible to qualify for the NCAA tournament, which they incredibly did that season. Their lone appearance was a 79-70 loss to Kentucky in 2017

All-time series

Texas Tech won the lone meeting in 2012

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7. Nevada vs. 10. Florida

Nevada Wolfpack 

All-time appearances – 9
All-time record – 6-8
Last appearance – 2018 – Lost to Loyola-Chicago in Sweet 16

Last year’s Sweet 16 appearance was Nevada’s first since 2004. They have never advanced beyond that point. Eric Musselman is 2-2 in two tournament appearances. Prior to his arrival, Nevada did not make the tournament between 2008-2016. 

Florida Gators

All-time appearances -22
All-time record- 46-19
Last appearance – 2018 – Lost to Texas Tech in Round 2

2019 is the Gators’ third straight appearance, led by coach Mike White. 7 of the Gators last 9 trips to the Tournament have included an Elite 8 appearance (only 2018 and 2010 has not). Out of their 21 appearances, they have gone one and done just 5 times. Gators are 17-7 in Tournament games since 2007, when they last won the National Championship (coming off back-to-back titles)

All-time series

This is the first all-time meeting between Florida and Nevada.

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2. Michigan vs 15. Montana

Michigan Wolverines

All-time appearances -29
All-time record – 59-27
Last appearance – 2018 – Lost in National Championship game to Villanova

Michigan has made the tournament 9 of the last 11 years, dating back to 2009, which followed a decade-long drought (1998). Dating back to 2009, Wolverines have won at least one game in every tournament and in 4 of their last 5 (dating back to 2013 Championship game), they have made at least the Sweet 16. 

Montana Grizzlies

All-time appearances – 12
All-time record – 2-12
Last appearance – 2018 – Lost to Michigan in first round 

Montana has played in 4 tournaments since 2010 and in each of their last 3 games (2018, 2013, 2012) they failed to break 50 points. Grizzlies last won in 2006, as a 12 seed beating Nevada in the first round. In 1975, when the tournament was much smaller, they lost in the Regional Third place game. That was their first tournament and the furthest they have ever made it. 

All-time series

Michigan beat Montana in the first round of the 2018 Tournament, 61-47