"Will We Be A One Seed... Again?!"

We've waited.  We've bombarded Joe Lunardi with a bevy of tweets asking where our team will be come March 17, 2013 at 6:00pm.  We've then re-tweeted Joe Lunardi to tell him he doesn't know what he is talking about.

The waiting is over.  The field is set.  And you may want to be seated for the information I am about to share with you.  Look at your brackets.  You see the four regions?  See those four teams with the #1 beside their name?  Notice anything strange about them?  Look again.  There's Louisville.  There's Kansas.  There's Indiana.  And there's Gonzaga.  Do you see it yet?

This is the 24th NCAA Tournament since 1990.  And since 1990, this is only the 5th time that you looked at your brackets, looked at your #1 seeds and have not seen either DUKE or UNC as one.  5 years... out of 24?  Come on now.  That's not normal.

Let me break it down for you by year just to seriously drill this home.

First, DUKE:

1990: #3 seed
1991: #2 seed
1992: #1 seed
1993: #3 seed
1994: #2 seed
1995: didn't go to the tournament
1996: #8 seed
1997: #2 seed
1998: #1 seed
1999: #1 seed
2000: #1 seed
2001: #1 seed
2002: #1 seed
2003: #3 seed
2004: #1 seed
2005: #1 seed
2006: #1 seed
2007: #6 seed
2008: #2 seed
2009: #2 seed
2010: #1 seed
2011: #1 seed
2012: #2 seed
2013: #2 seed

Now, UNC:

1990: #8 seed
1991: #1 seed
1992: #4 seed
1993: #1 seed
1994: #1 seed
1995: #2 seed
1996: #6 seed
1997: #1 seed
1998: #1 seed
1999: #3 seed
2000: #8 seed
2001: #2 seed
2002: didn't go to the tournament
2003: didn't go to the tournament
2004: #6 seed
2005: #1 seed
2006: #3 seed
2007: #1 seed
2008: #1 seed
2009: #1 seed
2010: didn't go to the tournament
2011: #2 seed
2012: #1 seed
2013: #8 seed


Now, full disclosure time:  I saw this trend on Friday afternoon.  I was fully prepared to write this today with the punchline that 20 out of 24 years, DUKE and/or UNC has been a #1 seed.  Then, DUKE strolled into the Greensboro Coliseum on Friday night... walking in as the overall #1 and walking out as a #2.  I didn't get to deliver the punchline that I had so desired.  I didn't get to drill home how we (us Tobacco Road-ers) have held court as a #1 seed 80% of the time over the last 24 years... but, nonetheless, I'm still here to remind you that we've lived on the one line for 79% of the time.

We don't know how this year will turn out.  Hell, it could be another year with a bunch of Cinderella teams.  Or, it could be a year totally by the books.  But, one thing is for sure: two teams did not disappoint.  And why?  Because statistics show us; they never, ever do.

Way to go, DUKE and UNC.  Another banner year.  Just like the 23 that preceded it.