INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Abilene Christian’s win over Texas means each seed line from 1 through 15 in this NCAA Tournament will have at least one team in the round of 32. The Wildcats were the first 14 seed to advance this year.
This has only happened three times previously since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. In 2016, 2013 and 1991, seed lines 1-15 all had a team reach the second round. That 1991 tournament was the first time a 15 seed beat a 2, when Richmond knocked off Syracuse.
UMBC in 2018 is still the only 16 seed to make the round of 32, but no 15 seed won that year.
The loss by Texas spoiled the Big 12’s attempt to stay undefeated. The league is 6-1 so far. The Big Ten also put six teams in the second round despite exits by second-seeded Ohio State and fourth-seeded Purdue.
The Pac-12 is undefeated still after putting all five of its tournament entries into the round of 32. That includes UCLA, which had to start in a First Four matchup with Michigan State, and Oregon, which advanced when its matchup with Virginia Commonwealth was called off for coronavirus-related reasons. The Pac-12 didn’t have a team seeded higher than fifth.
