Two completely separate observations

[SBU72]

Ya, second one is an absolute terrible take. UNC and Duke have 2 of the best resumes in the sport. Overrated? If that is overrated, please tell me what would satisfy you? Because both programs are in the top 4 for number of final four appearances and number of championships. And that is the measuring stick of the sport.

Your bench mark was 50 years. In the last 50 years, Duke and UNC are THE TOP 2 in Championsips and Final Four Appearances.

Here are the teams overall history (>50 years)

UNC- 21 final fours, 6 championships, 5 second places, career .735 winning percentage

Duke- 17 final fours, 5 championships, 6 second places, career .710 winning percentage

Syracuse- 6 final fours, 1 championship, 2 second place finish, career .687 winning percentage

Kansas- 16 final fours, 3 championships, 6 second place finish, career .727 winning percentage

Kentucky- 17 final fours, 8 championships, 4 runner ups, career .765 winning percentage

UCLA- 19 final fours, 11 championships, 2 second places, career .688 winning percentage

Indiana- 8 final fours, 5 championships. 1 second place, career .634 winning percentage.

You list 5 teams with double digit FF, how many times have they faced each other? I think probably not often which points to why Duke/UNC haven't.

 

[longtimefan]

This is dumb I doubt they have ever been put in the same region before. If they have it must only be once or twice and a meeting could only happen in the elite 8.

Two teams in different regions can only meet in the Final Four.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

1. There is a lot of slipping going on during games. A lot more than usual.. Is there something different they are putting on floors for shine that could be causing this?

2. All this hype about how awesome it is that Duke and NC are finally meeting in the tournament after 50 years of avoiding each other simply shows one thing. Both teams have been vastly overrated throughout the years or if they had lived up to their hype they surely would have met a few times before.

I have learned that: 1 ) Duke and UNC have a rivalry that seeming goes back many years and that,
2) unbeknownst to many, this is the final year for Duke's coach, Micheal Kaye, who I thought was the a Yankee broadcaster.

 

[kirbivore]

As far as I am aware the spread of the top 3 teams over regions has been a bracketing rule since the expansion to 64 teams in or around 1985.

I know that before 2010 (give or take a few year) NCAA Bracketing rules specifically prohibited teams from the same conference meeting until the elite 8. The rules on that only changed once the Big East got 9 teams one year.

I guess your point would still hold though -- if they are so great why have they never met in the final 4.

And while I am not going to go and count appearances of everybody, it does appear based on a quick scan that the teams with the most final fours since 1985 are unfortunately Duke (12) and UNC (12).

In 2011 the committee was particularly lazy, with 2 Big East matchup in the round of 32.

 

[tbonezone]

1. There is a lot of slipping going on during games. A lot more than usual.. Is there something different they are putting on floors for shine that could be causing this?

i can remember we had a "tack mat" next to the bench when you came in or out. not sure exactly what sort of resin was on it but it made your sneakers grip and the janitors mad.