6-seeds have been generally unremarkable. If, and that’s a significant if, they get past their 11-seed foe, their next opponent is usually a 3-seed. The 6-seed made somewhat regular appearances in the Elite 8 through the first 17 years of the expanded tournament. It’s only happened three times since then (2001). It’s been 28 years since the last time a 6-seed made the Final 4. Maybe they’re due??
Overall Performance
- 88 (of 140) 6-seeds advanced to the Second Round
- 42 went on to the Sweet 16
- 14 reached the Elite 8
- 3 reached the Final 4
- 2 made the championship game
- 1 was crowned champion
Performance Over the Last 10 Years
- 19 (of 40) advanced to the Second Round
- 7 went on to the Sweet 16
- 2 reached the Elite 8
Bracket Performance History and Advice
- First Round: Only 63% of all 6-seeds have won their first game of the tournament. This equates to an 84% chance of at least one upset.
- Second Round: 30% of 6-seeds advance past the Second Round.
- Sweet 16: 6-seeds don’t have to play the 1-seed in this Round. They’ve advanced to the Elite 8 almost twice as often as 5-seeds. Still, there is only a 34% chance we’ll see a 6-seed get past this round.
- Elite 8: Only 10% of all 6-seeds make it this far.
- Final 4: A 6-seed hasn’t reached the Final 4 since 1992, so it would be a shocker to see one make it this year.
- Final: Of the three teams that reached the Final 4, two of them played for the title, and one of them won it.
Record in the Second Round
- vs 3-seeds: 28-44
- vs 14-seeds: 14-2
Feats of Strength
- The only two 6-seeds to make a Championship Game run are:
- 1992: Michigan – lost to 1-seed Duke 71-51
- 1988: Kansas – defeated 1-seed Oklahoma 83-79
- Three 6-seeds have reached the Elite 8 in the last 18 years: Wisconsin in ’05, Tennessee in ’10, and Notre Dame in ‘16.
