Exceeding Expectations: What's Ahead for #1 Seed Michigan State?
March 18th, 2012 - 14:48
Associated Press voters should profusely apologize to Michigan State for not having the Spartans in its preseason Top 25 ranking. The Big Ten Conference tri-champion Spartans are the 14th team to earn a #1 seed despite failing to be included among the Top 20 in the AP's preseason poll since seeding was introduced in 1979.
Michigan State's NCAA championship aspirations are dim, however. After exceeding expectations, the schools in this category seem to run out of steam as none of these #1 seeds went on to capture an NCAA title and only two of them (Indiana State '79 and Minnesota '97) advanced to the Final Four.
Year School Coach Regional (NCAA Performance) 1979 Indiana State Bill Hodges Midwest (lost championship game) 1985 Michigan Bill Frieder Southeast (lost in second round) 1986 St. John's Lou Carnesecca West (lost in second round) 1990 Connecticut Jim Calhoun East (lost regional final) 1990 Michigan State Jud Heathcote Southeast (lost regional semifinal) 1994 Missouri Norm Stewart West (lost regional final) 1994 Purdue Gene Keady Southeast (lost regional final) 1995 Wake Forest Dave Odom East (lost regional semifinal) 1996 Purdue Gene Keady West (lost in second round) 1997 Minnesota Clem Haskins Midwest (lost national semifinal) 1999 Auburn Cliff Ellis South (lost regional semifinal) 2002 Cincinnati Bob Huggins West (lost in second round) 2005 Washington Lorenzo Romar West (lost regional semifinal) 2012 Michigan State Tom Izzo West (to be determined)
NOTE: Purdue '94 (21st), Wake Forest '95 (24th), Purdue '96 (24th), Minnesota '97 (22nd) and Washington '05 (22nd) were ranked just outside the Top 20 in AP preseason polls.