Tourney Turmoil: Unbeaten League Teams Get Generous Dose of Humility

March 11th, 2012 - 22:40

What was the incentive for Kentucky, Syracuse and North Carolina to put it all on the line in their respective postseason conference tournaments when they were virtually guaranteed #1 seeds in the NCAA playoffs?

Kentucky's 71-64 defeat against Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament final marked the third time the Wildcats had an undefeated team in regular-season league competition get upset in the league tourney. Vanderbilt celebrated its first appearance in an SEC final in 61 years by duplicating what it achieved in 1951 (knocking off the Wildcats).

Following is a striking number of schools to go undefeated in conference competition before losing in an NCAA playoff-automatic qualifying league postseason tournament:

Year Undefeated Team (Conference) League Tourney Defeat
1951 Kentucky (14-0 in SEC) Vanderbilt, 61-57
1965 Davidson (12-0 in Southern) #4 West Virginia, 74-72 (OT)
1970 South Carolina (14-0 in ACC) #3 North Carolina State, 42-39
1978 Lafayette (10-0 in East Coast/West) Temple, 71-70
1979 South Alabama (10-0 in Sun Belt) #4 Jacksonville, 85-77
1981 American (11-0 in East Coast/East) St. Joseph's, 63-60
1982 Temple (11-0 in East Coast/East) Drexel, 61-55
1983 William & Mary (9-0 in ECAC South) #2 James Madison, 41-38
1984 North Carolina (14-0 in ACC) #4 Duke, 77-75
1984 Temple (18-0 in Atlantic 10) #5 West Virginia, 67-65
1986 Bradley (16-0 in Missouri Valley) #2 Tulsa, 74-58
1987 North Carolina (14-0 in ACC) #6 North Carolina State, 68-67
1993 New Orleans (18-0 in Sun Belt) #2 Western Kentucky, 72-63
1994 Coppin State (16-0 in MEAC) #8 Morgan State, 61-60
1994 Missouri (14-0 in Big Eight) #4 Nebraska, 98-91
1995 Xavier (14-0 in Midwestern Collegiate) #8 Wright State, 71-70
1996 Davidson (14-0 in Southern/North) #1S Western Carolina, 69-60
1996 Kentucky (16-0 in SEC/Eastern) #1W Mississippi State, 84-73
1998 Texas Christian (14-0 in WAC/Pacific) #2M New Mexico, 80-73
2000 Cincinnati (16-0 in C-USA/American) #9 Saint Louis, 68-58
2002 Kansas (16-0 in Big 12) #2 Oklahoma, 64-55
2004 Austin Peay (16-0 in Ohio Valley) #2 Murray State, 66-60
2004 St. Joseph's (16-0 in Atlantic 10/East) #4W Xavier, 87-67
2005 Pacific (18-0 in Big West) #2 Utah State, 65-52
2005 Davidson (16-0 in Southern/South) UNC Greensboro, 73-68
2006 George Washington (16-0 in Atlantic 10) #9 Temple, 68-53
2012 Kentucky (16-0 in SEC) #2 Vanderbilt, 71-64
2013 Norfolk State (16-0 in MEAC) #8 Bethune-Cookman, 70-68

NOTE: UNLV (18-0 in the Big West in 1991-92 but was ineligible to participate in postseason competition).