Big Ten Teams in the Big Dance, 20 Questions
What - not the game 20 questions, but literally just 20 questions
How - haphazardly dumping info from Wikipedia into a spreadsheet and eyeballing it
Why - blog user engagement. Also, I did it, so I thought I'd share it.
Note: Including all 14 teams currently in Big Ten as if they had always been. FYI the first NCAA men's basketball tournament was in 1939
- Which team has the most NCAA tournament championships?
- Which team has played in the most championship games?
- Which teams have NEVER won a national championship?
- Which teams have never even played in a championship game?
- Only two teams have never been to a final four. Who are they?
- Of the teams who HAVE been to the Final Four, who is going through the longest drought to return?
- Of the teams who HAVE won a championship, who is going through its longest drought to win another?
- Which team has the best record in the Final Four (semifinal) round?
- Which team has the most losses in the Final Four (semifinal) round?
- Which two teams have been to double digit Final Fours?
- Which teams have made the Final Four in the most decades?
- Which team is going through the longest NCAA tourney drought among B1G teams?
- How would you rank the B1G teams in # of tourney appearances?
- Of MSU's trips to the Final Four, how many preceded Tom Izzo?
- Before Tom Izzo, how many times had MSU made the tourney?
- Before Tom Izzo, where did MSU stand among Big Ten teams in # of tourney appearances?
- Before Tom Izzo, where did UM stand among Big Ten teams in # of tourney appearances?
- Before Tom Izzo, and besides NW, which team had been invited to the LEAST # of NCAA tournaments?
- Which was the first Big Ten team invited to the Big Dance?
- Besides NW (2017), which was the last team to get a bid to the tourney?
1. Indiana had five
2. I think it might be Michigan I think we’re 1-6 in the final game?
1) I have to believe Indiana has the most. We have one, OSU has one and that was back when JFK was still alive, MSU has 2 (I think?), and I’d guess Illinois has 1-2. Purdue has none surprisingly. They haven’t made a Final Four since I think before WWII, which is shocking considering how often they have good to great teams.
2) If it’s not Indiana, it’s Michigan. We have an absurd record in the Final Four semifinal, like 5-1 or 6-1.
3) Purdue, shockingly. Painter would be a guy where if he got to the Final Four, I’d root for him.
4) See above.
5) I’m not sure. I’m on my seventh or eighth glass of wine. I’d just Christmas tree the rest of my answers anyway.
Yep Indiana has by far the most. The Big Ten has only won it 10 times (11 if you include Maryland which you probably shouldn't) and Indiana has 5 of them.
For #2 yup it's Michigan
Purdue hasn't won one (as well as 7 other teams) but they did play in one in 1969. They trounced UNC in the semifinal and then were themselves taken down by Wooden's UCLA team led by Lew Alcindor
Wooden's UCLA team led by Lew Alcindor
Goddammit. If a man wants to call himself Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, I say Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Technically he was Lew Alcindor when he was at UCLA. He did not change his name until he was in the NBA.
And Wooden was a 3x all-American at…Purdue.
I have never cared for lima beans.
Me neither but I love black eyed peas
I avoid all foods when I'm unsure of the pronunciation. Is it lima with a hard I, or leema (like the capital of Peru)? And don't even get me started on kefir.
Kefir is mother's milk.
1. Indiana has won 5 NC’s.
2. I believe it’s Michigan. They have a 7-1 record in FF games with the lone loss coming in 1964.
3. Plenty. Purdue, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Penn State, Northwestern, Rutgers, and Nebraska. Maryland won a NC when they were in the ACC.
4. Northwestern and Nebraska have never even made the FF. Minnesota, Penn State, and Rutgers didn’t reach the NC in their lone FF appearance.
5. Northwestern and Nebraska.
6. Purdue hasn’t been back since the 80’s I believe.
7. I think it’s Ohio State. Their only NC is from the 60’s I’m pretty sure.
8. Michigan with a 7-1 record.
9. I think that’s Michigan State. They have the either the most or the second most FF appearances of any B1G team and have only been to three NC’s.
10. Michigan State and Ohio State, but I don’t know which of them has the most.
I hope I did pretty well with this.
You definitely did, sheesh. As for #6, unfortunately we are including the new Big Ten teams and the answer is Penn State, their last/only Final Four was in 1954. They made the final Eight in 1942 also, but they've only sniffed two sweet sixteens since then.
For #7 you're very close, OSU is second-longest, there's one other team that hasn't won it all since the 1940s.
#9, yup MSU has the 2nd most Final Four appearances and have lost 7 out of 10 in that round.
#10 yep it is OSU, they have a whopping 11 Final Fours, but 8 of them before 1970. Great job!
I think Wisconsin has the longest title drought. And Nebraska as the other last team to get a bid (?).
Wouldn’t surprise me if o$u was the first to get a bid (probably only one team per conference then). Purdue used to be the only school with a winning record against everyone else so they may have the most big titles and thus tournament appearances.
Wisconsin indeed has the longest title drought (of those who've won one). 1941
Nebraska is close (2014), but I believe the longest active tourney drought is Penn State (2011)
You're absolutely right, Ohio State was the first team to get a bid in the first tournament in 1939
Purdue has the 4th most tourney appearances (32), behind Indiana (39) and MSU/OSU (34). Looks like Purdue was a big deal in Big Ten basketball in the 1920s and 30s, but around the time the tournament started, they faded from relevance for 30 years until 1969.
Not bad, sir
Can we play 7 minutes in heaven next? Or spin the bottle? Can I just choose WD?
#7 was definitely the Badgers
#11 is a tie between OSU (30's, 40's, 60's, 90's 00"s and 10's) and Indiana (40's, 50's, 70's 80's, 90's and 00's) each at 6. U-M and MSU follow at 5.
#12 is Penn State 2011
#14 is 2
#15 is 11
#19 is OSU in the 1939 inaugural tournament.
#7 yep
#11 yes again
#12 yes
#14 yes
#15 I believe that's right
#19 you're batting 1.000
#13 - Indiana (39), Staee (34), The OSU (34), Purdue (32), Illinois (31), Michigan (30), Maryland (29), Iowa (27), Wisconsin (25), Minnesota (14), Penn State (9), Nebraska (7), Rutger (7), Northwestern (1)
#18 Nebraska
#20 - Nebraska (1986)
#13 correct again, and I hope you didn't spend as much time manually counting as I did
#18 that's a good answer, but I believe it is Wisconsin, who after the 1940s only returned to the NCAAs in 1994, breaking an absence of 47 years! Nebraska on the other hand had an invite in the 80s (which you mentioned) and then strung together four years in a row in the 90s before Tiny Tom took over the reins in east lansing
#20 yes!
For those playing along at home, here are the answers. Anyone who's got bingo please message the mods to claim your prizes
1. Which team has the most NCAA tournament championships?
Indiana (5), as pointed out above. MSU has 2. These teams have 1 each: UM, OSU (1960), Wisconsin (1941), MD (2002 while in the ACC)... and that's it.
2. Which team has played in the most championship games?
Michigan! Unfortunately we are 1-6 in those games. Indiana has 6 appearances and are 5-1. OSU has an impressive 5 showings, but are 1-4 and 4 of them were 1962 and previous.
3. Which teams have NEVER won a national championship?
As stated above, Illinois, Purdue, Iowa, MN, PSU, Rutgers, Nebraska, NW
4. Which teams have never even played in a championship game?
Minnesota, PSU, Rutgers, Neb, NW. These are definitely the bottom tier of all programs historically speaking (Wisconsin used to be here too) and are a combined 0-3 in the Final Four.
5. Only two teams have never been to a final four. Who are they?
Nebraska and Northwestern, as pointed out earlier
6. Of the teams who HAVE been to the Final Four, who is going through the longest drought to return?
Penn State made the Final Four in 1964 and hasn't been back, and have made the sweet sixteen only twice since then
7. Of the teams who HAVE won a championship, who is going through its longest drought to win another?
Wisconsin has an 80 year drought (1941)
8. Which team has the best record in the Final Four (semifinal) round?
Just talking semifinal round, it's Michigan who's 7-1
9. Which team has the most losses in the Final Four (semifinal) round?
Michigan State has 7 losses in this round, with 3 wins
10. Which two teams have been to double digit Final Fours?
Ohio State has been to 11 (8 from 1939 to 1969), MSU 10 (8 with Izzo)
11. Which teams have made the Final Four in the most decades?
Indiana and OSU (6), UM and MSU (5). Definitely the best teams over the longest periods
12. Which team is going through the longest NCAA tourney drought among B1G teams?
Penn State's last appearance was 2011
13. How would you rank the B1G teams in # of tourney appearances?
As above: 1 - IU (39), 2T - MSU/OSU (34), 4 Purdue (32), 5 Illinois (31), 6 UM (30), 7 MD (29), 8 Iowa (27), 9 WI (25), 10 MN (14), 11 PSU (9), T12 RU, NU (7), 14 NW (1)
14. Of MSU's trips to the Final Four, how many preceded Tom Izzo?
2 (1979, 1957)
15. Before Tom Izzo, how many times had MSU made the tourney?
MSU only made the tourney 11 times before Izzo as head coach (could be 10, didn't double check)
16. Before Tom Izzo, where did MSU stand among Big Ten teams in # of tourney appearances?
8th place (now 2)
17. Before Tom Izzo, where did UM stand among Big Ten teams in # of tourney appearances?
3rd place (now 6)
18. Before Tom Izzo, and besides NW, which team had been invited to the LEAST # of NCAA tournaments?
Surprisingly, Wisconsin: 3 (1941, 1947, 1994). They've been 22 times since then
19. Which was the first Big Ten team invited to the Big Dance?
Ohio State made it to the finals of the first NCAA tournament but lost to the University of Oregon Webfoots
20. Besides NW (2017), which was the last team to get a bid to the tourney?
Nebraska (1986), then RU (1975), but since they weren't part of the league, the "right" answer is Minnesota (1972)