NCAA BASKETBALL
NCAA March Madness Final Four 2024: Has an 11-seed ever won the tournament?
Five times in the NCAA’s March Madness basketball tournament history, the 11th-seeded team reached the Final Four, but not a single one went all the way.
On Sunday, No. 11 NC State continued its impressive run by upsetting No. 4 Duke in the Elite Eight, clinching their spot in the Final Four for the first time since 1983. The Wolfpack have had an exceptional postseason, winning nine consecutive games in single-elimination scenarios, including the ACC Tournament championship and the NCAA Tournament South regional title.
NC State is now tied with five other schools, all as an 11-seed, as the lowest seed to make the Final Four: LSU in 1986, George Mason in 2006, VCU in 2011, Loyola Chicago in 2018, and UCLA in 2021. The Wolfpack’s remarkable run has been fueled by DJ Burns Jr. and his teammates’ incredible performances, as they’ve taken down some of the tournament’s heavyweights.
NC State will face No. 1 Purdue in the Final Four on Saturday, April 6. The other matchup will feature No. 1 UConn, the defending champions, and No. 4 Alabama, which made the last four for the first time in program history. This sets up an exciting weekend of basketball action, with the winners advancing to the national championship game.
If the Wolfpack can pull off another upset, they will become the lowest seed to appear in the championship game. No double-digit seed has ever made it that far, with the lowest seed to appear in the final being No. 8, which has happened four times. The 1985 Villanova Wildcats are the only No. 8 seed to have won the championship game.
The NC State faithful will hope their team can make history and continue their improbable run. Regardless of the outcome, the Wolfpack’s postseason showing has been nothing short of remarkable, and they’ve already secured their place among the tournament’s all-time Cinderella stories.