Blue Jerseys Bring Luck - Villanova's Record-Setting, 15 Lower-Seeded Victories in the NCAA Tournament

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

CBS helpfully ran a graphic during both the Pittsburgh and Duke games, that Villanova had won 13 (heading into Duke - the Sweet 16) and 14 (heading into Pittsburgh - the Elite Eight) NCAA tournament games as the lower seed, the most of any program. I've compiled the full list of the now-record 15 NCAA tournament games which Villanova has won, as the lower seed...

Needless to say, Villanova is the lowest seed remaining in this year's tournament... North Carolina and Connecticut are top seeds, and Michigan State, which battles the Huskies in the other game tonight, is a #2.

Interestingly, after defeating Princeton in an 8/9 game in 1991, it took 14 years to win another NCAA tournament game with the blue jerseys...

The games, in reverse chronological order (with Villanova's eventual finish in parentheses):

1. #1 Pittsburgh, Elite Eight, 2009, as #3 seed (hopefully, national champions)
   
2. #2 Duke, Sweet 16, 2009, as # 3 seed (likewise)
   
3. #5 Clemson, First Round, 2008, as #12 seed (Sweet 16)
   
4. #4 Florida, Second Round, 2005, as #5 seed (Sweet 16)
   
5. #8 Princeton, First Round, 1991, as #9 seed (Second Round)
   
6. #3 Illinois, Second Round, 1988, as #6 seed (Elite Eight)
7. #2 Kentucky, Sweet 16, 1988, as #6 seed (Elite Eight)
8. #7 Virginia Tech, First Round, 1986, as #10 seed (Second Round)
9. #1 Michigan, Second Round, 1985, as #8 seed (National Champions)
   
10. #5 Maryland, Sweet 16, 1985, as #8 seed (National Champions)
11. #2 North Carolina, Elite Eight, as #8 seed (National Champions)
12. #2 Memphis State, Final Four, as #8 seed (National Champions)
13. #1 Georgetown, National Championship, as #8 seed (National Champions)
14. #2 Memphis State, Elite Eight, as #3 seed (Elite Eight)
15. #8 Houston, First Round, as #9 seed (Second Round)
    

You might be wondering why there were only five in 1985. An intriguing footnote is that the first-round 8/9 game, as the higher seed, was also extremely difficult, as the Wildcats had to beat #9 Dayton on its home floor (teams are no longer allowed to play on their home floor, although quasi-home floors like the Wachovia Center are permitted).

Also, as we get ready for showtime, here are all the previous North Carolina/Final Four posts over the course of the week - enjoy:

I've already posted a great deal of content on Villanova/North Carolina, and so here's a concise collection of the links thus far (and there will be more...) Enjoy...

1. I look back at the 1985 Villanova/Georgetown national championship game, 24 years later...
2. Villanova/North Carolina Rivalry History - how the Wildcats upset the Tar Heels in the 1985 Elite Eight, en route to that national championship...
3. Everyone wants to know about Jay Wright's "lucky pigs", which have been instrumental in getting the Wildcats to the Final Four - Wright himself has kidded that "Those Pigs Are Important to Our Team's Success"...
4. Looking back at the 2005 NCAA Sweet 16, which was the last time Villanova and North Carolina battled in the tournament - what has become known in Villanova lore as the "Allan Ray Travel Game"....
5. Villanova/North Carolina Rivalry History - How Michael Jordan stopped Villanova in the 1982 tournament and the Wildcats' upset of the Tar Heels in the regular season, the following year...
6. Villanova/North Carolina Rivalry History - The first three meetings, prior to the 1982 tournament...
7. My initial post that the Wildcats would face North Carolina in the national semifinal...
8. The first part of the preview - Final Four: Villanova/North Carolina Preview, Part 1 - UNC's Road to Detroit...
9. Part 2 of the preview - the UNC starters....
10. Part 3 of the preview - the UNC rotation/bench...