No. 10 Xavier Univ. Musketeers (23-12) vs. No. 3 Baylor University Bears (29-7)
Baylor leads the series 1-0, winning the only meeting in the 2009-10 season in the Old Spice Classic in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (69-64 on 11-29-09).
Xavier is making its seventh straight NCAA Tournament appearance and its 11th NCAA Tournament appearance in the last 12 years, including the Sweet 16 in 2012, 2010 and 2009, the 2008 and 2004 Elite Eight runs and the NCAA Second Round in 2002, 2003, 2007 and 2011. The postseason tradition goes back further. XU is making its 26th appearance in postseason play (NCAA or NIT) over the last 30 years, including its 22nd NCAA Tournament in 30 seasons.
Baylor’s No. 3 seed is the South Region is tied for the highest NCAA tournament seed in program history. In 2010, Baylor was also a No. 3 seed in the South Region and advanced to the Elite Eight. 2012 is Baylor’s fourth modern tournament era NCAA appearance (post-1950). Baylor’s first three tournament appearances — 1946, 1948 and 1950 — were in an eight-team bracket.
No.1 North Carolina (31-5) vs. No. 13 Ohio University (29-7)
Carolina and Ohio have split two previous meetings, both of which came in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels won in Carmichael Auditorium on Dec. 14, 1985, and Ohio beat UNC on Dec. 20, 2002, in the Smith Center. Ohio head coach John Groce is familiar with the Tar Heels, having served as an assistant coach at NC State from 1996-2000. Carolina has only faced a No. 13 seed once in program history. The fourth-seeded Tar Heels defeated Miami of Ohio, 68-63, in 1992.
The NCAA record book lists Sweet 16 appearances only since 1975 (when all teams have needed to win at least one game to reach the regional semis). Carolina has advanced to the Sweet 16 an NCAA-record 25 times since 1975. Kentucky is second with 23. UNC has reached the Sweet 16 23 times in its last 29 NCAA Tournament appearances. The years in which UNC made the NCAA field but did not reach the Sweet 16 were 1994 (lost to Boston College in the second round), 1996 (lost to Texas Tech in the second round), 1999 (lost to Weber State in the first round), 2001 (lost to Penn State in the second round), 2004 (lost to Texas in the second round) and 2006 (lost to George Mason in the second round). UNC has an all-time record of 24-6 in NCAA Tournament regional semifinal games, including an 18-6 mark since 1975.
This is Ohio’s first trip to the Sweet 16 since the NCAA Tournament expanded to its current format. The only other time Ohio won multiple games in the NCAA Tournament was 1964 when it reached the regional finals. This is 13th NCAA Tournament appearance for the Bobcats who won their sixth Mid-American Conference title since 1983. The Bobcats have a 7-13 all-time record (lost a Regional Third Place Game in 1960) and are making their second trip to the tournament under Head Coach John Groce.
TEAM STATISTICS………….. NC…. OPP
SCORING………………………….. 2951… 2404
Points per game ………………..82.0 …..66.8
Scoring margin ………+15.2 –
FIELD GOALS-ATT …………..1080-2344…. 905-2297
Field goal pct……………….. . 4 6 1……………… . 3 9 4
3 POINT FG-ATT……………….. 185-540 ………259-816
3-point FG pct………………… . 3 4 3…………………. . 3 1 7
3-pt FG made per game….. 5.1………………. 7.2
FREE THROWS-ATT …….606-886 ………..335-497
Free throw pct……………… . 6 8 4 ………. 6 7 4
F-Throws made per game.. 16.8……………. 9.3
REBOUNDS …………………..1613 ……………..1242
Rebounds per game …………44.8 …………..34.5
Rebounding margin +10.3 –
ASSISTS………………………….. 623…………………. 414
Assists per game…….. ………17.3……………. 11.5
TURNOVERS…………………. 420 ………………..486
Turnovers per game 11.7 13.5
Turnover margin +1.8 –
Assist/turnover ratio 1.5 0.9
STEALS 250 216
Steals per game 6.9 6.0
BLOCKS………………………. 207……….. 123
Blocks per game. 5.8…………………… 3.4
TEAM STATISTICS …..OHIO…….. OPP
SCORING……………………… 2532 ……..2238
Points per game ……………..70.3….. …62.2
Scoring margin… +8.2 –
FIELD GOALS-ATT …………………..878-2040….. 749-1817
Field goal pct……………………… . 4 3 0…………. . 4 1 2
3 POINT FG-ATT ………………………..266-777……. 191-652
3-point FG pct………………………. . 3 4 2…… . 2 9 3
3-pt FG made per game ……………………7.4 ……………….5.3
FREE THROWS-ATT…………………………. 510-741………… 549-763
Free throw pct…………………………… . 6 8 8………….. . 7 2 0
F-Throws made per game……………….. 14.2………………… 15.3
REBOUNDS……………………….. 1234……………. 1238
Rebounds per game …………………34.3………………….. 34.4
Rebounding margin -0.1 –
ASSISTS ……………………………..471…………. 397
Assists per game…………………… 13.1………… 11.0
TURNOVERS …………………………468……….. 622
Turnovers per game ……………….13.0…….. 17.3
Turnover margin +4.3 –
Assist/turnover ratio 1.0 0.6
STEALS 334 217
Steals per game 9.3 6.0
BLOCKS 103 119
Blocks per game 2.9 3.3
No. 1 Kentucky (33-2, 16-0 SEC) vs. No. 4 Indiana (27-8, 11-7 Big Ten)
The Hoosiers trail Kentucky in the all-time series, 24-31, but defeated the Wildcats on Dec. 20, 2011, in Assembly Hall on Christian Watford’s 3-pointer at the buzzer, 73-72. Indiana is 1-2 all-time against Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament.
3/17/1973 IU 72-65 (Nashville)
3/22/1975 UK 90-92 (Dayton)
3/24/1983 UK 59-64 (Knoxville)
Kentucky is in its 109th season of basketball and is the all-time NCAA leader in wins with 2,086. UK is 107-46 (.699) in the NCAA Tournament and 3-2 in NCAA Tournament games held in Atlanta.
The Hoosiers are making their 36th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, the sixth most in the event’s history and the most among Big Ten members. IU is 62-30 overall, the sixth most wins in the tournament and also a Big Ten best. Indiana is tied for third with North Carolina with five NCAA titles (1940, 1953, 1976, 1981 and 1987). IU has won two NCAA titles in Kansas City, two in Philadelphia and one in New Orleans. This year’s Final Four is in New Orleans. IU’s 62-30 record (.673) is seventh all-time in the tournament and 92 games are ranked eighth among teams in the event.
(11) North Carolina State Wolfpack (24-12, 9-7 ACC) vs. (2) Kansas Jayhawks (29-6, 16-2 Big 12)
Kansas and North Carolina State are meeting for the 12th time in men’s basketball with KU leading the series 10-1. NC State won the first meeting in 1958 while the Jayhawks have won the last 10 matchups against the Wolfpack. On March 23, 1986, exactly 26 years ago from the this year’s Sweet 16 meeting, Kansas defeated NC State 75-67 at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo., to advance to the Final Four in Dallas. More on that in “This Day in Kansas Basketball History” later in this release. KU and NC State last met on Dec. 21, 1996, a Kansas 84-56 win in Allen Fieldhouse.
Yes. A few players have 2. Both teams were in the bonus with 10+ minutes to play in the half.