NCAA March Madness History Made in 2008

The No. 1 seed Memphis Tigers defeated the No. 2 seed Texas Longhorns in the South Regional final held on Saturday, March 29^th. The Tigers, considered by many to be the weakest of the No. 1 seeds, defeated the Longhorns 85-67. This marks their first return to the March Madness Final Four since 1985. An end to a twenty-three year streak must strike the Tigers as history in the making for their program.

But that's not the only history made in this year's NCAA Basketball tournament.

The No. 1 seed Kansas Jayhawks defeated the Davidson Wildcats 59-57 today in the Midwest Regional final. Their victory finalizes the roster for the teams moving on to the 2008 NCAA Basketball tournament's final four: University of North Carolina (UNC), UCLA, Memphis, and Kansas. And that's where history comes in. The last time three No. 1 seed teams made it to the Final Four was in 1999. The last time four No. 1 seed teams entered the Final Four was . . . never. This will be the first time all four No. 1 seeds will compete in the Final Four.

The UNC Tar Heels defeated the Louisville Cardinals 83-73 on Saturday to advance to the Final Four. The UCLA Bruins defeated the Xavier Musketeers 76-57 the same day, granting the Bruins a spot in the Final Four for the third consecutive year.

If only the Bruins had been the last to enter the Final Four, it would have made a reference to the Musketeer's namesake-the Three Musketeers-all the more wonderful (or, one-derful) for this year's Final Four: this year, it's ones for all, and all four ones!

With many NCAA Tournament fans moaning in mixed awe and dismay-many sports commentators, fans, and websites claimed a four-No.1 seed-Final Four would never happen-many wonder what comes next. The obvious next step is match-ups among the Final Four.

The North Carolina Tar Heels meet the Kansas Jayhawks at the San Antonio Alamodome on Saturday, April 5. The Tar Heels, led by Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams, come to the Final Four with a record of 36-2. The Jayhawks, coached by Bill Self, enter the Alamodome with a 35-3 record. This match-up will pit Coach Williams against the Kansas program he left in 2003.

The UCLA Bruins and Memphis Tigers will meet at the Alamodome on Saturday. The Bruins, with Coach Ben Howland, will enter the Final Four with a 35-3 record, while the Tigers, led by Coach John Calipari, come with a 37-1 record.

Sources (Team Statistics):

CBS Sports, "NCAA Basketball Teams", CBSSports.com