Crazy Eight: No top seeds among last 8 in March Madness

LAS VEGAS (AP) — March has gone from madness tounprecedented.

With Miami’s win over Houston and San Diego State’s takedown ofAlabama on Friday night, the men’s NCAA Tournament will not have aNo. 1 seed in the Elite Eight for the first time since seedingbegan in 1979.

“There’s not a lot of difference between the best team in thecountry and the worst team in the country,” San Diego State coachBrian Dutcher said. “You’re seeing that on this stage.”

Purdue, Kansas, Houston and Alabama are all gone, ensuring theFinal Four will not have a No. 1 team for the first time since 2011and the third overall. The four teams deemed by the NCAA to be thebest in the country combined to win five tournament games thisyear, the fewest by three among No. 1 seeds since the fieldexpanded to 64 teams in 1985.

Texas is the lone No. 2 seed remaining after bouncing Xavier outof the bracket 83-71 Friday night under interim coach Rodney Terry.The fewest combined No. 1-2 seeds in the Elite Eight before thisyear was two (three times).

How crazy has it been? The national title game is guaranteed tohave at least one of these teams: San Diego State, Creighton,Florida Atlantic or Kansas State. The Aztecs, Bluejays and Owlshave never been to the Elite Eight. The Wildcats were picked tofinish last in the Big 12.

It’s also a lock the winning coach will be a first-timechampion.

“It’s a lot of really good programs in the country that havelost — I mean, we could go down the list of them,” Alabama coachNate Oats said. “That’s what makes the NCAA Tournament the NCAATournament. They’re all good teams.”

The madness started in the opening round of the East Region,when fairytale Fairleigh Dickinson wrecked brackets around theworld by becoming the second No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1.

Goodbye, Purdue.

Arkansas was the next giant killer, taking down reigningnational champion and West Region No. 1 seed Kansas in the secondround.

The Sweet 16 turned sour on Friday for Alabama, the bracket’sNo. 1 overall seed. The Crimson Tide were no match for Dutcher’sball-and-body-hawking San Diego State Aztecs in a 71-64 SouthRegion loss in Louisville, Kentucky. San Diego State is the firstMountain West Conference school to reach the Elite Eight.

Miami capped the No. 1 carnage in the Midwest Region by takingapart one of the nation’s stingiest defenses in a 89-75 win overHouston in Kansas City, Missouri that had Hurricanes coach JimLarranaga dancing in the locker room.

“Unfortunately, one off-night and you go home in thistournament,” Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson said.

On to an Elite Eight unlike any other.

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AP Sports Writer Josh Dubow contributed to this report.