Here are some Tournament Challenge takeaways as we head into Saturday’s pair of Elite Eight games:
Note: Unless noted otherwise, all seed-vs-seed facts are since 1985.
No. 11 Loyola-Chicago vs. No. 9 Kansas State
• Just 0.1 percent of entries (17,676 of 17.3 million) correctly predicted that No. 9 Kansas State and No. 11 Loyola-Chicago would face each other in the Elite Eight. Of those brackets, 53.4 percent (9,435) picked K-State to win the matchup and advance to the Final Four.
• 0.5 percent of entries have No. 11 Loyola-Chicago making it to the Final Four. Just 0.2 percent have them in the title game, and 0.1 percent (17,556) picked them to win it all.
• 0.6 percent of entries put No. 9 Kansas State into the Final Four. Only 0.3 percent have them in the title game, and 0.1 percent (20,217) believe they’ll win the championship.
• This is the first time a No. 11 and No. 9 seed have faced off in the tournament.
No. 9 Florida State vs. No. 3 Michigan
• 0.6 percent of entries correctly predicted that No. 3 Michigan and No. 9 Florida State would square off in the Elite Eight. Of those brackets, 74.4 percent picked Michigan to knock out FSU and advance to the Final Four.
• 0.8 percent of entries have No. 9 Florida State making it to the Final Four. 0.3 percent have them in the title game, and 0.1 percent (21,190) picked them to win it all.
• 19.1 percent of entries put No. 3 Michigan into the Final Four. 8.1 percent have them in the title game, and 3.8 percent (651,590) believe they’ll win the championship.
• In the only 3-vs-9 meeting, No. 3 Florida defeated No. 9 Boston College, 74-66, in 1994.