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March Madness is finally upon us with NCAA Tournament play-in games set to kick off on Tuesday. Michigan State and St. John’s boast two of the best stories in the field.
Neither entered the year with championship aspirations, at least in the eyes of the media. Both are now considered Top 10 programs.
The Red Storm rolled through the Big East to win both the regular season and conference tournament crowns. Rick Pitino pulled off his patented Year 2 turnaround seen at every previous stop.
This is a first ballot graphic hall of fame graphic. pic.twitter.com/KnqLVWx6V4
— BucciOT.Com (@Buccigross) March 16, 2025
The Spartans won the Big Ten regular season title by three games. They finished the year at 27-6 in one of college basketball’s toughest leagues.
Each team earned a two-seed for their successes on the floor. Neither was ranked in the AP Poll at season’s start. Unfortunately, that’s a bad omen in March.
Since moving to 64 teams, there have been a total of 39 squads that began the season unranked and ended as a one- or two-seed in the NCAA Tournament. None have reached the Final Four. Most have seen their seasons end on the first weekend of postseason play.
One of the craziest trends first brought to my attention by @kenpomeroy … will Michigan St. or St. John’s be able to break the mold? pic.twitter.com/HXXtO1xwhF
— Jacob Scheck (@jacob_scheck) March 17, 2025
Last year’s Iowa State squad was able to survive until the Sweet 16. In 2023, both Marquette and Purdue both lost on opening weekend. The examples go on through the 1985 season.
Two-seeds have been particularly susceptible to the trend. Of the 26 teams listed, 16 have lost in either their first or second games. Only 10 have made it past the Round of 32. Tom Izzo and Rick Pitino will hope to buck the trend in 2025.
It’s important information to consider when filling out your March Madness brackets. Do you think St. John’s and Michigan State can become Final Four participants, or will each fall victim to the curse?