Photo by Todd Greene
In the big basketball tournament, sometimes smaller teams surprise everyone and do really well. But most of the time, the really big and famous teams end up winning.
The big teams have won 63 out of 84 times!
Not all the groups of teams, called conferences, are the same, though. Some used to win a lot in the old days, like the Pac-12 when UCLA was super good. Every year, people talk about how the Big Ten hasn’t won in a long time. So, which group has waited the longest to win the big tournament?
Turns out, the Pac-12 has been waiting the longest. The last time they won was in 1997 with Arizona. That’s 27 years ago! And with the conference changing soon, only Washington State and Oregon State will be left to try and win again.
The Big Ten’s last win was in 2000 with Michigan State. They’ve had seven chances since then, but no luck. They’re really hoping to change that soon.
The SEC has been quiet, but they haven’t won in 12 years. Kentucky was the last to win for them in 2012, and they’re feeling the pressure to get back on top.
The ACC has lots of wins, but none in the last five years since Virginia’s victory in 2019. With big teams like Duke and North Carolina having new coaches, everyone’s watching to see what will happen.
The Big 12 just missed out, with their last win in 2022 by Kansas. And the Big East? They’re the champs right now because UCONN won last season.
