With Michigan and Syracuse meeting at the Final Four, a No. 4 seed is guaranteed a spot in the national championship game. Since the NCAA tournament began seeding teams in 1979, 12 other No. 4 seeds have reached the Final Four.
But just two have made it to the title game, and only one ended up being the champion. Here are those 12 fourth seeds, how they got the Final Four and how their season ended:
Four For Four: No. 4 Seeds To Reach Final Four
Louisville 2012
With a roster nearly identical to this season's Final Four team, Rick Pitino reached his sixth Final Four. The Cardinals upset the No. 1 seeded Michigan State Spartans in the Sweet 16
Louisville 2012
In the Elite Eight, Louisville finished its 72-68 victory over Florida on a 23-8 run. For the last 3:58 of the second half, the Cardinals capped off their comeback without point guard Peyton Siva, who fouled out. Louisville was stopped by eventual champion Kentucky, 69-61, in an all Bluegrass State semifinal.
Kentucky 2011
After Kentucky fell short in the Elite Eight in 2010 with John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins, Coach John Calipari's second year in Lexington fared one round better.
Kentucky 2011
Brandon Knight and the Wildcats defeated No. 1 overall seed Ohio State in the Sweet 16 and second-seeded North Carolina in the Elite Eight. Eventual champion UConn clipped Kentucky by a point in the national semifinals.
LSU 2006
Glen "Big Baby" Davis was the tournament's breakout star, finishing as the co-leading scorer (with Florida's Joakim Noah) with 97 points in just five games. The Tigers upset No. 1 overall seed Duke in the Sweet 16 and LaMarcus Aldridge's second-seeded Texas Longhorns in the Elite Eight.
LSU 2006
Overshadowed by George Mason's run to the Final Four as an 11-seed, LSU arrived in Indianapolis under the radar. The Tigers were denied an all-SEC national championship game against Florida after losing 59-45 to UCLA.
Louisville 2005
In their final year in Conference USA, Francisco Garcia and the Cardinals reached the national semifinals. In the Sweet 16, Louisville upset No. 1-ranked Washington, which featured future NBA stars Brandon Roy and Nate Robinson.
Louisville 2005
In the Elite Eight, the Cardinals halted Kevin Pittsnogle and seventh-seeded West Virginia's surprise run in an overtime thriller. The Cardinals were grounded in the Final Four by Deron Williams, Luther Head, Dee Brown and eventual national runner-up Illinois.
Ohio State 1999
Led by a backcourt of point guard Scoonie Penn and sharpshooter Michael Redd, the Buckeyes broke a 31-year Final Four drought. Ohio State knocked off No. 1 seed Auburn in the Sweet 16 before slipping past third-seeded St. John's 77-74 in the Elite Eight.
Ohio State 1999
The Buckeyes were denied a trip to the final by Richard Hamilton and eventual champion UConn in the national semifinals. The Final Four trip has since been vacated due to NCAA violations made by coach Jim O'Brien.
Arizona 1997
Arizona became the first No. 4 seed to win the NCAA tournament. The Wildcats defeated three No. 1 seeds, including defending champion Kentucky in the national title game.
Arizona 1997
Arizona became the first No. 4 seed to win the NCAA tournament. The Wildcats defeated three No. 1 seeds, including defending champion Kentucky in the national title game.
Syracuse 1996
Coach Jim Boeheim made the Orangemen the first No. 4 seed to ever reach the championship game. Senior John Wallace, the 18th pick in the 1996 NBA draft, guided the charge. The Orangemen defeated a Paul Pierce-led Kansas team in the Elite Eight and an Erick Dampier-led Mississippi State squad in the national semifinals.
Syracuse 1996
Syracuse cut a 13-point halftime deficit to two points in the national championship game, but Kentucky proved to be too much. Led by "The Untouchables," Kentucky's nine eventual NBA players (Antoine Walker and Tony Delk are most notable), the Wildcats won 76-67.
Oklahoma State 1995
Just five years after violating a variety of NCAA policies at Kentucky, Coach Eddie Sutton took his alma mater to its first Final Four in 44 years. Bryant Reeves, the sixth pick in the 1995 NBA draft, and Randy Rutherford led the upstart Cowboys.
Oklahoma State 1995
Oklahoma State beat second-seeded, Marcus Camby-led UMass 68-54 in the Elite Eight. In the national semifinals, the Cowboys lost to Ed O'Bannon and the eventual champion UCLA Bruins 74-61.
Cincinnati 1992
Although the Bearcats had two national championships and five Final Fours to their name, the school had not reached the sport's final weekend since 1963. In Coach Bob Huggins' third season, he ended the 29-year Final Four drought. Herb Jones, Anthony Buford, Corie Blount and community college transfer Nick Van Exel shined in March.
Cincinnati 1992
The dream season ended with a 76-72 loss to eventual runner-up Michigan, led by the Fab Five, in the national semifinals. Cincinnati has not returned to the Final Four since.
Arkansas 1990
Sophomore Todd Day led the way, as the Razorbacks conquered a relatively easy road to the Midwest Region title. Arkansas beat No. 13 Princeton, No. 12 Dayton, No. 8 North Carolina and No. 10 Texas to get to the Final Four in Denver.
Arkansas 1990
In the national semifinals, third-seeded Duke, the eventual runner-up, humbled Arkansas 97-83. The Final Four was the first of three for Coach Nolan Richardson, which includes a national championship in 1994.
Georgia Tech 1990
Led by Kenny Anderson, Brian Oliver and Sporting News Player of the Year Award winner Dennis Scott, the Yellow Jackets reached the first Final Four in school history. The trio was nicknamed "Lethal Weapons 3," as "Lethal Weapon 2 had been released the previous summer. In the Sweet 16, Steve Smith and Michigan State led Georgia Tech 75-71 with 13 seconds left.
Georgia Tech 1990
Two baskets by Anderson, including a controversial buzzer beater, forced overtime. The Yellow Jackets eventually knocked off the Spartans 81-80 and they defeated Minnesota in the Elite Eight. Coach Bobby Cremins' lone trip to the Final Four was spoiled in the national semifinals by eventual champion UNLV 90-81.
Georgia 1983
In the fifth year of seeding, the '83 Bulldogs became the first No. 4 seed to reach the Final Four. Led by New York City-bred Vern Fleming, Georgia knocked off St. John's in the Sweet 16 and North Carolina in the Elite Eight.
Georgia 1983
The Bulldogs were actually the lower seed in the national Semifinals, when they took on North Carolina State, a No. 6. Jim Valvano's Wolfpack bounced the Bulldogs 67-60 before upsetting Houston to win the National Championship. The Final Four was Coach Hugh Durham's only trip in 17 seasons in Athens. It is the only appearance in Georgia history.
