The Ohio Bobcats stormed into the first round of the 2021 NCAA tournament with reigning national champion Virginia Cavaliers. Now, they will look to make history.
Only a few of the 13 seed teams made it to the Sweet 16. Neither team has done it twice, but Ohio will have a chance to do so if they can beat Crayton on Monday.
It has been almost a decade since a 13 seed made the Sweet 16. It has also been nearly a decade since Ohio turned up on the Sweet 16. The Bobcats are expected to return there, and here’s how they compare to the previous. 13 seeds to win the game, including opponents, win margin, key players and more.
UPS limit by seed
15 vs 2 | 14 vs 3 | 13 vs 4 | 12 vs 5
The last time a 13 seed made a Sweet 16
In NCAA tournament history, six 13 seeds have made it to the Sweet 16. Here are six of them:
- 1988: Richmond
- 1998: Valparaiso
- 1999: Oklahoma
- 2006: Bradley
- 2012: Ohio
- 2013: La Salle
Ohio will be looking to make it seven. To do so, they would need to defeat the Creighton Blue Jays, a team that survived its opening-round game with a close, one-point win over UC Santa Barbara. Meanwhile, the Bobcats landed in Virginia’s defense, the national champions.
How many 13 seeds made sweet 13?
Richmond (1998)
- Opponent: 4-seed Indiana, 5-seed Georgia Tech, 1-seed temple
- Margin of victory: 3.5 points per game
After winning the Colonial Athletic Association tournament after a 21–6 regular season, Richmond made the NCAA tournament and was able to score a bit. He knocked in Bob Knight’s Indiana Hoziers and defeated the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets before a 22-point loss to top-seeded Temple. The run set the ground for Richmond to become a game-winning 15-seed against Syracuse in the NCAA Tournament a few years later.
key players
- Peter Woolfolk: 18.3 PPS, 8.0 RPG, 0.7 SPG
- Rodney Rice: 12.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.3 apg
- Ken Atkinson: 11.7 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.3 apg
- Steve Krazer: 6.7 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 1.0 sprig
The biggest name on this list is Kenny Atkinson. He never played in the NBA after being relegated in 1990, but had a 14-year career abroad and most recently was the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets. Currently, he is an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Clippers of Tyronn Lue.
Valparaiso (1998)
- Opponent: 4-seed Ole Miss, 12-seed Florida State, 8-seed Rhode Island
- Margin of victory: 3.5 points per game
Valparaiso won the Mid-Continent Conference in 1998 and made it to the NCAA tournament. It looked like they were out in the first round before an incredible buzzer-butter hit by Bryce Drew when the Crusaders put the ball in the downcourt and shot in just 2.5 seconds. They warmed up against fellow double digit seed Florida State prior to their run game against Rhode Island.
key players
- Bryce Drew: 20.7 PAPS, 3.7 RPG, 5.0 APG, 2.7 SPG
- Zoran Viskovic: 13.7 ppg, 4 rpg, 1.3 bpg
- Jamie Sachs: 11.3 PSP, 2.3 RPG, 2.0 APG
- Bill Jenkins: 6.7 PSP, 8.3 RPG, 1.3 APG
Drew was the star of the tournament for the Crusaders. He made the All-Regional Tournament Team and became the 16th overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets. He would play for three NBA teams (Rockets, Bulls and Hornets) until 2004 before going overseas for a few years. Since then, Drew has been a head coach at Valparacio, Vanderbilt, and most recently, Grand Canyon University. He led the Grand Canyons to their first NCAA tournament berth in school history.
MORE: The nine least seeded teams to make the Sweet 16
Oklahoma (1999)
- Opponent: 4-seed Arizona, 5-seed Charlotte, 1-seed Michigan State
- Margin of victory: Seven points per game
Oklahoma was given a 13-seed, which is rare for a Power 5 conference after a 20–10 season. They were to face Arizona in the first round and won by one point before dispatching mid-major Charlotte. Calvin Sampson’s team could not quite meet Michigan State and finished their run in the Sweet 16.
key players
- Eduardo Najera: 14.7 ppg, 11.7 RPG, 1.7 spg, 1.7 bpg
- Eric Martin: 11.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.7 apg
- Ryan Humphrey: 10.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.0 BPG
- Alex Spaulding: 9.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.0 SPG
Najira was a stud during his college days and became a solid rotational figure at the NBA level. He averaged 4.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game during his 12-year NBA career. He is now a scout with the Dallas Mavericks.
Bradley (2006)
- Opponent: 4-seed Kansas, 5-seed Pittsburgh, 1-seed Memphis
- Margin of victory: Five points per game
Bradley gained a 20–10 lead during the regular season and made a big bid to make it to the tournament. The Missouri Valley Conference team would go on a run from there, going from Kansas and Pittsburgh en route to the Sweet 16. Bradley is often overlooked while watching this tournament, as 11-seeded George Mason went on to make the final four runs during the 2006 tournament.
key players
- Marcellus Somerville: 19.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.0 spg
- Patrick O’Briant: 14.7 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 1.0 spg
- Lawrence Wright: 11.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.0 apg
- Daniel Ruffin: 7.3 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.7 SPG
The Braves had a fair amount of offense during the race in the Sweet 16 with some pros on their roster. Somerville had a long overseas career after Bradley’s time. Meanwhile, O’Briant became a top-10 pick in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors. He played five seasons in the NBA with the Warriors, Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors. He played a career-high 26 games with the Celtics during the 2008–09 season.
Ohio (2012)
- Opponent: 4-seed Michigan, 12-seed South Florida, 1-seed UNC
- Margin of victory: 5.5 points per game
The Bobcats overtook almost any other 13-seed in history. He took on the UNC Tar Heels to do overtime in the Sweet 16, but eventually lost. Earlier, they dealt with losses to the Wolverines and the South Florida Bulls in an impressive run. Nine years later, the 2021 Bobcats are looking to repeat history.
key players
- Walter Offutt: 19.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.0 APG, 2.3 SPG
- DJ Cooper: 16.7 PAPS, 3.3 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.3 SPG
- Nick Kellogg: 9.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.0 apg
- Evo Baltic: 5.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.7 SPG
Ohio produced a lot of steals during the NCAA tournament, and this is one of the main reasons they were able to win. He played great defense and also disappointed the best Power 5 programs. Although Ohio produced good numbers and performances, none of their players were drafted into the NBA. He has not seen a player drafted since 2003, although Cooper and Kellogg have enjoyed overseas careers.
La Salle (2013)
- Opponent: 13-seed Boise State (first four games), 4-seeds Kansas State, 12-seed Ole Miss, 9-seed Wichita State
- Margin of victory: Two points per game
Exactly a year after Ohio’s successful run, La Salle broke the scene and made the Sweet 16. His run was impressive, as it started in the first four against the Boise State Broncos and knocked out two other teams before falling twice in a row. Hands of the Wichita State. However, all three games won by 13 seeds are NCAA records and will likely stand until the 13 seed makes its way to the Elite Eight.
key players
- Ramon Galloway: 18.8 PAPS, 5.0 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.3 SPG
- Jerrell Wright: 14.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.0 bpg
- Tyrone Mala: 14.3 PSP, 3.5 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.5 SPG
- Sam Mills: 10 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.8 apg
La Salle relied heavily on these four players for their offense during the NCAA tournament. Galloway, a South Carolina transfer, was his star and Garland provided pop for him off the bench. Neither of these players ended up playing in the NBA, but Galloway is still playing overseas and has some summer league stents with NBA teams.
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