I’ll say something about the game tomorrow. Still too high and shocked. But very quickly:
1, That extends our winning streak in NCAA tourney games from the sweet 16 forward to an unbelievable 18 straight. Last loss being in the ‘09 Final Four to Michigan State.
2. That extends our winning streak in regionals (rounds 3 and 4) to 14 straight. We have won 7 straight regionals we have made with the last loss going back to ‘06.
Those two numbers are not impressive, they are closer to statistically impossible.
3. To get out of the East Region this year, we only had to beat UCLA, the team with the most national championships ever, Duke, the only team to compete with us for championships over the last 35 years and the team that has dominated that period in terms of Final Fours and Sweet Sixteens, and Michigan State, maybe the most consistently good but not great program in the last 25 years as well as the last team to beat us past the first two rounds.
What this program has accomplished out of nowhere for the last 36 years is truly remarkable.