Low Seed Wins
As the NCAA Final Four approaches it appears to be the year of the high seed for NCAA Division 1 men and women basketball. The high seeds chosen by the tournament selection committee have prevailed.
The term “seeding” comes from the idea of planting seeds in a garden, where the best seeds (teams/players) are spread out to ensure they grow (advance) without crowding each other early on.
The main goal of seeding is to ensure that the strongest teams or players do not face each other in the early rounds of the tournament. This setup increases the likelihood that the best competitors will advance to the later stages. The goal is so that they can try to make it as unlikely as possible for the top seeds, who are almost always the best teams, to play each other in the early stages of the tournament.
Since 1985, when the NCAA men’s Tournament expanded to 64 teams, a No. 1 seed has won the championship 64.1% of the time (25 of 39 tournaments). Since the field grew to 68 teams in 2011, that number has increased to 69.2%, with a No. 1 seed winning 9 of the last 13 titles.
So you’re saying there is a chance!
Every once in a while a team overcomes the odds and climbs to the top as a low seed. This year we were blessed to experience the nearly impossible journey of reaching not only the NAIA Fab Four, but overcoming the odds to reach the championship game.
I have reached six championship games in my lifetime: 1991 as a college basketball player as the lowest seed, 1996 as a high school coach as a unranked low seed, 2005 as the 31 seed of 32, 2009 as the 1 Seed, 2013 as a lower seed, and in 2025 just this past week as a low 7 Seed.
My teams have been blessed to go 3-3 in championship games, while only once being the no 1 seed. Every journey has been incredibly sweet and memorable, but there is something incredibly beautiful about reaching the top as a low seed.
Every time we achieved this nearly impossible journey as a low seed, I know without a doubt that God stepped into our huddle, joined us, working with us, through us, and even carrying us in the climb.
Do you realize that when Adam and Eve sinned the road to eternal life with our God became impossible to reach? This is the absolute definition of being the lowest seed, with zero way to the top! Yet, God loved us so much that He sent His only beloved Son to be sacrificed, tortured and murdered in order to choose the lowest seed and provide him or her the opportunity to not only reach, but to win the greatest Championship of all-time! Low Seed Wins!
We must decrease, so He can increase!
In our weakness, we find strength in Jesus!
Lowest Seed Wins!