:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72067703/937044270.0.jpg "NCAA Tournament 2023: Best performances by a No. 10 seed in March Madness history")
The 2023 NCAA men's basketball tournament begins with the First Four contests on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 14-15. Then the field will be set, and the first round will begin on Thursday, March 16. The No. 10 seeds have had trouble historically in the first round against No. 7 seeds, holding just a 57-87 record since 1985. However, a few 10 seeds managed to make extended runs in previous tournaments.
The best performance by a No. 10 seed happened when the Syracuse Orange reached the Final Four in 2016. Syracuse ran away from No. 7 Dayton by a score of 70-51 in the first round. From there, the Orange defeated Middle Tennessee, Gonzaga, and No. 1 Virginia to punch their ticket to the Final Four in Houston, TX. North Carolina then beat Syracuse 83-66, ending the Cinderella run for the No. 10 seed.
Which No. 10 seed, if any, is poised for an extended run in the 2023 NCAA Tournament?
West: Boise State
South: Utah State
East: USC
Midwest: Penn State