tournaments, but failed to even make the national title game.

So is it actually good to lose a game? Five teams that went 9-1 over their last 10 regular-season games reached the national title game in the past 10 seasons. Three of them won (Louisville in 2013, Duke in 2010, North Carolina in 2009), with Wisconsin in 2015 and Memphis in 2008 coming up short.

Could that bode well for teams like Michigan State and Villanova this season, which have closed out the season winning nine of 10?

There are also a proud group of “underachievers” that ended up reaching the Final Four. In the past five seasons, four teams reached the final weekend despite finishing the last 10 games of the regular season at 5-5. Three of those teams playedthe stretch in Big 12 play, but they were 12-0 this season against nonconference opponents.

In a season with as many upsets as we've already seen, a team could emerge like UConn in 2014. That team did absolutely nothing to hint toward its title run as it closed the regular season. The Huskies did win seven of their last 10 games and reached the American Athletic Conference tournament championship. But they were twice blown out by Louisville during that stretch -- first in an 81-48 bludgeoning in the regular-season finale, then a 71-61 loss in the tournament title game. Those losses didn't stop UConn from winning Kevin Ollie's first championship as coach.

It just goes to show that in the postseason, winning one game can constitute momentum when losing means