Breaking News

Florida mayor blasts cop for treatment of 'frightened' Gisele Bündchen who cried over paparazzi during traffic stop
College Basketball

The 10 biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history

By
Social Links for Howie Kussoy
Published March 19, 2014, 8:55 a.m. ET

It’s what makes March Madness so special.

When a team pulls an NCAA Tournament upset that no one expected and becomes darlings of the nation for 48 hours.

Here are the 10 best:

  1. 1. N.C. State over Houston, 1983

    The Wolfpack almost didn’t make the NCAA Tournament, having to win the ACC tournament, and had to face Akeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler and Phi Slama Jama in the title game. When Derrick Whittenburg’s last-second shot fell short and into the hands of Lorenzo Charles, coach Jim Valvano ran around the floor looking for someone to hug, just as shocked by what he saw.

  2. 2. Villanova over Georgetown, 1985

    Though familiar foes, the Wildcats were heavy underdogs going up against Patrick Ewing and the defending champion Hoyas. To beat Georgetown, Villanova would have to play perfect, and it just about did, shooting 78 percent from the floor, while missing one shot in the second half, to hold on for the title, 66-64.

  3. 3. Duke over UNLV, 1991

    This Blue Devils team would go on to win back-to-back titles, and yet this result remains stunning 23 years later. UNLV had won the 1990 championship, defeating Duke by 30, and the Runnin’ Rebels were 34-0 heading into the Final Four, led by Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon and Greg Anthony. The game had 25 lead changes, but Christian Laettner’s free throws with 12.7 seconds left ended UNLV’s historic run.

  4. 4. Richmond over Syracuse, 1991

    There once was a time when you could put every No. 2 seed into the second round without a second thought. And then, the Spiders became the first No. 15 seed to knock off a No. 2.

  5. 5. Texas Western over Kentucky, 1966

    Adolph Rupp and Kentucky were the standard of success in college basketball. Then the all-white Wildcats met the first title team to start five black players and the game was never the same.

  6. 6. Princeton over UCLA, 1996

    The Bruins had lost some pieces from the previous year, but were still the defending champions. As the No. 4 seed, UCLA got beat by a classic Princeton backdoor layup with 3.9 seconds left, giving the 13th-seeded Tigers a 43-41 win.

  7. 7. Hampton over Iowa State, 2001

    The second-seeded Cyclones, led by Jamaal Tinsley, were on their way to the second round until Tarvis Williams hit a shot with 6.9 seconds remaining. Iowa State still had a chance, but Tinsley missed a layup with 1.2 seconds left, securing Hampton’s 58-57 upset on the first day of the tournament.

  8. 8. George Mason over UConn, 2006

    The Patriots, seeded 11th, became the second double-digit seed to advance to the Final Four and the first mid-major team to do it. The Huskies were among the favorites to win it all, but George Mason’s overtime Elite Eight win made it the most popular team in America.

  9. 9. Santa Clara over Arizona, 1993

    No. 2 seed Arizona had superior talent with Damon Stoudamire and Khalid Reeves, but the Broncos, led by then-unknown Steve Nash, who made six straight late free throws, pulled out a 64-61 stunner and became the second 15th seed to win a game in the NCAA Tournament.

  10. 10. Norfolk State over Missouri, 2012

    A No. 16 has never defeated a No. 1 seed, but this was basically that. The Tigers were considered contenders for the national title, and probably should have been a No. 1 seed, while the Spartans were probably over-seeded. Kyle O’Quinn of Queens said it all after putting up 26 points and 14 rebounds: “We messed up some brackets!”