March Madness - The Greatest Upsets

Is it possible to contract March Madness in February? If so, then count me among the infected!

With the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament looming on the horizon, I thought it might be fun to take a look back at some of the greatest upsets in March Madness history. After all, that’s one of the many things which makes the yearly tournament an event to remember.

By the way, be sure and check out Bodog sportsbook for all your NCAA wagering needs. It doesn‘t get any better.

GREAT UPSETS IN MARCH MADNESS HISTORY

No. 2 Syracuse vs. No. 15 Richmond (1991)

The Orangemen of Syracuse were a national power in men’s basketball, while the Richmond Spiders entered the tournament knowing that a 15th seed had never won a tournament game. Richmond took an early lead and managed to keep it, much to the surprise of everyone (including Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim). Syracuse kept the game close, and they moved within a point with only 32 seconds left on the clock. But Richmond would not be denied, as they hit a trio of free throws in the waning seconds to clinch the win. The final score was 73 for Richmond and 69 for Syracuse.

No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 14 Arkansas-Little Rock (1986)

The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame were ranked 10th in the nation, while the Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans were 17-point underdogs. As the second half of the game rolled around, the Trojans started heating up and eventually connected on 15 of 19. The Irish made a strong showing, but on that night, the Trojans were just too much.

Texas Western vs. Kentucky (1966 - NCAA Championship Game)

Smack in the middle of the civil rights movement, the all-white powerhouse of Kentucky took on the all-black starting five from a small school in Texas. The Kentucky Wildcats were led by legendary coach Adolph Rupp and boasted star players in Louie Dampier and Pat Riley. The Texas Western Miners were huge underdogs, with the first all-black starting five in the history of the tournament finals. But when the dust had cleared, the Miners had pulled off a 72-65 victory and helped change the landscape of sports. Historically speaking, it is certainly the most important game in NCAA basketball history.

No. 1 Houston vs. No. 6 North Carolina State (1983 - NCAA Championship Game)

The North Caroline State Wolfpack had suffered 10 defeats during the regular season and nobody expected them to advance to the finals of the tournament. Led by plucky coach Jim Valvano, they had narrowly avoided elimination at the hands of Pepperdine, UNLV and Virginia.

The Houston Cougars, meanwhile, were led by the faux fraternity of “Phi Slamma Jamma,” better known as future NBA Hall of Famers Hakeen “The Dream” Olajuwon and Clyde “The Glide” Drexler. On a 25-game win streak, they were expected to crush the upstart Wolfpack.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the title. NC State was up by the half, a feat which left many observers scratching their heads. The Cougars battled back and went on a 17-2 run in the third, eventually taking a 43-35 lead. It looked to be over, but nobody bothered to tell the Wolfpack. Led by Dereck Whittenburg, the Pack came back and tied the game at 52 in the closing minute.

A missed free throw by Houston gave NC State the ball. They held on until the final seconds and then made their move, but a pass to Whittenburg was deflected by Drexler. Amazingly, Whittenburg was still able to grab the ball and heave it up from 30 feet away. It was short, but NC State player Lorenzo Charles flew through the air, grabbed the ball, and slammed it home.

The game was over, and the Wolfpack had just upset the Cougars by a score of 54 to 52. The image of Jimmy V running around “just looking for someone to hug” is one of the most lasting images in sports history.

No. 1 Georgetown vs. No. 8 Villanova (1985 - NCAA Championship)

The Georgetown Hoyas, led by future NBA great Patrick Ewing, had won the 1984 NCAA title, and most expected the powerhouse team to repeat. After all, the Villanova Wildcats had already fallen to Georgetown twice in the regular season.

But the third time was a charm, as Villanova slowed down the tempo and took advantage of the tournament’s lack of a shot clock in 1985. With just over 2 minutes remaining, Villanova took a 55-54 lead and then proceeded to hit 11 of 14 free throws in the closing minutes to seal the win. While the Hoyas had held opponents to under 40% shooting during the season, the Wildcats made a staggering 78.6% from the field that night. With a 66-64 victory, the Wildcats also became the lowest-seeded team to ever win the NCAA tournament.

For more March Madness, click on the links below:

March Madness - Top 25 Rankings

2007 March Madness - Bodog Stats

March Madness - The Greatest Upsets