Unforgettable Shockers: Top 5 Upsets in NCAA Tournament History's Ranks
Get ready for March Madness, y'all! Here, we're taking a trip down memory lane and sharing some of the most bonkers Cinderella stories from the NCAA men's basketball tourney in recent years.
2013 - Florida Gulf Coast aka "Dunk City"
This squad was still shakin' it off in the Division 1 scene when they stepped onto the court in 2013. Starting their transition in 2007-08, FGCU wasn't even eligible for the tourney until the 2011-12 season. After wheelin' and dealin' their way to a 2012 Atlantic Sun Conference championship, they punched their ticket to dance with some big dogs.
In Philadelphia,y'all, these underdogs faced off against the mighty Georgetown Hoyas, who had just won the Big East regular season championship. But the Eagles weren't about to be a one-and-done story. They racked up a 21-2 run in the second half and hung on for a 78-68 victory, becoming only the seventh team in history to knock off a No. 2 seed as a No. 15 seed. Two days later, FGCU took down No. 7 San Diego State, 81-71, to become the first No. 15 seed to reach the Sweet 16. Alas, their magical ride came to an end against No. 3 seed Florida.
2018 - UMBC
Let's get one thing straight: hardly anyone had ever heard of UMBC before 2018. The Retrievers had only managed one previous NCAA tourney appearance and were facing off against a powerhouse Virginia squad that hadn't lost a single close game all season. The experts predicted a walkover, but the Retrievers had other plans!
With a final score of 74-54, UMBC put a giant wrench in the Cavaliers' plans, handing them their first-ever loss to a No. 16 seed. And boy, was it a shocker! ESPN showed footage of fans and analysts looking absolutely stunned throughout the game. UVA was ranked first in the AP poll, had the nation's best defense, and had only allowed more than 68 points once all season! But the Retrievers came in hot, scorin' 20 points more than the Cavaliers in the second half and liter'ally shut down their 3-point game. Four Retrievers scored in double figures, led by Jairus Lyles's 28 points.
Unfortunately, their escapades were short-lived as they fell to No. 9 Kansas State in the next round, but the UVA game will definitely go down as one of the biggest upsets in history.
2021 - Oral Roberts
If you were thinkin' these teams were just a fluke, think again! Enter Oral Roberts, who finished fourth in the Summit League during the regular season and had only managed two NCAA wins in school history. This group of 15 seemed destined for a first-round exit, facing off against No. 2 seed Ohio State, who was ranked seventh in the AP poll at the time.
But there's no party like a come-from-behind party, 'cause a comeback they did make! Kevin Obanor knocked down 30 points and pulled in 11 boards, while Max Abmas added another 29, leadin' the Eagles to a 75-72 victory in overtime. Two days later, they did it again, defeatin' No. 7 seed Florida in an 81-78 thriller. They only became the second No. 15 seed to reach the Sweet 16 and almost pulled off another shocker, but Arkansas, the No. 3 seed, managed to hold on in the end.
2022 - Saint Peter's
Folks in Jersey City had been used to the glory days of St. Anthony High School, but Saint Peter's had always been an overlooked school on the East Coast. All of that changed in 2022, when they embarked on one of the most improbable runs in NCAA tourney history. After narrowly snatching the conference title, they faced off against No. 2 seed Kentucky, a team with the national player of the year in Oscar Tshiebwe.
But these Peacocks weren't about to be strangled by the Wildcats! With a final score of 85-79 in overtime, Saint Peter's managed to hand Kentucky their first opening round loss since coach John Calipari arrived in 2009-10. They kept the momentum rollin', defeatin' No. 7 seed Murray State and No. 3 seed Purdue before finally bowin' out to North Carolina in the Elite Eight.
2023 - Fairleigh Dickinson
Once again, a New Jersey school took the nation by storm! In 2023, Fairleigh Dickinson became the second No. 16 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed when they upset Purdue. It seemed like an impossible task, as they had just lost in the final of the Northeast Conference title game to Merrimack, who couldn't play in the tourney due to a transition to Division 1. But the Knights managed to squeak by Texas Southern in the First Four to meet the formidable Boilermakers.
The game was tight all the way through, but the Knights managed to hold Purdue to just 5 of 26 from behind the arc and only 35.8% shootin' overall. With a final score of 63-58, the Knights shocked the nation and won only the third NCAA tournament game in school history. They fell to No. 9 seed Florida Atlantic in the next round, but their spot in the history books was sewn up after that historic upset of Purdue.
Although the NCAA calendar is filled with sports events throughout the year, the unpredictability of March Madness never ceases to amaze. Merrimack's absence from the tournament in 2023 did not hinder Fairleigh Dickinson from creating a Cinderella story, as they stunned the No. 1 seed Purdue with a 63-58 victory. In a similar vein, Saint Peter's from New Jersey built a remarkable run in 2022, defeating Kentucky, Murray State, and Purdue before their Elite Eight exit against North Carolina. Earlier, in 2021, Oral Roberts, a team with only two previous NCAA wins, defied expectations by reaching the Sweet 16 after victories against Ohio State and Florida. The unpredictability of NCAA basketball is best exemplified by the 2018 UMBC Retrievers, who handily defeated the first-ranked Virginia Cavaliers and almost reached the Sweet 16, foreshadowing the 2021 and 2023 upsets. The 2013 Florida Gulf Coast Eagles, pioneers of the Dunk City era, also stunned the basketball world by beating Georgetown, San Diego State, and reaching the Sweet 16, proving that even lesser-known teams can make a momentous impact on the NCAA calendar.
