March Madness Upsets

An upset is when a lower-seeded team defeats a higher-seeded team in the March Madness, as the tournament is a single elimination event.

It's obvious that March Madness is as unpredictable and thrilling as ever in light of the dramatic upsets that occurred in the NCAA Tournament this year. College basketball fans anxiously expect upsets every year as lower-seeded teams overcome odds and triumph against higher-ranked opponents. There have been some absolutely amazing March Madness upsets over the tournament's history that have gone down in NCAA Tournament lore.

Notable Upsets in History

These are the top March Madness upsets of all time, ranging from surprising first-round upsets to Cinderella runs to the Final Four. Let's remember the top March Madness moments in which underdogs triumphed and created history in the premier collegiate basketball competition.

Santa Clara over Arizona (1993)

Santa Clara, a 15-seed, defeated Arizona, a 2-seed, 64-61, in the opening round of the 1993 NCAA Tournament. Steve Nash, a junior guard, led Santa Clara in the surprise with 10 points and five assists.

Valparaiso over Ole Miss (1998)

Four-seed Ole Miss was defeated 70-69 by 13-seed Valparaiso in the opening round of the 1998 NCAA Tournament. Bryce Drew of Valparaiso, who was mentored by his father, Homer Drew, made a 3-pointer to win the game.

Mercer over Duke (2014)

2014 NCAA Tournament round one saw 14-seed Mercer defeat 3-seed Duke 78-71. Langston Hall, a senior guard, scored a professional 30 points to help Mercer win.

Loyola-Chicago over Miami (2018)

Loyola-Chicago, an 11-seed in the 2018 NCAA Tournament, defeated Miami, a 6-seed, 64-62. After then, Loyola-Chicago made a Cinderella journey to the Final Four, winning over hearts worldwide.

Butler over Syracuse (2010)

Butler, a 5-seed, defeated Syracuse, a 1-seed, 63-59, in the Sweet 16. Butler's defence limited Syracuse to only 17 points in the second half, and the Bulldogs advanced to the title game.

Davidson over Georgetown (2008)

Ten-seed In the 2008 NCAA Tournament's second round, Davidson defeated 2-seed Georgetown. Davidson's standout guard Stephen Curry led the team with 30 points and six three-pointers made.

George Mason over UConn (2006)

11-seed George Mason defeated 1-seed UConn 86-84 in overtime in the Final Eight. George Mason eventually made it to the Final Four, becoming the first double-digit seed to do so.

NC State over Houston (1983)

In the NCAA Tournament's all-time most remarkable upset, 6-seed NC State defeated 1-seed Houston in the final. Lorenzo Charles of NC State made a dunk with a few seconds left to seal the Wolfpack's 54-52 victory.

Villanova over Georgetown (1985)

In the 1985 NCAA Championship game, the 8-seed Villanova Wildcats shocked the 1-seed Georgetown Hoyas, who were strongly favoured. Villanova won 66-64 with an impressive 78.6% shooting percentage.

UMBC over Virginia (2018)

16-seed UMBC defeated top-seeded Virginia 74-54 in what is likely the biggest upset in college basketball history. In the history of the NCAA Tournament, it was the first occasion a 16-seed defeated a 1-seed.

Arizona over Princeton (2023)

No. 15 Princeton defeated No. 2 Arizona 59-55. The Tigers scored the game's final nine points to defeat their second Pac-12 powerhouse program. Mitch Henderson, the head coach of Princeton, was a member of Pete Carill's 1996 UCLA-beating team. Tosan Evbuomwan led Princeton with 15 points.

Purdue over Fairleigh Dickinson (2023)

No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson defeated No. 1 Purdue 63-58. The shortest squad in the nation stunned Purdue and 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey in the biggest upset of the season. FDU was the underdog by 25.5 points going into the game.

The Knights were the second team from the 16th seed to defeat the top seed. Before defeating Purdue, FDU had to defeat Texas Southern in the First Four. Sean Moore, a guard, scored 19 points to help the Knights win with a swarming defense.

Key Factors in Upsets

Here are some key factors to think about when identifying teams that could pull off an unexpected victory:

1. The non-conference schedule's strengths

Since teams from smaller divisions typically pull off March Madness shocks, it can be challenging to gauge the standard of competition. But early in the schedule's non-conference portion, a lot of mid-majors will face teams from strong conferences. Review any early contests with renowned opponents to see how those tiny institutions performed.

2. Pace mismatches

Pace and timing have been significant X-factors in many March Madness shocks. Determine whether a team can enforce that pace and manner of play in the initial matches by understanding how it interacts with its opponent.

3. Sleeper Superstars

A few small-conference players from previous seasons are probably familiar to March Madness fans off the top of their heads (Ali Farokhmanesh, anyone?). These lesser-known athletes, contributing to their teams' success all season, suddenly found themselves in the national limelight after noteworthy NCAA Tournament shocks. Take a careful look at the star players from the small conferences because sometimes having the most outstanding player on the court is all you need to start a Big Dance shocker.

4. Foul shooting and 3-Point

A March Madness surprise typically requires the outsider to play nearly flawless basketball. Making significant plays and not leaving any points on the table is required. Quick shooting from beyond the line and effective free-throw shooting have been the catalysts for several noteworthy NCAA Tournament upsets.

Upset Potential in the 2023–24 Tournament

The top most potential of the 2023–24 event is as follows:

McNeese over Auburn

Auburn might receive the fifth seed, while the McNeese can be the 12th seed. Auburn’s form, as they have won three of their past five games and are 4-3 in their last seven, while McNeese seems in good form, going 5-0.

Oklahoma over Dayton

Oklahoma is expected to finish in the tenth spot, while Dayton appears to be getting the seventh seed. They are both excellent upset picks because they are still attempting to put up a winning streak.

UC Irvine over Alabama

Alabama is expected to finish as the #4 seed, while UC Irvine is projected to finish as the 13th seed. But Alabama has dropped from third place after losing its past two games. On the other hand, UC Irvine is confident heading into March Madness, having won their last three games.

Richmond over Clemson

Richmond is 6-0, while Clemson is 4-2 in the previous six games. Clemson has fallen from fourth to fifth place as a result. That makes Richmond a strong contender to pull off the historic 12 to 5 shock, making it a great upset choice.