With March Madness a Month Away, Top 5 Upsets in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament

The March Madness is about to begin and much like other times, this year too will be special because of the nature of the knockout round. Even if teams have had a dull regular season, they’ve a perfect chance to prove their worth in this one-of-a-kind elimination tourney.

A lot of teams especially underdogs have previously made it to the tournament and then kicked out some of the prestigious teams in what were the most famous upset matches. Let’s have a look at the five best thrillers during the March Madness in all these years. 

UMBC 74, Virginia 54 – 2018 First Round

The UMBC Retrievers were the No. 16 seed team in the 2018 March Madness. They clashed against the Virginia Cavaliers in the First Round. In the first half, both of the teams scored an equal 21 points and it was in the next half that the Retrievers decimated a humongous 53 points in response to the Cavaliers 33. The final scorecard read in favor of the UMBC with a 74-54 tally.

For the Retrievers the top scorer was their guard J. Lyles who smoked an exceptional 28 points. The team also did extremely well defensively as their forward A. Lamar nabbed 10 rebounds. With this win, the UMBC became a favorite of the fans and were expected to go all the way. The upset by the UMBC was extremely shocking because the Cavaliers had only lost 2 games that season whereas the UMBC had an abysmal display even against the Albany. Overall, it was one of the most exciting matches to have been played in college basketball.

Fairleigh Dickinson 63, Purdue 58 – 2023 First Round

The Fairleigh Dickinson clashed with the Purdue Boilermakers during the first round of the tournament. Much like the previous upset mentioned, the Boilermakers were a no. 1 ranked team whereas the Dickinson were positioned at the 16th spot. The Knights smashed 32 points in the first half while the Purdue could only basket 31. During the second half, the Knights scored 31 points in response to the Purdue’s 27.

The game was a neck-to-neck competition in which the Knights had the last word. For the Knights the top performer was their guard Sean Moore who thrashed 19 points with 5 rebounds. Other than that, guard Demetre Roberts smoked 12 points and Cameron Tweedy pocketed 10 with 6 rebounds and 2 assists.

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Therefore, a normal Knights team that day decimated the mighty Purdue and this game went down with the fans as one of the most thrilling contests to enjoy in the March Madness in recent times.

Villanova 66, Georgetown 64 – 1985 National Championship Game

The Villanova Wildcats locked horns with the Georgetown Hoyas in this national championship game in 1985. The Hoyas were the favorite to win the contest. However, a resilient Villanova edged past their competitors in dream fashion. The Wildcats in both halves just managed to score an extra point which ultimately became the deciding margin between the two teams. The Hoyas got the shock of their life in this game as the Wildcats matched them with every step and had a counter for most of their moves.

The Villanova had a great shooting percentage of 78.6% from the field and it helped the Wildcats in getting the choicest of wins. For the Villanova, the three standout performances were by Dwayne McClain, Ed Pinckney, and Harold Pressley. While McClain and Pinckney smoked 17 and 16 points respectively, Pressley besotted 11 points. The performances were impressive, to say the least and the Wildcats had the last laugh in an otherwise crunch situation.

George Mason 86, Connecticut 84 – 2006 Regional Final

The George Mason squared off against the Connecticut during the 2006 Regional Finals and got the better of their opponents. While the Mason scored 86, the Connecticut only decimated 84, and hence the Mason emerged victorious. During the first half, the Mason smashed 34 points as the Connecticut had a clear advantage with 43. During the next half, the Mason came back strongly smashing 40 points in response to the Huskies 31. The match was therefore tied at 74 each and went into overtime.

It was OT that changed a few things for Mason as they throttled 12 points and the Huskies could only basket 10. The main thing for Mason in this match was that their starting five sloshed in double digits and a collective team effort helped them win the match. The standout performances were by their forward Jai Lewis who smashed 20 points and the next best was by Will Thomas and Lamar Buttler who scored 19 points each. Overall, a comprehensive team effort lifted the Mason.

Duke 79, UNLV 77 – 1991 Final Four

The Duke Blue Devils clashed with the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels in the 1991 NCAA March Madness Semifinals. While the Duke were seeded at the second spot in the Midwest, the Runnin’ Rebels occupied the top spot in the West and were the obvious favorites to win this much-anticipated clash. However, the tables turned in favor of the Duke who soused an exemplary 79 as the UNVL fumbled at 77. 

During the first half, the Runnin’ Rebels scored 43 points while the Blue Devils could only smash 41. It was the next half that turned the tide in favor of the Blue Devils. The Duke scored 38 points in response to the Runnin’ Rebels 34. Therefore in the final score, the Duke Blue Devils won the contest by a narrow margin of 2 points.