March Madness: Top 5 Cinderellas in men's college basketball history
One of the hallmarks of March Madness has always been thrilling underdog journeys.
This year, not so much.
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10th-seeded Arkansas, which upset No. 2 St. John’s to reach the Sweet 16, is this year’s only low-seeded Cinderella; the next lowest seeds are Ole Miss and BYU at No. 6.
In honor of the March Madness spirit of underdogs past, we name five of the greatest Cinderellas to ever grace the Big Dance.
1. University of Maryland, Baltimore County (2018)
UMBC (America East Conference) achieved the unthinkable in 2018: It became the first 16-seed to defeat a No. 1 seed when it shocked Virginia (ACC).
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Even more impressive: The final score wasn’t close. After entering halftime with a 21-21 tie, the Retrievers took control in the second half, beating the Cavaliers, 74-54.
2. Villanova (1985)
The 8th-seeded Villanova Wildcats won the national championship over Big East rival — and No. 1 seed — Georgetown, in one of the biggest upsets in college basketball history.
The Wildcats entered the tournament with a 19-10 record, compared to Georgetown’s 35-3 record. And while Georgetown, led by future NBA Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing, easily dominated its competition in the tournament, Villanova eked out narrow wins over top-seed Michigan and 5-seed Maryland en route to the final.
But then Villanova shot 78.6% from the field, a record for an NCAA tournament game, and defeated the mighty Hoyas 66-64. Thanks to their performance, the 1985 title matchup has been deemed “The Perfect Game.”
3. Loyola Marymount (1990)
The 11th-seeded Lions (West Coast Conference) made an improbably deep run in the tournament just after the tragic on-court death of their All-American star Hank Gathers. Gathers, who was taking medication for an abnormal heartbeat, collapsed on his home court during the semifinals of the WCC tournament, one day after getting 28 points and 11 rebounds in a win over Gonzaga. After collapsing, he was overheard saying, "I don't want to lay down."
During the NCAA tournament, Gathers’s teammate and future NBA player Bo Kimble led Loyola Marymount to the Elite Eight with victories over 6-seed New Mexico State, 3-seed Michigan and 7-seed Alabama. The right-handed Kimble shot his first free throw in each of those games with his left hand in honor of his fallen teammate, making all three shots.
4. Fairleigh Dickinson (2023)
Fairleigh Dickinson (Northeast Conference) became the second 16-seed to beat a top seed when they stunned Purdue (Big Ten). However, the Knights did it in even more impressive fashion considering they were a First Four team that had to win their first game to even reach the round of 64. In seven tournament appearance, it was the first time they made it past the first round.
However, the Knights' fairy tale run ended in the second round at the hands of…
5. Florida Atlantic (2023)
The Owls, in their first-ever NCAA tournament appearance, were awarded a 9-seed after going 35-4 and winning the Conference USA championship. They parlayed that into a stunning Final Four run, during which time they beat fellow Cinderella Fairleigh Dickinson as well as 4-seed Tennessee and 3-seed Kansas, before ultimately falling to 5-seed San Diego State.
The information included within this article was produced in part with the assistance of artificial intelligence. The statements in this article do not necessarily reflect the positions, strategies or opinions of AT&T.
