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For as long as you spend agonizing over your NCAA Tournament bracket every season, it only takes one upset to obliterate the entire thing. And you're not alone--many a bracket has been destroyed by a surprise upset. For some of the most surprising, check out our list of the top NCAA Tournament Upsets in March Madness history. 1. North Carolina State (No. 6) vs. Houston (No. 1) (1983): Even a team loaded with two future hall-of-famers can't avoid an upset, as Houston learned in this face-off. When NC State's Lorenzo Charles dunked the winning two points off an air ball for a final score of 54-52, it was one of the greatest upsets in NCAA history. |
2. Villanova (No. 8) vs. Georgetown (No. 1) (1985):In one of the most incredible performances in an NCAA Basketball Tournament, the Villanova Wildcats shot an astounding 78 percent from the floor for a championship-winning final score of 66-64 over the highly ranked Georgetown team. To this day, the Wildcats remain the lowest seed to take home the NCAA title.
3. Texas Western vs. Kentucky (No. 5) (1966): This NCAA Tournament game wasn't just an early round upset -- it was for the title. With a final score 72-65, Texas Western (UTEP) not only bested Kentucky, the overwhelming favorite, but also became the first entirely African American starting lineup in championship-game history.
4. University of Arkansas (No. 14) vs. Notre Dame (No. 10) (1986): The Fighting Irish were the 17-point favorites heading into this game, but Arkansas dominated in the second half. The Trojans made an impressive 15 of 19 shots from the field and 9 of 11 shots from the free-throw line in the final minutes of the game for a winning final score of 90-83.
5. LSU (No. 11) vs. Kentucky (No. 1) (1986): Considering LSU had already lost to Kentucky three times, it made sense that the Wildcats were favored to win this matchup. But LSU scored three straight upsets in the 1986 tournament -- over Purdue, then Memphis State, and finally Georgia Tech. When they beat Kentucky 59-57, LSU became the lowest seed ever to make the final four at the time.
6. Missouri (No. 2) loses to Norfolk State (No. 15) (2012): Many were betting on the Tigers, the third-ranked team in the country, to make it to the Final Four in the most recent NCAA Basketball Tournament. But that didn't stop Norfolk State, which shot an impressive 54.2 percent from the floor, ultimately beating the Tigers 86-84.
