Ahhh, March Madness! There really is something fantastical about this time of year, isn’t there? Something in the air? Something that magically transforms people with no knowledge of college basketball into heralded geniuses who suddenly have little extra cash lining their pockets? Kind of pisses you off, doesn’t it?

Well, as Carlos Santana once said, those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Or in other words, before you fill out your bracket, maybe you should take a look at the most famous March Madness upsets to see if you can make any sense of it all. Maybe there is a pattern or indicator that will make you look like a genius for once.

So here, without further ado, are the 11 Biggest Upsets in NCAA Tournament History

11. #15 Hampton over #2 Iowa State, 58-57 – First Round, 2001

Iowa State finished the 2001 season ranked #10 in the AP Poll, so maybe their #2 seed was a little generous. Still, Hampton had never been to the tournament before. Oh, and did I mention Iowa State lost on a missed layup with 1.2 tics left on the clock? Ouch. The one point victory meant the Hampton Pirates beat the spread by a whopping 17.5 points! (Another famous #15 seed, Coppin State, beat the spread by 18.5 points over South Carolina in 1997. But the final score of that game, 78-65, was not nearly as exciting.)

10. #15 Richmond over #2 Syracuse, 73-69 – First Round,1991

The Richmond Spiders messed up every office pool in the country in 1991 by becoming the lowest seed to ever win a first round game.

Photo: Sports Illustrated

9. #15 Santa Clara over #2 Arizona, 64-61 – First Round, 1993

The greatest of the #15 seed victories (there have been only four), Santa Clara beat a real powerhouse that was ranked #6 nationally. Freshman guard and future NBA MVP Steve Nash nailed six straight free throws late in the game to help his Broncos beat the spread by a tournament record 19.5 points.

Photo: AP via collegehoopsjournal.com

8. #2 Duke over #1 UNLV, 79-77 – Semifinal Game,1991

Since it is illegal to talk about college hoops without mentioning Duke and/or Mike Krzyzewski, I’ll slide this upset in at #9. Those born after 1982 might wonder, “why is a #2 beating a #1 considered a huge upset?” They might also wonder, “who the hell is UNLV?” Well, kids, the Rebels from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas were, in the early 90s, one of the greatest NCAA basketball teams of all time. They won the 1990 championship against Duke by 30 points, then went undefeated (27-0) the next year. More than any other team in recent memory, UNLV was considered invincible. Yet, with a ferocious defensive performance, Duke managed to do the impossible, defeating the UNLV and putting an end to their 45-game winning streak.

Photo: AP via collegehoopsjournal.com

7. #9 Boston College over #1UNC, 75-72 – Round Two, 1994

North Carolina was not just a #1 seed in 1994. They were the #1 team in the country, and they had made an amazing 13 consecutive Sweet 16 appearances. This was a team and a program in its prime. So when the Tar Heels were defeated in the second round by the unranked BC Eagles, who had cracked the top 25 only seven times all year—never reaching higher than #18—it was a pretty big deal.

Photo: Sports Illustrated

6. #11 LSU over #1 Kentucky, 59-57 – Elite 8, 1986

Kentucky was ranked #3 in the nation and considered a championship favorite heading into the 1986 tournament. LSU, on the other hand, was unranked after losing three key players and being hit hard by a chicken pox epidemic (no kidding). Even after a huge Sweet 16 win against #2 seed Georgia Tech, LSU were still underdogs against the Wildcats, having already lost to them three times that season alone. But thanks to something called “The Freak” defense, the Bayou Tigers defeated UK and became the lowest seed to make the Final Four until…

Photo: AP via Wall Street Journal

5. #11 George Mason over #1 UConn, 86-84 (OT) – Elite 8, 2006

The best Cinderella story this decade, little George Mason University of the just-as-little Colonial Athletic Association Conference captivated the sporting world in March of 2006 with their thrilling run to the Final Four. Though an eleven seed had been to the Final Four once before (see above), that team was from a major collegiate athletics power in a major conference. This time around it really was David vs. Goliath, a little-known team made up of unknowns up against a nationally renowned program with top players. It would have been a huge deal if the GMU Patriots defeated the Connecticut Huskies in the opening round; it was unthinkable in the Elite 8. And what a game.

4. Canisius College over #2 NC State, 79-78 (OT) – First Round, 1956

This is basically the 1950s equivalent of something we have never seen in the 64+ team era: a #1 seed losing in the first round. Of course, technically, there were no seeds in 1956. Only 25 teams were invited to the dance back then, with each conference sending only one. Needless to say, the #2 ranked NC State Wolfpack were heavy favorites to trample the unranked Canisius Golden Griffons. But Canisius managed to pull off an incredible quadruple overtime victory—easily the greatest upset of the era.

Photo: North Carolina State University

3. Texas Western over #5 Kentucky, 72-65 – Championship Game, 1966

The Kentucky Wildcats were not as dominant as some of the other overthrown favorites on this list. After all, they were only #5 in the nation heading into the tournament. Still, they were pretty damned good. And this team, with its unabashedly racist head coach, Adolph Rupp, was heavily favored against Texas Western and its all-black starting five. Nevertheless, Texas Western (now UTEP) beat Kentucky in a barn-burner of a game. While they were not the first National Champions to start black players (Loyola University Chicago won it all in ’63 starting three black players), they were the first with an all-black starting lineup, and the biggest underdog champions until…

2. #6 NC State over #1 Houston, 54-52 – Championship Game,1983

The ’83 Houston Cougars were led by two future NBA legends in Hakeem “the Dream” Olajuwon and Clyde “the Glide” Drexler. The Cougars finished the regular season as the #1 team in the nation and were collectively known as “Phi Slama Jama,” so named for the fast-paced showmanship of their game. Going into the championship game, Olajuwon boldly predicted “the team with the most dunks will win.” The NC State Wolfpack were hardly nobodies at #16 in the nation, but it took an impressive late-season streak just to get them to that ranking, and nobody thought they had a chance against Houston. So it was quite a shock to see Lorenzo Charles dunk the winning two points in the last second of the game, and then see Wolfpack coach Jimmy Valvano running around like a chicken with its head cut off.

1. #8 Villanova over #1 Georgetown, 66-64 – Championship Game,1985

The NC State win over Houston may have the most well-known on-court celebration in the history of March Madness, but this game is definitely the biggest upset. Patrick Ewing and the Georgetown Hoyas won their first NCAA Championship in 1984 and were widely expected to repeat in ’85, beginning and ending the regular season ranked #1 in the nation. Villanova, meanwhile, didn’t make a single appearance in the Top 20 all season. So how did they manage to defeat the mighty Hoyas and become the lowest seed to ever win an NCAA Championship? Well, not having to worry about a shot clock certainly didn’t hurt—it was the last NCAA game played without one. But really it all came down to hot-shooting: the ‘Nova Wildcats shot 78% from the field against nation’s best defense, enough to get a standing ovation from their opponents after the game.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NCAA_Men%27s_Division_I_Basketball_Championship#Upsets

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NCAA_Men%27s_Division_I_Basketball_Championship_upsets

http://espn.go.com/page2/s/list/ncaatourneyupset.html

http://espn.go.com/classic/s/Classic_cinderella.html

http://www.collegepollarchive.com/mbasketball/ap/

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/630223-march-madness-the-xx-biggest-upsets-in-tournament-history/page/1

Close call

Memphis 81 Cal State Northridge 70

After all the hoopla about Memphis being a one seed this is how they come out of the gate? Early foul trouble for the Tigers put them in a hole as did turnovers. Memphis needed 10 threes from Roburt Sallie, who normally averages 4.5 points a game, to fend off Cal State Northridge. Will this be a wake up call for the Tigers or a confidence shaker? Up next is a gritty Maryland team that is building confidence.

Wake me up when its over

There were a number of games that made you want to take a nap. The one and two seeds (UConn, UNC, Duke, Oklahoma) cruised, which was expected. Texas A&M handled BYU, Maryland and Washington won by double digits, Purdue controlled most of the game against Northern Iowa (where Kurt Warner went to school)  and Texas took care of lowly Minnesota by 14. Boring.

Struggle City

The Wildcats of Villanova had to have a second half surge to take care of American after facing a 10 point deficit at the half. The worst part it was a basic home game in Philadelphia.

Gonzaga was only up 3 on Akron  with 8 minutes to go. Eventually they pulled away, but seriously Akron? You need a better showing if you want to take down Western Kentucky and possibly UNC in the next two rounds. Besides I thought Michigan football was the only team to struggle against the Mid-American Conference.

A gimpse of what we hope for

There were some finishes that reminded you of why you are watching nearly 12 hours of basketball

Michigan 62 Clemson 59

With Michigan up as much as 16, Clemson clawed back into it with a chance to tie at the end of the game. Ultimately Michigan’s 1-3-1 zone was too much for Clemson, who underachieved once again in the tournament.

LSU 75 Butler 71

Losing for most of the game Butler came back in the second half and got within three of the Tigers. Yet solid free throw shooting down the stretch put the game away. Next up for LSU is UNC. Have fun with that.

UCLA 65 VCU 64

Eric Maynor has been there before. With just under 12 seconds left he looked like he could do it again. Trailing by one Maynor struggled to get across half court pump faked and then put up a shot online that fell short. Darren Collison stellar defense on Maynor kept the Bruins from being on the losing end of the first buzzer beater of the tournament.

All Alone

Their was one real upset Thursday (and no an 8 over a 9 or a 10 over a 7 doesn’t count). Western Kentucky took care of Illinois 76-72. Behind a stat stuffing night by Orlando Mendez-Valdez (11 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assist, 2 steals, the Hilltoppers held off a final Illinois’ run to advance to the second round, which means more of this guy. Which is fine by me.

Questions to be answered

• How will the ‘Cuse look coming off of their marathon of a Big East tournament?

• Who will win the one on one battle of Dionte Christmas (Temple) and James Harden (Arizona State)?

• Can Siena be this years Davidson? They start with Ohio State with a game in the last set of the day.

• How will Pitt look after their early exit from the Big East Tournament?

• Can Arizona prove that it belongs in the field?

Hope for tomorrow

With the risk of sounding like a certain somebody, there is hope for tomorrow. What makes this tourney great is upsets. Real upsets. The ones where your boys text you asking if the earths axis has been disrupted or that if indeed the Rapture is coming. No weak upsets like Arizona (who actually is a favorite) over Utah. You come hard or you don’t come at all. There is tons of potential.

Utah State and Temple could do some damage as 11 seeds over 6 seeds. As could Wisconsin as a 12 seed against Florida State.

Major upsets could be brewing. Cleveland State, who beat Syracuse and Butler this year, could give Wake Forest all they can handle. Portland State, a winner over Gonzaga earlier in the season, could also hang with Xaiver. But my favorite hopeful upset is North Dakota State against Kansas.

Ben Woodside and crew take on the Jayhawks in their first time in the tournament. With dangerous three point shooting if the Bison are on watch out. They play at 12:30 on Friday and the best part is that Gus Johnson is doing the game. Get ready for some serious madness.

Predictions:

• At least one 14 or 13 seed will win tomorrow.

• As will one 12 seed and two 11 seeds.

• East Tennessee State will hang with Pitt for the first 15 minutes.

• There will be one buzzer beater and God willing Gus Johnson will be calling it.

Enjoy day 2.

This is why we love March Madness. We love it for the Bucknells, George Masons, and Princetons of the world. Sure we love seeing top dogs face off. But not like seeing Bryce Drew’s shot to carry Valparaiso over Mississippi.

We do love upsets, but most of all we love getting them right. Showing your friends that you had that 13 over a 4, or that 11 seed into the Elite 8.

The search for Cinderella can be agonizing so here to help is an overview of those who could wear the glass slipper, from the 16 seeds to the 11 seeds. Those armed with the smallest of pebbles, and those with multiple stones to chuck at Goliath.

16 seeds (Morehead State, Chattanooga, East Tennessee State, Radford)

I know it has never happened. But it could happen….right? It would probably take a team that was under seeded to take down the most Goliath of Goliaths. The best shot this year? East Tennessee State.They have outscored their opponents by nearly 9 points a game and have three guys that can score. I am not recommending you pencil any of these teams in but if you have some infallible compulsion to do so take the Bucs.

Best Shot: None this year. One day…….

15 Seeds (Morgan State, Cal State Northridge, Binghamton, Robert Morris)

A 15 seed has only beat a 2 seed 4 times. Most recently 8 years ago when Hampton took down Iowa State, 58-57. This year the best bet is either Morgan State vs Oklahoma or Binghamton against Duke. Both come in winning 11 of their last 12 games. Binghamton would need Duke to be cold from the field and Morgan State would need Blake Griffin to play like Peter Griffin, but at least they have some history on their side.

Best Shot: None.

14 Seeds (North Dakota State, Cornell, Stephen F. Austin, American)

The number of upsets more than triples in the match up of 14s vs 3s. The 14 over 3 upset has happened 15 times, most recently with Northwestern State over Iowa in 2006 and Bucknell over Kansas. So how about this year?

Cornell – No Ivy league team has won in 10 years, sorry.

Stephen F. Austin – Its impressive that one guy could make it this far but Syracuse looks too good for Mr. Austin.

American – They could make some noise but it doesn’t help that their foe, Villanova, is playing basically a home game in Philadelphia. They start all seniors and could keep it close with ‘Nova.

Best Shot: North Dakota State- Sure it is their first year ever in Division I. Sure they are facing the defending champs. The Bison don’t care. They start 4 seniors and are lights outs from beyond the arc. Ben Woodside is their go to guy and is capable of carrying the Bison past a Kansas squad that has a history of losing to 14 seeds.

13 Seeds (Akron, Mississippi State, Cleveland State, Portland State)

There have been 20 upsets of these match ups, including two last year. With the mediocrity this year of the power conferences I wouldn’t be surprised if that happens again. Akron is the longest shot of the group with no notable wins, but the other three pack some punch.

Mississippi State - They came out of nowhere to take the SEC Tournament. Uber shot blocker Jarvis Varnado leads the Bulldogs, who have beat Tennessee and LSU. They take on a talented but inexperienced Washington team and plan to continue streaking from their conference tourney.

Portland State – Remember when the shocked Gonzaga earlier in the season? They could do it again against Xaiver, a team that has struggled of late.

Best Shot: Cleveland State-  The Vikings have wins at Syracuse and Butler and face a young Wake Forest team that could get rattled. Coming off a horizon tournament championship Cleveland State takes on a Demon Deacon team that lost to Maryland in the first round. Cleveland State’s depth and solid point guard play by Cedric Jackson could take them into the 2nd round.

12 seeds (Northern Iowa, Arizona, Wisconsin, Western Kentucky)

To clarify Arizona isn’t an upset. The last team in is actually a one point favorite against their 5 seed opponent Utah. So they can’t play the part as David.

Wisconsin - It feels awkward having them be the underdog. Bo Ryan’s team could try to bog a game down and win with defense, but Florida State and Toney Douglas might be too much for the Badgers.

Northern Iowa - Northern Iowa is on a 5 game winning streak coming into the tournament but they are facing a Purdue team that is finally living up to expectations. No dice here.

Best Shot: Western Kentucky -The Hilltoppers, winners of 10 of their last 11, surge into the tournament and face a wounded Illinois team. The Illini are without one half of their back court in Chester Frazier. WKU is balanced with 4 starters in double figures, not to mention they have been tested in the tourney before.

11 seeds (Virginia Commonwealth, Utah State, Temple, Dayton)

The last seed that can pull of a true upset are the 11 seeds. This years crop could do some damage.

Dayton – They have been up and down all year. The Flyers have wins against Marquette and Xavier on their resume, but they are facing a strong West Virginia team. I am not on this bandwagon.

Virginia Commonwealth – I am on the VCU bandwagon. Eric Maynor and crew are back in the tournament and ready to take down some giants (beat Duke 2 years ago). UCLA is an average team and while they are offensively efficient VCU will be a tough out.

Temple – If the Owls beat Arizona State it will be because of Dionte Christmas. The senior guard is averaging nearly 20 points a game and could take down a mediocre Sun Devils team.

Best Shot: Utah State – The Aggies won 30 games in the regular season and are wanting more. Somewhat slighted with an 11 seed Utah State is facing a Marquette team that is reeling after the loss of Dominic James. Utah State is fundamentally sound and will be a tough out for anybody.

Davids will slay Goliaths, undoubtedly a Cinderella will make a run and Gus Johnson will freak out.

These are the things that make March Madness great.