March Madness

Biggest March Madness Upsets

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March Madness is just around the corner, with one of the biggest sporting competitions of the year getting underway on March 14. Aside from showcasing some of the top basketball prospects, March Madness is exciting because of how many upsets there are. Each year, the underdogs manage to surprise people and beat the higher-seeded teams, making this tournament incredibly unpredictable.

This year, the Houston Cougars, Kansas Jayhawks, and Alabama Crimson Tides are some of the favorites to reach the Final Four, but each of the sixty-eight teams has a chance. If you want to bet on March Madness, you can find NCAA basketball odds at Betway. In this article, we’ll be looking at some of the biggest upsets in the history of the tournament.

Norfolk State beats Missouri 86-84

While it was a close game, Missouri was the clear favorite going into this match during the 2012 March Madness and was the second seed in the whole tournament. They had high hopes for lifting the trophy that year with an incredible 30-5 record during the regular season and going 14-4 in the Big 12. Their two standout stars, Kim English and Phil Pressey were due to join the NBA, and this was their moment to shine.

Norfolk State was the fifteenth-seeded team in the tournament that year, and while most people didn’t give them a chance against Missouri, they were happy to prove everyone wrong. Kyle O’Quinn was the standout performer. He scored 26 points and 14 rebounds over the course of the game, outshining English and Pressey.

Loyola Marymount beats Michigan 149-115

In the second round of the 1990 March Madness, the 11th-seeded team Loyola Marymount defeated the number 3 team and defending NCAA champion Michigan. Loyola Marymount was written off by most fans, especially after the tragic loss of Hank Gathers, who had led the nation in scoring and rebounding as a junior.

Gathers had collapsed on the court during a game due to heart issues, and his death helped spur the Lions on during the March Madness tournament. After beating Michigan, they reached the Final Eight, where the eventual champions, UNLV, beat them.

Santa Clara beats Arizona 64-61

Santa Clara was ranked 15th in the tournament at the start of this match in the 1993 March Madness tournament. Meanwhile, Arizona was one of the favorites and the number 2 seed. That Arizona side had six players who would go on to star in the NBA, including Pac-10 Player of the Year Chris Mills. Despite his credentials, Mills was held to just 19 points.

While Arizona struggled despite its star talent, Santa Clara had a well-oiled team that managed to beat the press of their opponents. Interestingly, they also had Steve Nash, former head coach of the Nets, playing for them. Nash scored ten points while picking up seven rebounds and four assists.

Villanova beats Georgetown 66-64

In the 1985 NCAA Championship game, Villanova staged one of the greatest Cinderella stories in the history of the sport. They barely made the cut to join the tournament and were seeded as the number eight team.

On the other hand, Georgetown was the defending champions and the number one-seeded team. Most fans expected a clear win for the Hoyas, especially since they had won two games against Villanova earlier in the season. However, the underdogs managed to shoot with 78.6% accuracy from the field and stage a huge upset as they won the tournament.

UMBC beats Virginia 74-54

In the 2018 March Madness tournament, UMBC pulled off a huge upset, beating the number one seed team in the tournament while being ranked 16th.  This wasn’t just a big result, it was also a major blowout in terms of the scoreline, with Virginia being well and truly embarrassed.

Prior to this game, Virginia had only lost two games in the season and only by a combined total of eight points. Not only that, but UMBC had lost 83-39 to Albany and were 20.5 underdogs. 

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