What are the 10 best Cinderella runs in NCAA Men's Tournament history?

The perfect a part of the NCAA Men’s Tournament is the underdogs that emerge out of nowhere to beat the top-seeded groups.

Time and time once more, this phenomenon unfolds. Simply final season, NC State ran the desk within the ACC Event because the No. 10 seed, profitable 5 consecutive video games to assert the convention match, after which went on to advance to the Remaining 4 of the NCAA Event as a No. 11 seed. With DJ Burns and the Wolfpack‘s 2024 run in thoughts, which Cinderella groups have been essentially the most memorable?

Listed below are the ten greatest Cinderella runs in NCAA Males’s Event historical past.

10 greatest Cinderella runs in NCAA Males’s Event historical past

When Davidson went undefeated in Southern Convention play and went on to win its convention match, it was only a glimpse of what was to return for the Stephen Curry-led Wildcats. As a No. 10 seed, Davidson beat seventh-seeded Gonzaga, adopted by taking down Roy Hibbert and the second-seeded Georgetown Hoyas. The subsequent week, the Wildcats dealt with third-seeded Wisconsin. A mere two-point loss to the one-seeded Kansas Jayhawks within the Elite Eight was the tip of the road for Davidson. In the long run, Curry averaged 32 factors per recreation and made 5.8 3-pointers per contest throughout Davidson’s 4 match video games.

9. 2023 FAU

Owls usually make noise at night time, however these Owls have been hooting all day and night time within the 2023 NCAA Event. Florida Atlantic, a No. 9 seed, received a one-point victory over eighth-seeded Memphis in Spherical 1, adopted by beating No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson — one other Cinderella who had simply defeated one-seeded Purdue within the first spherical. The subsequent weekend, the Owls knocked off each the fourth-seeded Tennessee Volunteers and third-seeded Kansas State Wildcats. Sadly, their season led to heartbreaking vogue, as they held a one-point lead on fifth-seeded San Diego State within the ultimate seconds of the Remaining 4 however misplaced on a buzzer-beater from Lamont Butler. Johnell Davis and Alijah Martin every averaged 15-plus factors per recreation for Florida Atlantic throughout its 5 match video games.

After taking good care of eighth-seeded Pittsburgh, ninth-seeded Wichita State performed deep into March. Highlighted by an upset over Kelly Olynyk and the one-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs within the second spherical, the Shockers proceeded to beat No. 13 seed La Salle and two-seeded Ohio State within the Candy 16 and Elite Eight, respectively. The Shockers’ run ended by the hands of the one-seeded and eventual 2013 nationwide champion Louisville Cardinals within the Remaining 4. However, Malcolm Armstead and future execs Cleanthony Early and Ron Baker, amongst others, placed on a present for the nation.

In any other case often called the “Sister Jean” run, the No. 11 seed Ramblers captivated the sports activities world within the 2018 match. Following an upset victory over sixth-seeded Miami within the opening spherical, Loyola Chicago beat third-seeded Tennessee, seventh-seeded Nevada after which ninth-seeded Kansas State. The Ramblers’ streak ended with a Remaining 4 loss to third-seeded Michigan. Sister Jean, the chaplain for the Loyola Chicago males’s basketball group, was interviewed after the college’s first-round win and have become an enduring picture of that 12 months’s match. As of March 2025, she’s nonetheless going sturdy at 105 years outdated. Within the common season, Loyola Chicago had 5 gamers rating in double figures per recreation.

Saint Peter’s was a No. 15 seed, and that No. 15 seed took down the second-seeded Kentucky Wildcats in time beyond regulation within the opening spherical of the match. Two days later, the Peacocks beat seventh-seeded Murray State after which knocked off Jaden Ivey, Zach Edey and third-seeded Purdue within the Candy 16. Whereas Saint Peter’s misplaced by 20 factors to eighth-seeded North Carolina within the Elite Eight, it had been simply the fourth time that this system reached the Huge Dance and nonetheless stands as its longest match run. Wing KC Ndefo had a pair of six-block outings within the match for the Peacocks. After Saint Peter’s success, head coach Shaheen Holloway was named the brand new head coach of the Seton Hall Pirates, his alma mater.

The eighth-seeded Butler Bulldogs squeaked out a two-point victory over Old Dominion within the first spherical after which went to work. Within the second spherical, Butler secured a one-point win over one-seeded Pittsburgh, which it adopted up by defeating fourth-seeded Wisconsin. Then, the Bulldogs topped second-seeded Florida in time beyond regulation and dispatched No. 11 seed VCU (put a pin in that one) to advance to the title recreation for the second straight season. Regardless of main at halftime, Butler misplaced to third-seeded UConn within the nationwide championship recreation, making it back-to-back runner-up seasons for the Bulldogs. Junior Shelvin Mack averaged 20.3 factors per recreation throughout Butler’s six match video games.

4. 2011 VCU

After beating USC within the “First 4” spherical, VCU claimed a No. 11 seed and went dancing for consecutive weeks beneath head coach Shaka Sensible. The Rams then took down sixth-seeded Georgetown and third-seeded Purdue, every by 18 factors. They gained an time beyond regulation thriller over No. 10 seed Florida State the following weekend and sunk one-seeded Kansas within the Elite Eight earlier than dropping to the aforementioned Butler within the Remaining 4. It stays the Rams’ deepest match run in program historical past. Jamie Skeen averaged 17.8 per recreation within the match and 26.5 factors in VCU’s final two video games.

Head coach Jim Larranaga and the Patriots took the nation by storm in March 2006. After beating sixth-seeded Michigan State within the first spherical, No. 11 seed George Mason despatched freshman star Tyler Hansbrough and third-seeded North Carolina dwelling. The Patriots went on to beat seventh-seeded Wichita State after which edge out Rudy Gay and first-seeded UConn within the Elite Eight in time beyond regulation. Though the Patriots misplaced to third-seeded and eventual nationwide champion Florida within the Remaining 4, their 2006 success was memorable. It marks certainly one of solely two occasions that George Mason has gotten previous the primary spherical of the match. The varsity has made the dance simply twice since then.

The eighth-seeded Wildcats gained a nail-biter over Dayton within the first spherical after which proceeded to upset behemoth after behemoth. After beating first-seeded Michigan in Spherical 2, Villanova topped fifth-seeded Maryland, Brad Daugherty and second-seeded North Carolina after which second-seeded Memphis to advance to the nationwide championship recreation. And for all of the marbles, Harold Pressley and seniors Ed Pinckney and Dwayne McClain helped Villanova take down its Big East foe, Patrick Ewing and one-seeded Georgetown, to win the primary nationwide title in program historical past.

It took double time beyond regulation, however sixth-seeded NC State received previous No. 11 seed Pepperdine within the opening spherical of the 1983 match. It then eked out a one-point win over third-seeded UNLV. However “this is just … the beginning.” The Wolfpack had their approach with No. 10 seed Utah within the Candy 16, profitable by 19 factors, adopted by beating first-seeded Virginia (one other one-point victory) and fourth-seeded Georgia to advance to the title recreation.

Within the nationwide championship recreation, NC State did it once more with one other shut win. This time, they earned a two-point victory over Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler and first-seeded Houston. Dereck Whittenburg averaged 20 factors per recreation within the match on a Wolfpack group that produced 4 future NBA Draft picks: Thurl Bailey, Sidney Lowe, Lorenzo Charles and Cozell McQueen. It was the college’s second nationwide title and first beneath head coach Jim Valvano, who was in his third season on the job.

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