March Madness does not only cause overwhelming excitement but also brutal disappointment. Making a bracket adds suspense and intensity to every single game that is played, but most brackets are destroyed by the end of the exhilarating month. This has people coming back for more each year hoping that somehow this year is different from the last, which creates the never-ending cycle of ups and downs.
Although they mess up many people’s brackets, upsets are one of the biggest parts of the madness. People are sucked into their TV’s wanting the first seed to win, but deep down in their hearts they know that they want to see the 16th seed go far. Everyone loves a good upset so I will rank the top five best upsets in recent March Madness history.
1. (16) UMBC vs. (1) Virginia – 2018
This is at my #1 spot because not only was it unpredictable but it also was a blowout. No one suspected UMBC to upset Virginia, much less beat them by 20 points. Virginia having a 31-3 record had no one doubting that they would go far in the tournament. Many brackets had Virginia in the final four, so UMBC upsetting them destroyed brackets, making people want UMBC to have a legacy run in the tournament. A major contributor to the win was guard Jairus Lyles. He finished with 28 points and led the team to a victory. This is one of two 16 seed to 1 seed upsets in March Madness history. The final score was 74-54
2. (16) FDU vs. (1) Purdue – 2023
This is at my #2 spot because of the unpredictability of the FDU victory. Not only was FDU undersized against Purdue, and the notorious center Zach Edey, but they outscored them 18-16 in the paint in the first half of the game. FDU also pulled in multiple offensive rebounds and stole many possessions from Purdue. With 12 seconds left in the game FDU forward Sean Moore went up to block a layup while up by three to secure the lead. FDU guard Demetre Roberts was also a big name for this game, finishing with 12-4-4. His scoring ability came in clutch for the team late in the game. This forced Purdue to take a bad shot and foul FDU ultimately leading to their demise. This was the second upset between a 16 seed and a 1 seed, with a final score of 63-58
3. (15) Oral Roberts vs. (2) Ohio State – 2021
This is at my #3 spot because this game came down to the very last second and every play mattered. Although it was not a blowout, both teams made huge plays down the stretch and showed they deserved to be there. Also, the game was made much more exciting by going into overtime. Ohio State not only made huge plays like big time blocks in the second half but they also hit big shots and had the crowd on their feet. Oral Roberts coming into the game being a major underdog embraced the challenge and had some plays of their own. With huge buckets in the second half and some major free throws, they were able to creep back to the lead and upset Ohio State. The major contributors were forward Kevin Obanor who had 30 points, 11 rebounds, and finished with a double-double, and guard Max Abmas who had 29 points, 5 rebounds, and threw in a few assists as well. Resulting in a final score of 75-72
4. (15) St. Peter’s vs. (2) Kentucky – 2022
This is at my #4 spot because it was another overtime victory. A massive part of this game were the efforts of guard Doug Edert. Not only did he have some major three pointers in the second half, ending with 20 points, but also had a clutch defensive rebound at the end of the game to seal St. Peter’s upset victory. Another major contributor to the win was guard Daryl Banks III. He finished with 27 points and was one of the main reasons for their flaming offense. Although it wasn’t a blowout, the closeness of the game made it more exciting for fans, but definitely disrupted many brackets. The final score was 85-79
5. (15) Princeton vs. (2) Arizona – 2023
This makes my #5 spot because of the comeback Princeton had over Arizona. With 11 minutes to go in the second half of the game. Princeton trailed Arizona 47-37 but came back to win the game. What makes this game exciting is the fact that Princeton only came back to win in the final minutes. Arizona had the lead the entire game, all the way into the last two minutes in the second half, when they went on a 6-0 run. They extended that run to a 9-0 run to finish the game. The leading scorer on Princeton forward Tosan Evbuomwan had 15 points and was also the only player to reach double digits. This is at my #5 spot because Princeton was still a great team, but the win was not as unpredictable as the rest. The final score was 59-55.
Honorable Mention – (14) Oakland vs. (3) Kentucky – 2024
This didn’t make the list because the teams are closer in seeds, but it was still one of the larger upsets in recent years. Both teams had a lot of talent but Oakland’s talent definitely surprised a lot of people. The major contributors were guard Jack Gohlke who had 32 points, and forward Trey Townsend who had 17 points, 12 rebounds, and finished with a double-double. It was a very exciting game and had people questioning how far Oakland could go in the tournament. The final score was 80-76.
