In the history of the tournament, Purdue, the No. 1 seed, was beaten by Dickinson Fairleigh, who became the second No. 16 seed to pick up a win just 24 hours later. On the opening day of the men’s 2023 tournament, several top seeds, including No. 4 Virginia and No. 2 Arizona, went down in the South Region. While the best-ranked teams typically come out on top, there have been numerous instances where the underdog pulled off the upset.
Let’s examine a few of the largest surprises that March Madness has witnessed throughout the years.
It has happened twice before. However, in the men’s tournament, the idea of a 16-seed defeating a No. 1 seed seemed nearly impossible until six years ago.
Fairleigh Dickinson joined the play-in team this year when they held off the Boilermakers, Purdue, eliminating them by a score of 58-63. This marks the biggest upset in March Madness history, as they defeated the No. 1 seed Virginia, 74-54, just like UMBC did in 2018.
How many times has a No. 15 seed beaten a No. 2 seed?
There have been 11 cases where a No. 15 seed has defeated a No. 2 seed at the NCAA Tournament.
Was there ever a perfect bracket?
A man from Ohio was able to perfectly predict the NCAA Tournament 2019, all the way to Sweet 16. The NCAA reports that the verifiable longest streak of the Tournament, with 49 games, happened in 2019.
What is the farthest a 15 seed has ever made it?
There is a certain historical record of a No. 15 seed achieving success at the NCAA Tournament.
In 2022, Saint Peter’s, led by then-head coach Shaheen Holloway, made history by becoming the first No. 15 seed to reach the Elite Eight, where they defeated eighth-seeded North Carolina.
Prior to that momentous race, Florida Gulf Coast and Oral Roberts both advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2013 and 2021, respectively.
Has there been an Elite 8 without a No. 1 seed?
Since the commencement of the seeding process in 1979, there has never been an NCAA Tournament in the Elite Eight without a No. 1 seed.
What is the farthest a No. 16 seed has gone?
In the 2018 Tournament, Virginia caused an upset by scoring 20 points against UMBC. However, the Retrievers were defeated in the next round by No. 9 Kansas State with a score of 43-50.
The Sweet 16 – before it is gone, the No. 16 seed will have nowhere to go as all eyes turn to Dickinson and Fairleigh on Sunday. No No. 16 seed has ever made it past the second round.
What is the lowest seeded team to win NCAA?
In the NCAA Tournament of 1985, Villanova, seeded No. 8, triumphed over Georgetown with a score of 66-64.
Villanova still holds the record for being the lowest-seeded team to emerge victorious in the national tournament.