Top 10 Biggest March Madness Upsets

As we enter into the heart of conference play for basketball season we are in for a wild finish to an already crazy season. March Madness is right around the corner. But the favorite team doesn’t always win. Here I present the biggest upsets from 2010-2017
The Top Ten
1 16 UMBC over 1 Virginia

Absolutely insane. This upset was historic as a number 16 seed takes down the number 1 seed for the first time after going 0-135 previously. And this was the overall number 1 seed Virginia who completely rolled through the ACC and the conference tournament. How did this happen?

2 11 VCU over 1 Kansas

This one is hard for me to wrap my head around. Kansas should have won this game. I can't even think how this happened. What happened here? It's even worse because I'm a Kansas fan myself.

3 15 Middle Tennessee over 2 Michigan State

I've won my board at my old work 8 times out of 22. But this game put an early end to my board 2 tournaments ago. I had Izzo and his Spartans winning it all. It was an embarrassment for the MSU program.

What's worse, personally, is MTSU bounced my Gophers out last year, and the program is now reeling. With all the controversy at MSU recently, who knows what will happen next there?

It's funny I hated the green and white, and that was the year I believed they would win it all. Thank God I was wrong, though. It made the tournament more fun for me with the unpredictability it always delivers.

4 15 Florida Gulf Coast over 2 Georgetown

FGCU was only in its second year of tournament eligibility after moving to Division 1. They made a statement and earned the nickname Dunk City. They then beat San Diego State, becoming the first 15 seed to advance to the Sweet 16.

5 15 Norfolk State over 2 Missouri

Norfolk State made its first tournament appearance and outplayed a good Mizzou team. The Tigers could have avoided the upset, but they missed the buzzer beater.

6 14 Ohio over 3 Georgetown
7 14 Mercer over 3 Duke
8 14 UAB over 3 Iowa State
9 15 Lehigh over 2 Duke
10 9 Northern Iowa over 1 Kansas
The Contenders
11 9 Wichita State over 1 Gonzaga

This was only the beginning of the Shockers' crazy Final Four run in 2013. Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet were a dynamic duo and the key reason why they went so far before losing to Louisville. However, since Louisville recently had wins vacated, including the 2013 championship due to a scandal, Wichita State would now technically be in that championship game. I would bet that Wichita State could beat Louisville in a rematch, either with the 2013 teams or the 2017-18 teams.

12 14 Weber State over 3 North Carolina
13 8 Kentucky over 1 Wichita State

Wichita State wasn't only a number 1 seed, they were undefeated until this.

Very unfortunate way to end the perfect season. Ironic that they got all the way to the Final Four as a 9 seed but couldn't get out of the second (then called third) round as a number 1.

The craziness of March.

14 15 Oral Roberts over 2 Ohio State
15 15 Oral Roberts over 7 Florida

In the second round, a 15th seed? Oral Roberts did just that.

16 14 Georgia State over 3 Baylor
17 6 North Carolina St. over 1 Houston

Being a Championship game, the seedings represent their regional seeds. A total shock, even at the end, no one I was watching the game with expected the Wolfpack to beat mighty Phi Slamma Jamma. Houston had an NBA Hall of Famer in Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, a Naismith College Basketball Hall of Fame inductee.

18 8 Villanova over 1 Georgetown

Again, a Championship game. Villanova had to shoot a blistering 77% in the second half, and 70% for the game, to topple a great Georgetown team.

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