The Biggest Comeback in Every Round of the NCAA Men's Tournament

And on the 19th day of March, VCU rose from the dead.

With 14:58 left in No. 11 VCU’s first-round game against No. 6 North Carolina, the Rams found themselves in a 56–37 hole. All the Rams did was outscore the Tar Heels 38–19 down the stretch to force overtime and ultimately polish off the largest first-round comeback win in NCAA men’s tournament history.

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VCU will have a second-round date with either Illinois or Penn to attend to, but for the time being it can bask in entering college basketball lore. Here, per the NCAA, is the largest comeback in the history of each round of the men’s tournament—as well as a brief description of each game.

The Largest Comeback in Every Round of the NCAA Men’s Tournament

ROUND	BIGGEST COMEBACK	YEAR	NUMBER OF POINTS
First Four	No. 14 BYU 78, No. 14 Iona 72	2012	25
First Round	No. 11 VCU 82, No. 6 North Carolina 78 (OT)	2026	19
Second Round	No. 7 Nevada 75, No. 2 Cincinnati 73	2018	22
Sweet 16	No. 1 Ohio State 85, No. 5 Tennessee 84	2007	20
Elite Eight	No. 4 Louisville 93, No. 7 West Virginia 85 (OT)	2005	20
Final Four	No. 1 Duke 95, No. 3 Maryland 84	2001	22
National Championship	No. 1 Kansas 72, No. 8 North Carolina 69	2022	16

First Four: No. 14 BYU 78, No. 14 Iona 72 (2012)

Tha largest comeback in the history of the men’s tournament. The Gaels led the first post-Jimmer Fredette Cougars team 49–24 with six minutes left in the first half. It was all BYU from there on out, thanks to a 23-point effort from forward Noah Hartsock.

First Round: No. 11 VCU 82, No. 6 North Carolina 78 (OT) (2026)

The one you saw Thursday evening in Greenville, S.C. The hero for the Rams: guard Terrence Hill Jr., who tagged the Tar Heels for 34 points and seven threes. To finish the job, VCU had to grind out a low-scoring overtime, putting up seven points against North Carolina’s three.

Second Round: No. 7 Nevada 75, No. 2 Cincinnati 73 (2018)

An epic meltdown that likely didn’t get the attention it deserved, as it happened in the same region that produced No. 16 UMBC upsetting No. 1 Virginia and No. 11 Loyola Chicago making a run to the Final Four. The Bearcats, carrying four future NBAers in coach Mick Cronin’s finest season, led the Wolf Pack by 22 with just 11 minutes to play. Cincinnati scored just eight points after that.

Sweet 16: No. 1 Ohio State 85, No. 5 Tennessee 84 (2007)

The Buckeyes had to work for their most recent national championship trip—in their previous game against Xavier, they’d needed a miracle shot from guard Ron Lewis to send the game to overtime. Against the Volunteers, they fell behind 49–29 late in the first half. Led by Lewis, Ohio State rallied and advanced to meet Memphis in the Elite Eight, and would eventually make it all the way to the championship game, where the Buckeyes lost to Florida.

Elite Eight: No. 4 Louisville 93, No. 7 West Virginia 85 (OT) (2005)

An upstart Mountaineers team coached by John Beilein built a 38–18 lead on the Cardinals. Louisville, however, had other ideas—rallying to force overtime and win behind seven three-pointers from guard Taquan Dean. As a footnote, the two teams played a similarly extraordinary football game just seven months later.

Final Four: No. 1 Duke 95, No. 3 Maryland 84 (2001)

The Blue Devils’ turn-of-the-century juggernaut peaked with a national championship in `01, and on the way they turned an early 39–17 deficit into a shocking double-digit win. Forward Shane Battier—on his way to a decorated NBA career—led all scorers with 25 points and drained four three-pointers. Amazingly, that may not have been Duke’s most impressive comeback against the Terrapins that season.

National Championship: No. 1 Kansas 72, No. 8 North Carolina 69 (2022)

Kansas Jayhawks Remy Martin, Dajuan Harris Jr. and Christian Braun celebrate their win against the North Carolina Tar Heels. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Worn out after a transcendent Final Four win over the Blue Devils, the Tar Heels frittered away a 38–22 lead late in the first half. The outcome was in doubt until the final minute, when center David McCormack hit a jumper to give the Jayhawks a three-point cushion. Kansas’s comeback broke a record that had stood since Loyola-Chicago won it all in 1963.