Biggest First-Round Upsets in March Madness History
It often leads to many brackets in the trash bin, but some of the best NCAA tournament upsets have come when a top-three seed loses.
In 2018, UMBC became the first No. 16 seed to upset a No. 1 seed since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. The 15 over 2 upset has happened seven times in history.
There are also plenty of No. 14 seeds that have upended No. 3 seeds.
Let's re-visit some of the best first-round upsets in NCAA tournament history:
No. 16 upsets No. 1
No. 16 UMBC defeats No. 1 Virginia (Retreivers 74, Virginia 54)
March 16, 2018
In 2018, it actually happened. A No. 16 seed finally defeated a No. 1 seed, and it wasn't even close. The UMBC Retrievers upset Virginia, the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament, and it wasn't even close. The Retrievers advanced to the NCAA Tournament by upsetting Vermont in the America East final, but were given little chance against a Virginia team that had dominated the ACC. None of that mattered.
In one of the craziest games in NCAA history, the Retrievers demolished Virginia in the second half and won by 20 points! Jairus Lyles torched Virginia's defense for 28 and the shellshocked Cavaliers were unable to mount any resistance.
No. 15 upsets No. 2
No. 15 Richmond defeats No. 2 Syracuse (Spiders 73, Orange 69)
March 14, 1991
Richmond's upset of Syracuse marked the first time that a No. 15 seed won a game in the NCAA tournament. It should not have been much of a surprise, as Spiders coach Dick Tarrant orchestrated wins over top ranked teams like Charles Barkley's Auburn Tigers in the 1984 tournament before reaching the Sweet 16. He also beat Indiana and Georgia Tech as a No. 13 seed in 1988. Syracuse's team in 1991 was headlined by Billy Owens, who would be taken with the No. 3 pick in the NBA draft. Richmond pulled away for a 10-point lead and CBS turned the game over to Verne Lundquist and a prime-time audience.
No. 15 Santa Clara defeats No. 2 Arizona (Broncos 64, Wildcats 61)
March 18, 1993
By some miracle, Santa Clara held off a 14-0 run by Arizona to end the first half and an 11-0 run to open the second half and still won the game. Arizona entered the tournament with just three losses, but the Broncos were led by future NBA MVP Steve Nash. Nash hit six free throws to hold onto a lead at the end.
No. 15 Coppin State defeats No. 2 South Carolina (Eagles 78, Gamecocks 65)
March 14, 1997
Coppin State and South Carolina were tied at the half and closed out the game with 38 points in the final 13 minutes to South Carolina's 18. No MEAC conference team had won an NCAA tournament game before Coppin State's 13-point victory.
No. 15 Hampton defeats No. 2 Iowa State (Pirates 58, Cyclones 57)
March 15, 2001
Hampton was making its tournament debut. Iowa State featured Jamaal Tinsley, but it would be Tarvis Williams of the Pirates who stole the show. With just seven seconds remaining in the game, Williams made a shot from about four feet out. Tinsely was unable to finish a layup at the buzzer, and Hampton held on for the upset. Coach Steve Merfeld was carried by his players in the celebration.
No. 15 Norfolk State defeats No. 2 Missouri (Spartans 86, Tigers 84)
March 16, 2012
The Spartans overcame a 21.5-point spread with the help of future New York Knicks big man Kyle O'Quinn, who tallied 26 points and 14 rebounds. Chris McEachin& and Pendarvis Williams also notched at least 20 points in the victory.
No. 15 Lehigh defeats No. 2 Duke (Mountain Hawks 75, Blue Devils 70)
March 16, 2012
C.J. McCollum dropped 30 points to follow up the Norfolk State upset that took place earlier in the day. The game was also held less than 60 miles from Duke's campus but still a little closer for North Carolina fans to come out, watch the Tar Heels beat Vermont and then cheer on the Mountain Hawks in the second half. It was not one of Coach K's greatest Duke teams, but they were poised for a far run. This may be the first 15-seed to inspire a song about Duke's upset.
No. 15 Florida Gulf Coast vs. No. 2 Georgetown (Eagles 78, Hoyas 68)
March 22, 2013
The Eagles made their way into the tournament just two years after becoming eligible and six years after becoming a Division I team. The Hoyas were on upset alert by halftime when FGC led by two points. They pulled away in the second half with the same electric offense that gave them the nickname Dunk City. Georgetown lost to a double-digit seed for the fifth straight time since 2007.
No. 15 Middle Tennessee State vs. Michigan State (Blue Raiders 90, Spartans 81)
March 18. 2016
The Blue Raiders had people throwing their brackets in the garbage and Googling "Where is Middle Tennessee State?" Denzel Valentine and the Spartans were heavily favored, with sports books in Vegas saying that more money was bet on them to win the tournament than any other team. The Blue Raiders hit 11 of its 19 three-point attempts and were led by Reggie Upshaw's 21 points as they trounced Michigan State. The Spartans were the first No. 2 seed that was once No. 1 in the AP poll to lose to a No. 15 seed in the tournament.
Notable No. 14 upsets of No. 3
Since the tournament expanded to 64 teams, 18 No. 14 seeds have defeated No. 3 seeds. No 14 seed has advanced beyond the Sweet 16.
Below is a full list of the No. 14 seeds that upended No. 3 seeds.
2016: Stephen F. Austin 70, West Virginia 56
2015: Georgia State 57, Baylor 56
UAB 60, Iowa State 59
2014: Mercer 78, Duke 71
2013: Harvard 68, New Mexico 62
2010: Ohio 97, Georgetown 83
2006: Northwestern St. over Iowa 64-63
2005: Bucknell 64, Kansas 63
1999: Weber St. 76, North Carolina 74
1998: Richmond 62, South Carolina 61
1997: Chattanooga 73, Georgia 70
1995: Old Dominion 89, Villanova 81 (OT)
1995: Weber State 79, Michigan St. 72
1992: East Tennessee St. 87, Arizona 80
1991: Xavier 89, Nebraska 84
1990: Northern Iowa 74, Missouri 71
1989: Siena 80, Stanford 78
1988: Murray State 78, N.C. State 75
1987: Austin Peay 68, Illinois 67
1986: Cleveland State 83, Indiana 79
1986: Arkansas-Little Rock 90, Notre Dame 83
