25 best first-round NCAA Tournament games of all time

We start our checklist with the sport that began Florida Atlantic’s magical run to the 2023 Ultimate 4. Although not the most effective offensive exhibiting for both workforce (mixed 14-of-50 from 3-point vary), it was shut and loads of enjoyable for the viewer with no rooting curiosity. Memphis had a one-point lead and the ball with fewer than 15 seconds remaining in regulation. Nonetheless, the Tigers turned the ball over with roughly 10 seconds to go. FAU labored for a ultimate shot, and Nick Boyd delivered with a driving left-handed layup to begin its Cinderella run.

From the beginning, it appeared as if Wilmington was going to drag off the upset and file its first NCAA Match victory in fairly simple style. The Seahawks, who led by as many as 19, shot 52 p.c throughout the first half to guide 37-28 on the break. Nonetheless, USC confirmed its mettle, and Wilmington additionally went chilly down the stretch, making just one discipline aim within the ultimate 9 minutes of regulation. So, extra time was wanted to determined the competition. The Seahawks held USC to simply 9 factors within the further session, and 4 straight factors from Stewart Hare within the ultimate minute helped Wilmington seal the upset.

One yr earlier than the Hoosiers gained the nationwide championship in dramatic style, they had been shocked within the first spherical by a assured Cleveland State squad. Indiana shot 54.2 p.c, however the Vikings had been even higher, making 59 p.c of their photographs. To not point out, additionally they outrebounded Indiana and compelled 15 turnovers due to some smothering protection that annoyed Bobby Knight’s group. Clinton Ramsey scored 27 factors, whereas Eric Mudd added 16 with 10 boards for Cleveland State, which, on the time, turned the bottom seed to beat the mighty Hoosiers in NCAA Match play.

Sure, this was a six-loss Duke workforce, however nonetheless a No. 2 seed. To not point out, this matchup with Lehigh was being performed in Greensboro, N.C., roughly 55 miles from the Blue Devils’ Durham campus. Nonetheless, that did not cease future NBA star and Lehigh standout C.J. McCollum from dropping 30 factors on Duke. The Mountain Hawks additionally annoyed the Blue Devils into capturing 6-of-26 from 3-point vary and compelled 13 turnovers. It was simply the second time throughout a 16-year stretch that Duke misplaced its opening NCAA Match contest.

The No. 8 vs. No. 9 video games have a tendency to offer among the most intriguing and hard-to-pick NCAA Match contests. This 2011 matchup between Butler and ODU proved to be extremely entertaining. Now, it wasn’t the prettiest recreation on file (neither workforce shot higher than 41 p.c) and mixed for 30 turnovers. Nonetheless, the sport featured 10 ties and 22 lead adjustments, and got here proper right down to the wire. Previous Dominion scored six straight factors to tie the sport at 58-58. Butler held for the final shot, however Shawn Vanzant tripped whereas driving to the basket, however flung the ball towards the ring. That is the place teammate Andrew Smith tipped it towards the online, however the ball ended up within the palms of Matt Howard to financial institution off the glass earlier than the ultimate buzzer.

Missouri was a 30-win workforce in 2011-12, and shot 52.7 p.c and made 13 3s on this contest. Nonetheless, pesky Norfolk State’s 5 starters shot 60 p.c, together with 10-of-16 from past the 3-point arc. Three of them, Kyle O’Quinn, Pendarvis Williams and Chris McEachin mixed for 66 factors. The Spartans additionally held a formidable 35-23 benefit on the glass to drag off one of many extra full performances — no matter seed-to-seed — in NCAA Match historical past.

Positive, this wasn’t one of many nice Duke groups (it had eight losses coming into the NCAA Match), nonetheless, the model identify tends to intimidate a double digit-seeded first-round opponent. That wasn’t the case with upstart Mercer, which pressured the Blue Devils to chuck photographs from distance all recreation. Duke made 15 3-pointers on 37 makes an attempt, however shot 35.5 p.c total. In the meantime, the senior-laden Bears, who gained 27 video games in 2014, made 55.6 p.c of their photographs. They tied the sport at 63-63 on Anthony White’s 3 with fewer than three minutes remaining, and finally took the lead for good on two free throws by Jakob Gollon (20 factors) with 1:54 remaining.

With the beloved Sr. Jean wanting on, Loyola started its Cinderella run to the 2018 Ultimate 4 in dramatic style. In a recreation the place each groups shot higher than 47 p.c, the Ramblers hung robust by forcing 16 turnovers. Then it was time, maybe, for slightly divine intervention. From properly past the highest of the 3-point arc, Loyola’s Donte Ingram canned the go-ahead bucket with .4 seconds remaining to stun the Hurricanes and switch the Ramblers into event darlings.

The No. 15 seed over the No. 2 upset is admittedly not shocking nowadays. And, right here now we have the newest upstart to drag off mentioned victory. The Saint Peter’s Peacocks entered with 11 losses, however shot 51 p.c, together with 9-of-17 from 3-point vary, to take down a 26-win Kentucky squad. But, it was Doug Edert’s layup with 24 seconds remaining that pressured extra time, then hit a pair of key free throws in extra time to ice the sport for Saint Peter’s, who turned the tenth No. 15 seed to win an NCAA Match recreation.

This marked the primary time within the historical past of the NCAA Match {that a} No. 15 seed beat a second-seeded workforce. The assured Spiders had been just about in management the whole recreation, capturing 49 p.c and mixing up varied defensive seems to be that annoyed Syracuse, which shot 5-of-21 from 3-point vary. Richmond led by as many as 10 within the second half then held off Jim Boeheim’s crew to pull off the historic upset and provides the little man hope going ahead.

Little Rock gained 29 video games throughout the 2015-16 season, however knew the problem that awaited towards Purdue within the first spherical, and it appeared an upset was to not be with the Trojans trailed by 13 with 3:33 remaining in regulation. Then they began to surge, and compelled extra time on Josh Hagins’ last-second 3 from roughly 30 ft. Hagins, who completed with 31 factors, wasn’t accomplished as his shot off the glass led to a second extra time, the place he opened the scoring with a 12-footer, and Little Rock by no means trailed once more.

Deep 3s on the buzzer to win video games are thrilling, however what about these gritty drives to the basket in visitors? It is that “no worry” method with the sport on the road. After Butler’s LaVall Jordan missed two free throws that might have prolonged its result in three, that is what Florida’s Mike Miller used to get the Gators past the upset-minded Bulldogs in extra time. When the ball lastly dropped within the hoop, Miller was on the bottom and Florida was victorious. The irony of the competition was that each groups shot poorly — Butler at 36.1 p.c, Florida 40.6 p.c.  

Paul Jesperson was not recognized by many faculty basketball followers earlier than underdog Northern Iowa shocked Texas within the first spherical of the 2016 NCAA Match. The Panthers guard, a profession 41.3 p.c shooter, drained a half-court shot just before the buzzer for a wild upset. The very fact is that UNI was the higher workforce many of the recreation, capturing 48.8 p.c, however Texas rallied from being down by eight factors at halftime. Another excuse to like the insanity of March.

The picture of hobbled, but animated Georgia State coach Ron Hunter rolling around on a wheeled stool, then falling off it, whereas his Georgia State Panthers shocked Baylor stays one of many lasting all-time photos of the NCAA Match. Baylor led 56-44, however failed to attain within the ultimate 2:54 of the sport. Stepped-up defensive strain by Georgia State, which acquired 9 straight factors from the coach’s son R.J. Hunter, together with the go-ahead deep 3 with 2.6 seconds remaining, paced the closing surge that led to the first-round upset. In the long run, the Panthers pressured 21 Baylor turnovers.

There are faculty basketball followers of a sure age who overlook that N.C. State’s run to that unbelievable 1983 nationwide title virtually ended earlier than it actually started. The Wolfpack trailed Pepperdine by six late, however lower that deficit to 2 with eight seconds remaining in regulation. That occurred after Waves star Dane Settle failed to return by from the free-throw line. Cozell McQueen’s tip-in pressured extra time, and the Wolfpack eventually prevailed after the second extra session to begin their dream run.

Terrell Taylor did not begin for Creighton on this opening spherical tilt in 2002. Nonetheless, he performed extra minutes (40) than some other Bluejays participant and completed with 28 factors, whereas going 8-of-15 from 3-point vary. Florida was up by two within the second extra time, however whistled for a five-second name on an inbounds play with fewer than 30 seconds remaining. The ball finally acquired again into Taylor’s palms, and from the highest of the important thing and with Brett Nelson’s hand in his face, knocked down the game-winning 3 with .2 seconds remaining in the second OT.

As time has gone on, Princeton’s near-miss towards Georgetown stays memorable. Notably for the leisure worth, but in addition as a result of there are lots of critics and faculty basketball historians who believed it saved the NCAA Tournament. Till then, only a few No. 16 seeds significantly challenged a prime canine, and early-round curiosity apparently started to wane. Coached by the legendary Pete Carril, Princeton and its methodical offense wore down the Hoyas, who trailed 29-21 at halftime. The sport remained shut within the second half, throughout which Georgetown did not take its first lead till there was 10:25 left to play. Hoyas star Alonzo Mourning (21 factors, 13 rebounds, seven blocks) hit two free throws to present his workforce a one-point lead, then recorded back-to-back blocks within the ultimate 15 seconds to protect the victory. 

There is probably not a more well-executed buzzer-beater than the one Valparaiso displayed in beautiful Ole Miss within the first spherical of the 1998 NCAA Match — in spite of everything, it is immortalized in Match historical past as “The Shot.” Right here it’s: a wonderfully thrown inbounds, baseball cross. That was adopted by a fast catch and cross and completed with a leaning 3-pointer by Bryce Drew, one of many recreation’s extra underrated gamers on the time and the present head coach at Grand Canyon College. The shot made Drew, who completed with 22 factors, one thing of a event legend and paved the way in which for Valpo’s shock run to the Candy 16.

This 1990 opening-round thriller remains to be the only No. 1-vs-No. 16 matchup to be decided in overtime. Murray State star Popeye Jones had 37 factors and 11 rebounds, but it surely was teammate Greg Coble’s 3-pointer on the regulation buzzer that pressured extra time, and saved alive the prospect of the primary 16-vs-1 upset. Nonetheless, the Spartans had been simply ok to prevail, due to a Kirk Manns tie-breaking, off-balanced shot with lower than a minute remaining within the further session and adopted by Dwayne Stephens’ fast-break bucket to clinch the victory.

UCLA was the defending nationwide champion and clearly favored towards the aforementioned Pete Carril and his Princeton Tigers. Neither workforce shot higher than 39 p.c, however the Tigers’ methodical offense and stout protection made life depressing for Toby Bailey and Co. And, in old-school, Hoosiers-like basketball, Princeton scored the game-winning basket off a backdoor lower by Gabe Lewullis with 2.2 remaining in regulation to pull off one of the most memorable upsets in NCAA Tournament history.

Fairleigh Dickinson’s beginning lineup to open the 2023 NCAA Match featured no participant taller than 6’7″ and two shorter than 5’10”. Nonetheless, that group was ok to take down 7’4″ Zach Edey and the Boilermakers. The Knights held Purdue to 35.8-percent capturing, 5-of-26 from 3-point vary and compelled the annoyed favourite into 16 turnovers. Edey had 21 factors and 15 rebounds, however didn’t take a shot within the ultimate 9 minutes en path to one of many best upsets in NCAA Match historical past. As we’ll quickly see, this wasn’t the primary No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1, however paved the way in which for extra to observe.

Sure, this was not the closest recreation in NCAA historical past, but it surely may be probably the most notably historic. Led by 28 factors from Jarius Lyles, UMBC shot a stellar 54.2 p.c, highlighted by going 12-of-24 from 3-point vary, to blow out the Cavaliers to become the first No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1. UMBC additionally owned a formidable 31-21 benefit on the glass. Within the annals of the NCAA Match, it needs to be thought of the best upset within the historical past of the occasion, whatever the spherical, level unfold or some other circumstance.