When Bottom Seeds Took Down Giants
Just around the corner is the most exciting and electric tournament in college basketball. The March Madness tournament atmosphere provides movie-like storylines and Hollywood endings every year. Players cement themselves into basketball history, coaches bring glory and a brighter future to their programs, and teams become immortalized in the minds of their fans. That is, if you’re on the winning side of history.
Throughout the history of the March Madness tournament there have been numerous upsets, Cinderella stories, and everything in between. But very few times have teams created seismic reactions throughout the league after defeating the Goliath of the tournament as an impossible underdog. In fact, only two teams toppled the true Goliath, and only one seems to count in the eyes of many.
Here Are Three Of The Biggest Upsets In March Madness History:
2023 – No.16 Farleigh Dickinson Defeats No.1 Purdue (63-58)
Perhaps remembered as the biggest upset in March Madness history, it was only the second time in history a 16th seed defeated 1st seed. Many analysts put this game as the only time a bottom seed team truly beat a number one seed because the top team was at full strength. “This one counted more” said Charles Barkley about FDU pulling off the huge upset. Purdue was the overwhelming favorite and has way more size that FDU. They had their 7’4″ phenom Zach Edey with all the confidence in the world, and many players nervous due to his huge stature.
Not head coach Tobin Anderson though. “There’s a saying that scared goes home,”he stated about being worried about Edey. Displaying what Nick Sirianni would dub a “dawg mentality,” when asked about how he feels about an overall matchup against the No. 1 seed. “The more I watch Purdue, the more I think we can beat them.”Edey would go on to have a great performance, putting up 21 points and 15 rebounds in the losing effort. FDU was able to keep Purdue from scoring for six straight minutes in the second half, sealing the seemingly impossible victory.
2018 – No.16 UMBC Stuns No.1 Virginia (74-54)
Virginia’s defeat at the hands of UMBC was so massive, it prompted Jay Bilas to call it “the most stunning collapse of a number one team I’ve ever seen,” on SportsCenter following the game.
Virginia would continue to get blasted following the loss due to the massive statistical improbability of what had just occurred. They hadn’t given up more than 53 points to any team all year but allowed UMBC to hang that much on them in just the second half alone. UMBC was also the 177th ranked team in the country, and Virginia were the favorites to win.
When discussing “the miracle on ice of college basketball” as one analyst stated, Charles Barkley made a very valid yet diminishing statement years later after FDU defeated Purdue.
Virginia was not a true No.1 seed because they didn’t have DeAndre Hunter healthy and won the championship the next year with him back in the lineup.
This fact has led to many putting an asterisk next to the win, especially after FDU pulled off their heroic victory.
2011 – No.11 VCU Out-Efforts No.1 Kansas (71-61)
Overconfidence can sometimes lead to catastrophic results, as was shown in the shocking VCU upset that toppled No.1 Kansas. The Jayhawks were seemingly looking past VCU altogether and focusing on the next round before it began. They simply didn’t want it badly enough, at least not more than VCU did which became very glaring in the first half. VCU caused nine turnovers in the first half alone and went up by as much as 17 and 14 at halftime.
The loss was devastating for Kansas as it was the largest deficit they’d seen all season, and their largest ever in a March Madness tournament. VCU meanwhile celebrated its first Final Four appearance in school history. Despite lacking huge March Madness success in years prior, the Rams became a prime example that effort and belief can topple giants.
This was exemplified by the remarks of VCU head coach Shaka Smart after the game. While speaking about their relentless effort, he noted that Kansas just wasn’t ready for what his team brought.
If you watch closely, their players were tugging on their shorts for much of the game, and when you don’t have your legs it’s hard to make outside shots
Current No.16 Seeds and No.1 Seeds In March Madness Tourney
March Madness 2025 provides yet another opportunity for a new 16th seed to take down a juggernaut No.1. The current No.16 seeds include the Souther Jaguars, American University Eagles, the Omaha Mavericks, Marist Red Foxes, SE Missouri State, and Bryant according to the latest bracketology. The current No.1 seeds are Auburn, Duke, Florida, and Alabama. According to NCAA.com, the odds of us seeing another upset like FDU pulled off are beyond slim. There’s about a 1% winning percentage between 16 seeds and No.1 seeds, so don’t hold your breath. But as history has shown, and Kevin Garnett has shouted from the mountaintop, “anything is possible.”
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