The Biggest Bracket Busters In March Madness History
It's March Madness once again, that time of year where everyone's carefully-constructed bracket is thrown into chaos by the exploits of unheralded schools.
These bracket busters, or Cinderella stories, are part of what makes the NCAA basketball tournament so special. While most of these Cinderellas eventually turned back into pumpkins, some were able to run the table and win the whole thing.
2006 Bradley Braves
The 2006 Braves did well just getting into the 2006 tourney as a number 13 seed, as they hadn't won an NCAA tournament game since 1955.
While they weren't on anyone's radar as the tournament started, this unlikely mid-major made it all the way to the Sweet 16, eliminating powerhouses like Kansas and Pittsburgh on the way.
1998 Valparaiso Crusaders
Valpo started the 1998 tournament with a statement game, upsetting number four Mississippi on a last-second shot. They followed this up with a win over twelfth-seeded UTEP in the round of 32.
In the Sweet 16, the Crusaders — who came into the tournament as a number 13 seed — saw their Cinderella story come to an end after falling to first-seeded Kansas.
1997 Tennessee-Chattanooga Mocs
A little-known team from the Southern Conference, the Mocs have played most of their history in the shadow of other big programs like Tennessee and Memphis. But in 1997, they made history.
The Mocs started the 1997 tournament by knocking off number three seed Auburn, then followed up with an impressive win over sixth-seeded Illinois. They fell in the next game to Kansas.
1980 UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are basketball royalty, but their 1980 run was a unique story. They'd been reeling ever since a historic run of success ended in 1975, and the eighth-seeded Bruins weren't expected to make much noise in 1980.
However, even during this down period, UCLA managed to shock the world by advancing all the way to the Final Four, eventually losing to Louisville in the semifinals.
1982 Houston Cougars
The "Phi Slama Jama" Cougars helped put Houston basketball on the map, thanks to the star power of future NBA legends Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler.
Houston had never been seen as much of a contender, but their high-end talent propelled them through the 1982 tournament, all the way to the Final Four. They fell to North Carolina in a nail-biting finish.
1984 Virginia Cavaliers
Seventh-seeded Virginia showed a lot of grit in their 1984 run, knocking off James Madison, Indiana, Duke, and Virginia Tech in a difficult run to the Final Four.
Star Ralph Sampson led the way for the Cinderella Cavaliers, whose run finally ended with a tough loss to the Houston Cougars.
1987 Providence Friars
Coach Rick Pitino put his name on the map when he led the 1987 Providence Friars to the Final Four, with a fast-paced, up-tempo style of play.
While Providence played in the tough Big East conference, they weren't seen as a tournament favorite. Despite these low expectations, the sixth-seeded Friars beat Army, Alabama, Michigan, and most notably Kentucky, before bowing out in the Final Four.
1994 Boston College Eagles
Boston College isn't a traditional basketball powerhouse, but the 1994 Eagles defied expectations with a Cinderella run to the Final Four.
Behind players like Dana Barros and John Bagley, the Eagles pulled off stunning upsets against Indiana, Purdue, South Carolina and Kansas. They eventually lost to Arkansas in the Final Four.
2000 Wisconsin Badgers
The 2000 Wisconsin Badgers made up for a lack of high-end talent with a disciplined, defense-first philosophy that emphasized team play.
As an eight-seed entering the tournament, the slow-tempo Badgers weren't seen as a favorite. A magical run to the Final Four was finally snuffed out when they lost to a strong Michigan State team.
2002 Indiana Hoosiers
Indiana represents college basketball royalty, but 2002 came during a low ebb for the Hoosiers. Their 2002 squad entered the tournament as a number five seed, but an improbable run carried them all the way to the Final Four.
Indiana beat powerhouse programs in Kentucky and Duke en route to the Final Four, where their bubble finally burst against Maryland.
2021 Oral Roberts Golden Eagles
No one expected the number 15 seed Golden Eagles to go far in 2021, but this unlikely Cinderella story became the second-lowest seed to ever reach the Sweet 16.
They shocked the world by beating Ohio State to start off the tournament, then followed up with a second improbable win against Florida. They finally fell to Arkansas in a close Sweet 16 game.
2018 UMBC Retrievers
The University of Maryland, Baltimore County is a small public university that hadn't had much national athletic success in its history, but that all changed in 2018.
The Retrievers became the first number 16 seed to beat a number 1 seed in NCAA history when they shockingly beat Virginia. They lost to Kansas State in the next round, but their big win over Virginia was a massive story.
1979 Penn Quakers
Going back to an earlier era, the Penn Quakers of 1979 were the last Ivy League team to make it to the Final Four.
The Quakers were largely overlooked heading into the tournament, but pulled off wins against Iowa State, Purdue, North Carolina and Marquette. This impressive run was snuffed out when they lost to Magic Johnson's Michigan State Spartans in the Final Four.
1999 Gonzaga Bulldogs
The Bulldogs are today known as a college basketball powerhouse, and this reputation likely began with their 1999 Cinderella story. At this time, Gonzaga was largely unknown in the national sports landscape.
Gonzaga strung together wins against Minnesota, Stanford, and Arizona en route to the Elite Eight. Their run ended with a close loss to UConn.
2014 Dayton Flyers
The number 11 seed in 2014, Dayton defied all expectations with a run to the Elite Eight over a succession of higher-ranked teams.
The Flyers beat in-state rival Ohio State in a First Four game, then upset Syracuse. Their run carried them to the Elite Eight, where they fell to the Florida Gators.
2002 Kent State Golden Flashes
One of the most surprising NCAA tournament runs of the 2000s, the Kent State Golden Flashes caught lightning in a bottle during March Madness.
While not a high-profile program, Kent State upset several higher-ranked schools en route to an Elite Eight showdown against Maryland, where their storybook tournament came to an end.
1985 Villanova Wildcats
Rollie Massimino's Villanova Wildcats were considered long shots as the 1985 tournament kicked off. Things got interesting in the Sweet 16, when Villanova upset the heavily favored North Carolina Tar Heels.
The Wildcats then beat juggernauts Kentucky and Memphis before squaring off with Patrick Ewing's Georgetown Hoyas in the final. Against all odds, Villanova beat Georgetown in one of the biggest upsets that had ever been seen at that point.
2022 St. Peter's Peacocks
In some years, a virtually unknown school captures the basketball world's imagination with a thrilling March Madness run — and in 2022, that school was St. Peter's.
As a number 15 seed, St. Peter's — a small program from Jersey City, New Jersey — made a remarkable run all the way to the Elite Eight. Their team play was good enough to beat several favorites on their Cinderella run before turning back into a pumpkin.
2023 Florida Atlantic Owls
Florida Atlantic entered the 2023 tourney as a number 9 seed, but caught fire in the tournament, beating Memphis, Purdue, Tennessee, and Kansas State on their way to the Final Four.
While the Owls weren't able to punch their ticket to the championship, their gritty run remains one of the best Cinderella stories in recent memory.
2013 Wichita State Shockers
True to their name, the 2013 Wichita State team shocked the world with an unforgettable run to the Final Four. A hard-nosed, defensively-minded team, the Shockers pulled off a massive upset against one-seed Kansas in the second round.
Wins against La Salle and Ohio State followed, but Wichita State's dream season came to an end with a loss against Louisville.
2018 Loyola-Chicago Ramblers
The number 11 seed heading into the 2018 tourney, Loyola-Chicago was a forgettable mid-major team with little national attention. That all changed when the Ramblers pulled off a series of upsets to make it to the Final Four.
Their incredible run was eventually snuffed out by a powerhouse Michigan team in the Final Four, but 2018 helped put this program on the map.
2013 Florida Gulf Coast Eagles
Known as "Dunk City" for their high-flying, entertaining style of play, FGCU was nevertheless seen as an underdog in 2013 as a 15-seed.
They made an immediate statement by knocking out second-seeded Georgetown, then beat San Diego State. They eventually fell to Florida in the Sweet 16.
2011 VCU Rams
VCU wasn't even a lock to be in the 2011 tournament, and they had to secure their seeding by winning a First Four play-in game. Once there, though, they didn't look back.
The long run to the Final Four included wins over USC, Georgetown, Purdue, Florida State and most memorably, Kansas. They eventually fell to Butler.
2011 Butler Bulldogs
The team that beat VCU in the 2011 Final Four, the Butler Bulldogs, were also somewhat of an underdog. Under coach Brad Stevens, the Bulldogs beat Old Dominion, Pitt, Wisconsin, Florida, and VCU.
Butler's improbable run brought them close to a national championship, but they weren't able to beat a strong UConn squad.
2008 Davidson Wildcats
Led by future NBA legend Steph Curry, the 2008 Davidson Wildcats entered the tournament as a 10-seed, but made it all the way to the Elite Eight.
The tournament helped solidify Curry as an NBA prospect and Davidson as a legitimate threat, and the Wildcats beat powerhouses Gonzaga, Georgetown, and Wisconsin en route to a showdown with Kansas. While they lost, their run remains memorable to this day.
2006 George Mason Patriots
The 11-seed Patriots were likely written out of most brackets, but caused chaos in the 2006 tourney when they got hot and made it to the Final Four.
The scrappy Patriots didn't feature much star power, but their upsets against North Carolina and, most notably, UConn, made them a fixture of March Madness lore.
1990 Loyola Marymount Lions
This high-scoring squad played an up-tempo game and rode this success all the way to the Elite Eight as an 11-seed in 1990.
The sudden death of star Hank Gathers shortly before the tournament began galvanized the team. They eventually fell to first-seeded UNLV in the Elite Eight.
1988 Kansas Jayhawks
The Jayhawks are a college basketball powerhouse, but the 1988 squad wasn't seen as much of a threat heading into March Madness as a 6-seed.
Balanced play led by star Danny Manning saw the Jayhawks march through the tournament field, to a championship showdown against Oklahoma, a game that Kansas won 83-79 for the national title.
1986 LSU Tigers
Head coach Dale Brown led the 11-seed 1986 LSU Tigers to an improbable appearance in the Final Four, following upsets over Northeastern, Kentucky, Georgia Tech, and NC State.
LSU was unable to keep up with a tough Louisville squad in a Final Four showdown, where their remarkable run came to its end.
1983 NC State Wolfpack
The most memorable Cinderella run that ended in a championship, the 1983 NC State Wolfpack are a permanent part of March Madness lore.
Coach Jim Valvano led this ragtag squad to an improbable berth in the national championship. Even more improbably, the Wolfpack pulled off the win over the heavily favored Houston Cougars.
