What are the 10 best Cinderella runs in NCAA Men’s Tournament history?

The very best a part of the NCAA Men’s Tournament is the underdogs that emerge out of nowhere to beat the top-seeded groups.

Time and time once more, this phenomenon unfolds. Simply final season, NC State ran the desk within the ACC Event because the No. 10 seed, successful 5 consecutive video games to say the convention match, after which went on to advance to the Ultimate 4 of the NCAA Event as a No. 11 seed. With DJ Burns and the Wolfpack‘s 2024 run in thoughts, which Cinderella groups have been probably the most memorable?

Listed here are the ten finest Cinderella runs in NCAA Males’s Event historical past.

10 finest Cinderella runs in NCAA Males’s Event historical past

When Davidson went undefeated in Southern Convention play and went on to win its convention match, it was only a glimpse of what was to come back for the Stephen Curry-led Wildcats. As a No. 10 seed, Davidson beat seventh-seeded Gonzaga, adopted by taking down Roy Hibbert and the second-seeded Georgetown Hoyas. The following week, the Wildcats dealt with third-seeded Wisconsin. A mere two-point loss to the one-seeded Kansas Jayhawks within the Elite Eight was the top of the road for Davidson. In the long run, Curry averaged 32 factors per sport and made 5.8 3-pointers per contest throughout Davidson’s 4 match video games.

9. 2023 FAU

Owls usually make noise at evening, however these Owls have been hooting all day and evening within the 2023 NCAA Event. Florida Atlantic, a No. 9 seed, obtained a one-point victory over eighth-seeded Memphis in Spherical 1, adopted by beating No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson — one other Cinderella who had simply defeated one-seeded Purdue within the first spherical. The following weekend, the Owls knocked off each the fourth-seeded Tennessee Volunteers and third-seeded Kansas State Wildcats. Sadly, their season led to heartbreaking vogue, as they held a one-point lead on fifth-seeded San Diego State within the remaining seconds of the Ultimate 4 however misplaced on a buzzer-beater from Lamont Butler. Johnell Davis and Alijah Martin every averaged 15-plus factors per sport for Florida Atlantic throughout its 5 match video games.

After caring for eighth-seeded Pittsburgh, ninth-seeded Wichita State performed deep into March. Highlighted by an upset over Kelly Olynyk and the one-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs within the second spherical, the Shockers proceeded to beat No. 13 seed La Salle and two-seeded Ohio State within the Candy 16 and Elite Eight, respectively. The Shockers’ run ended by the hands of the one-seeded and eventual 2013 nationwide champion Louisville Cardinals within the Ultimate 4. Nonetheless, Malcolm Armstead and future execs Cleanthony Early and Ron Baker, amongst others, placed on a present for the nation.

In any other case often called the “Sister Jean” run, the No. 11 seed Ramblers captivated the sports activities world within the 2018 match. Following an upset victory over sixth-seeded Miami within the opening spherical, Loyola Chicago beat third-seeded Tennessee, seventh-seeded Nevada after which ninth-seeded Kansas State. The Ramblers’ streak ended with a Ultimate 4 loss to third-seeded Michigan. Sister Jean, the chaplain for the Loyola Chicago males’s basketball group, was interviewed after the college’s first-round win and have become an enduring picture of that yr’s match. As of March 2025, she’s nonetheless going robust at 105 years previous. Within the common season, Loyola Chicago had 5 gamers rating in double figures per sport.

Saint Peter’s was a No. 15 seed, and that No. 15 seed took down the second-seeded Kentucky Wildcats in extra time within the opening spherical of the match. Two days later, the Peacocks beat seventh-seeded Murray State after which knocked off Jaden Ivey, Zach Edey and third-seeded Purdue within the Candy 16. Whereas Saint Peter’s misplaced by 20 factors to eighth-seeded North Carolina within the Elite Eight, it had been simply the fourth time that this system reached the Large Dance and nonetheless stands as its longest match run. Wing KC Ndefo had a pair of six-block outings within the match for the Peacocks. After Saint Peter’s success, head coach Shaheen Holloway was named the brand new head coach of the Seton Hall Pirates, his alma mater.

The eighth-seeded Butler Bulldogs squeaked out a two-point victory over Old Dominion within the first spherical after which went to work. Within the second spherical, Butler secured a one-point win over one-seeded Pittsburgh, which it adopted up by defeating fourth-seeded Wisconsin. Then, the Bulldogs topped second-seeded Florida in extra time and dispatched No. 11 seed VCU (put a pin in that one) to advance to the title sport for the second straight season. Regardless of main at halftime, Butler misplaced to third-seeded UConn within the nationwide championship sport, making it back-to-back runner-up seasons for the Bulldogs. Junior Shelvin Mack averaged 20.3 factors per sport throughout Butler’s six match video games.

4. 2011 VCU

After beating USC within the “First 4” spherical, VCU claimed a No. 11 seed and went dancing for consecutive weeks beneath head coach Shaka Sensible. The Rams then took down sixth-seeded Georgetown and third-seeded Purdue, every by 18 factors. They gained an extra time thriller over No. 10 seed Florida State the subsequent weekend and sunk one-seeded Kansas within the Elite Eight earlier than dropping to the aforementioned Butler within the Ultimate 4. It stays the Rams’ deepest match run in program historical past. Jamie Skeen averaged 17.8 per sport within the match and 26.5 factors in VCU’s final two video games. 

Head coach Jim Larranaga and the Patriots took the nation by storm in March 2006. After beating sixth-seeded Michigan State within the first spherical, No. 11 seed George Mason despatched freshman star Tyler Hansbrough and third-seeded North Carolina residence. The Patriots went on to beat seventh-seeded Wichita State after which edge out Rudy Gay and first-seeded UConn within the Elite Eight in extra time. Though the Patriots misplaced to third-seeded and eventual nationwide champion Florida within the Ultimate 4, their 2006 success was memorable. It marks certainly one of solely two occasions that George Mason has gotten previous the primary spherical of the match. The college has made the dance simply twice since then.

The eighth-seeded Wildcats gained a nail-biter over Dayton within the first spherical after which proceeded to upset behemoth after behemoth. After beating first-seeded Michigan in Spherical 2, Villanova topped fifth-seeded Maryland, Brad Daugherty and second-seeded North Carolina after which second-seeded Memphis to advance to the nationwide championship sport. And for all of the marbles, Harold Pressley and seniors Ed Pinckney and Dwayne McClain helped Villanova take down its Big East foe, Patrick Ewing and one-seeded Georgetown, to win the primary nationwide title in program historical past.

It took double extra time, however sixth-seeded NC State obtained previous No. 11 seed Pepperdine within the opening spherical of the 1983 match. It then eked out a one-point win over third-seeded UNLV. However “this is just … the beginning.” The Wolfpack had their means with No. 10 seed Utah within the Candy 16, successful by 19 factors, adopted by beating first-seeded Virginia (one other one-point victory) and fourth-seeded Georgia to advance to the title sport. 

Within the nationwide championship sport, NC State did it once more with one other shut win. This time, they earned a two-point victory over Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler and first-seeded Houston. Dereck Whittenburg averaged 20 factors per sport within the match on a Wolfpack group that produced 4 future NBA Draft picks: Thurl Bailey, Sidney Lowe, Lorenzo Charles and Cozell McQueen. It was the college’s second nationwide title and first beneath head coach Jim Valvano, who was in his third season on the job. 

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