What do you think is the best underdog story in NCAA history?
- Thread starter Zenigundam
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What do I say? As a Kansas State fan I say that this list is brutal for me. Two of the teams on it beat my Cats in Elite 8 games, so our last Final Four is still ancient history. No, I'm not bitter.
I voted for NC State but could have easily gone with Villanova.
Well at least Arizona's on the list, who beat your rival and one of the best teams never to win a title. I would vote for Villanova too if I cast a vote on the poll, that probably won't happen again (UConn a few years ago really isn't comparable given their path).
Unfortunately, NC State. They probably miss the NCAA tourney if they don’t win the ACC tourney, and somehow they win it. Then they go on a string of statistically improbable come from behind wins to make it to the championship game where they were given no chance against the Phi Slamma Jamma duo of Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. However, there was only one dunk that game; the one that came at the buzzer in another come from behind win. It was a fitting finish for Jimmy “Never Give Up” Valvano. Villanova’s run was impressive, but a last second dunk is more impressive than inbounding the ball when ranking Hollywood endings.
That was one of the biggest upsets- Langdon, Brand, Maggette, Avery, Battier, Carawell, Duke was loaded and they beat themselves in the Great Alaska Shootout. UConn's frontcourt was nobodies and if they hadn't been a top 5 team ranking-wise throughout the season, it would have been perceived as what it really was. Duke beats 'em 9.9/10 times.
You mean 2014 UConn.
One of the worst teams to win a title. The win against Michigan State was impressive, but the teams at the top were overrated slop imo.
UK was seeded even lower than UConn. They both sucked but caught fire at the right time.
1996 Kentucky and 2012 Kentucky were all-time teams, but the Harrison brother UK teams were vastly overrated. John Calipari cost them that 2014 title with bad coaching by sticking to the 2-3 against a team with small guards and sucky frontcourt players that basically can only win by making open 3s. I swear that guy can only win titles when he's given a superteam.
Looking back now they were stacked of course. At the time it was a considered a major upset.
True, it was perceived that way... because Texas Western got no national exposure.
Well that and people didn’t quite understand the athletic abilities of black players by and large compared to white players. Today Texas western would be at minimum a 10 point favorite
NC State. Just no debate, really.
Villanova was a pretty good team. They lost 10 games. But 5 of those were to St.John's and Georgetown. And all the games but one(89-74 loss to SJU in BE tourney) were decided by 7 points or less. Beating Georgetown was a big upset. But more so b/c the Hoyas were the defending champs, and had beaten Nova twice. But what most do not know is those two games werre very close; 52-50/57-50.
So with that being said, I choose NCSU. Just no way they should've beaten that Houston team. None. Just... I mean, WTF? I still cannot believe they won.
Villanova was a pretty good team. They lost 10 games. But 5 of those were to St.John's and Georgetown. And all the games but one(89-74 loss to SJU in BE tourney) were decided by 7 points or less. Beating Georgetown was a big upset. But more so b/c the Hoyas were the defending champs, and had beaten Nova twice. But what most do not know is those two games werre very close; 52-50/57-50.
So with that being said, I choose NCSU. Just no way they should've beaten that Houston team. None. Just... I mean, WTF? I still cannot believe they won.
Ncst was injury riddled all year. When they had the real starters healthy like in the champ game they went 21-1...so not really a Cinderella to people who knew....during the game they often just stood there to run clock with no shot clock
The only major injury was to Whittenburg and they were only 7-3 when he played and then still won more games then they lost during his injury (10-7) which also coincided with a much harder schedule in the ACC when more losses were expected, so this take isn’t very accurate in my opinion (though to be fair I doubt almost anyone’s recollection of things that happened 34 years ago is likely to be accurate). They were only 16-10 heading into their final ACC game and had to likely win every game of both the ACC and NCAA tournament to advance, and with 1-2 exceptions they played in close game after close game through both tournaments. Danny and the Miracles was a great run as well, however
It's tough to beat a team 3x in a season. Just ask Stacey King and Mookie Blaylock.
I thought the exact same thing. No one gave Duke a fighting chance in that game!
That's the game where I stopped being a Duke and Coach K fan. Was a big Duke fan when I started following CBB in the mid 80s since Coach K was a Chicago guy. Loved Duke and Coach K. then, that game I felt like Coach K lost that game because of his pride and ego. Sat on his hands and did nothing the entire game while his team was getting beat, it was as if he felt they would win simply because they were Duke. That was the end of my Duke and Coach K fandom. Ever since then I've found him very overrated as a game coach.
Why is 1997 Arizona on this list? They were the best team that year by far.
That was the only year I ever went to Vegas for the tournament and I paid for my trip betting on Arizona.
That was the only year I ever went to Vegas for the tournament and I paid for my trip betting on Arizona.
They were a 4-seed with 9 losses. Beat three #1 seeds to win it all though. Busted up UK's potential 3-peat.
They were a 4-seed with 9 losses. Beat three #1 seeds to win it all though. Busted up UK's potential 3-peat.
lol I guess I just knew something no one else did that year. Makes sense now cause I made a lot of money betting on them on the money line when they were dogs to all those #1s. I just knew they were gonna win those games. Back then, my eye test was strong
Huh?
UK was the defending champs. Was a 1-seed.
Kansas was sickening good.
Minny, North Carolina, Duke were all very good.
All the above were better than Arizona. They were a 4 seed that entered the tourney at 19-9.
That being said, I;m not so sure a 4 seed winning the title is grounds for this list..
That sure makes for a good vacation!!lol I guess I just knew something no one else did that year. Makes sense now cause I made a lot of money betting on them on the money line when they were dogs to all those #1s. I just knew they were gonna win those games. Back then, my eye test was strong
It was a crazy vacation. I was visiting my buddy out there and for some odd reason he bet no money on the men's tournament, but instead spent all his money on the women and the NIT. Rode Tennessee and Michigan respectively. He cleaned up even more than I did.
I'm not much of a gambler at all, only bet on games if Im in Vegas so it was quite a ride.
yea I don't know what it was or why cause it was 20 years ago, but I was all over that AZ team and was even betting them to win those games straight up without spreads. I remember they barely got past their first round game (S Alabama?) but after that they looked like the best team in the tournament almost immediately.
They were a good team. Simon and Bibby got all the pub; and well they shoyld have. But Dickerson was a stud. Terry was starting to come into his own. That was a damn good team.
