While most understand the near certainty of a No. 1 seed defeating a No. 16 seed, the No. 2 seeds have been nearly as dominant throughout the history of the expanded NCAA tournament.
Just two No. 16 seeds have managed to pull off the incredible task of defeating a No. 1 in the men's tournament: UMBC in 2018 and Fairleigh Dickinson in 2023.
And just 11 No. 15 seeds have shocked the world by unseating a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament. However, if you read that and feel like it’s more common, you’re right to feel that way.
A No. 2 has stumbled in three of the last four tournaments and seven have made a first-round exit since 2012.
Perhaps that’s a result of a new level of parity in collegiate basketball, a result of better preparation and determination or maybe its a bit of luck.
Who knows? I suppose that’s why it's called March Madness.
As the NCAA tournament is about to start, let’s look back at the 11 teams who shocked the world and pulled off the gargantuan task of eliminating a No. 2 seed in the first round.
Every No. 15 to Defeat a No. 2 Seed in the NCAA Tournament
1991: Richmond Spiders Defeat Syracuse Orange
Syracuse was a nine-point favorite over Richmond entering the NCAA tournament, but it was Richmond that jumped out to an eight-point lead at the half. Syracuse cut into the lead in the second half, but the Spiders held on to make history.
This was the first time that a No. 15 had defeated a No. 2, and the Spiders did it with a balanced attack that saw eight different players score.
1993: Santa Clara Broncos Defeat Arizona Wildcats
The Broncos had a future Hall of Famer on the roster in Steve Nash, but Nash was just a freshman in 1993. Still, he shot 80% from the free-throw line and scored 10 points, helping Santa Clara battle back from a halftime deficit to upset the Wildcats.
1997: Coppin State Eagles Defeat South Carolina Gamecocks
Coppin State and South Carolina were tied at 34 entering halftime, but the Eagles exploded for 44 points, outscoring the Gamecocks by 13. South Carolina was a 17-point favorite entering the game, but Coppin State got 22 points from Danny Singletary and 20 from Antoine Brockington to get the upset victory.
2001: Hampton Pirates Defeat Iowa State Cyclones
Hampton trailed Iowa State 57–56 with nine seconds remaining. Two seconds and one Tarvis Williams shot later, the Pirates were now up by one point. Iowa State got a look at the rim, but the Cyclones couldn’t convert, losing a game in which they were a 17-point favorite. Hampton got double-digit points from three players.
2012: Lehigh Mountain Hawks Defeat Duke Blue Devils
Lehigh star guard CJ McCollum told his teammates after the victory, “Don’t be celebrating like you’re surprised we won.” McCollum played 39 minutes against the Blue Devils, scoring 30 points in the 75–70 victory.
2012: Norfolk State Spartans Defeat Missouri Tigers
After going more than a decade without a No. 15 winning a tournament game, we got two in the same year in 2012. Norfolk State shot 52.6 percent from three-point range and got 26 points and 14 rebounds from future NBA’er Kyle O’Quinn and won 86–84.
2013: Florida Gulf Coast Eagles Defeat Georgetown Hoyas
The expectation was that Georgetown’s defense would suffocate the smaller, higher-paced Eagles. Unfortunately for the Hoyas, that’s not what happened. FGCU ran over, through and around the Hoyas, exploding for highlight reel dunks and the decisive victory. Behind a combined 47 points from Sherwood Brown and Bernard Thompson, the Eagles scored 54 second-half points.
2016: Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Defeat Michigan State Spartans
Middle Tennessee unleashed a barrage of three-pointers against Sparty, hitting on 58% of them to bury a Michigan State team that found itself trailing 15–2 after the first few minutes. The Blue Raiders had five players score at least 11 points and won the game 90–81.
2021: Oral Roberts Golden Eagles Defeat Ohio State Buckeyes
Oral Roberts had the nation’s leading scorer, Max Abmas. Ohio State was supposed to be a Final Four contender. But the Golden Eagles opened the game on a 7–0 run and took a lead into halftime. The Buckeyes battled back in the second half thanks to 21 points from EJ Liddell and forced overtime, where Oral Roberts forward Kevin Obanor took over; he finished with 30 points while Abmas finished with 29.
2022: Saint Peter’s Peacocks Defeat Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky was favored by 18 points over the lowly Metro Atlantic Conference champion Saint Peter’s. The Peacocks didn’t seem to care, trading blows with a basketball blue blood for the first 40 minutes before taking over in overtime to win 85–79.
2023: Princeton Tigers Defeat Arizona Wildcats
The Tigers won their first NCAA tournament game since 1998 by upsetting the heavily-favored Wildcats in 2023. Head coach Mitch Henderson was a player on the 1996 Princeton squad that upset UCLA in the tournament and then got to be a part of another iconic upset. The Tigers got 15 points from Tosan Evboumwan to win 59–55.
More College Basketball on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Every No. 15 Seed to Upset a No. 2 in the NCAA Tournament.
