The 2025 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament is just days away, which means upsets are on the horizon and brackets are ready to be busted.
While the team who cuts down the nets at the end of March Madness generally ends up being a powerhouse or top-flight seed, plenty of squads over the years have done their best at making an unexpected—dubbed "Cinderella"—run and leaving their mark on the tournament's history.
Here's a look back at some of the best:
VCU Rams, 2011
Seed: No. 11, Southwest Region
Season Record: 28-12
Final Result: Lost to Butler 70-62 in Final Four
After finishing the 2010-11 regular season losing four out of their last five games, Virginia Commonwealth found its way to the CAA championship game. A 70-65 loss to Old Dominion, however, had them wondering if they'd even make it to the NCAA tournament.
Luckily for the Rams, 2011 was the first year the NCAA expanded the tournament to 68 teams and as such, they were awarded one of the final at-large bids. After taking down USC to earn the Southwest's No. 11 seed, VCU went on to win four straight games over 6-seed Georgetown, 3-seed Purdue, 10-seed Florida State, and 1-seed Kansas to earn a spot in the Final Four.
Although their run ultimately ended with a loss to the Butler Bulldogs—who we'll get to later—this two-plus week stretch put not only VCU, but also head coach Shaka Smart, at the forefront of college basketball. Smart went on to coach the Texas Longhorns from 2015 to '21 before landing in the Big East with Marquette, where he still coaches today.
Wichita State Shockers, 2013
Seed: No. 9, West region
Season Record: 30-9
Final Result: Lost to Louisville 72-68 in Final Four
Wichita State shocked the college basketball world in 2013 with an unforeseen run to the Final Four.
Led by guards Ron Baker and Fred Van Vleet, the No. 9 Shockers took down No. 8 Pittsburgh in the Round of 64 before a shocking 76-70 upset of No. 1-ranked Gonzaga in the Round of 32 truly sparked their run. Wichita would go on to beat 11-seed La Salle and 7-seed Ohio State before losing to the eventual national champion Louisville Cardinals in the Final Four.
The following season, the Shockers entered the tournament with an incredible 34-0 record. With a target now on their back, however, they were bounced by No. 8 Kentucky in the Round of 32.
Loyola Chicago Ramblers, 2018
Seed: No. 11, South Region
Record: 32-6
Final Result: Lost to Michigan 69-57 in Final Four
Despite entering the postseason with a 28-5 record, Loyola Chicago was given just an 11-seed in the 2018 NCAA tournament after winning the Missouri Valley Conference.
The Ramblers quickly made the committee pay, taking down 6-seed Miami on a last-second buzzer-beater in the Round of 64 before using that momentum to get themselves all the way to the Final Four.
While their run unfortunately came to an end with a 69-57 loss to Michigan, it put Sister Jean on the map. The then-98, now 105-year-old team chaplain was seen courtside cheering on the Ramblers and became an overnight sensation. Still reportedly in good health, perhaps she'll make an appearance in 2025 if Loyola Chicago finds itself dancing again.
Davidson Wildcats, 2008
Seed: No. 10, Midwest Region
Record: 29-7
Final Result: Lost to Kansas 58-57 in Elite Eight
Before Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry was known as the greatest shooter in NBA history, he was known as the kid who led Davidson on a miraculous March Madness run.
The Wildcats started 2007-08 with just 4-6 record before rattling off 22 (!) straight wins, becoming Southern Conference champions, and qualifying for the NCAA tournament.
Curry kicked things off with a 40-point performance in a Round of 64 upset over 7-seed Gonzaga, before Davidson went on to take down 2-seed Georgetown and 3-seed Wisconsin, extending their winning streak to 25 games.
Their run came to a close with a one-point loss to Kansas in the Elite Eight with the Jayhawks holding Curry to just 25 points. He's since moved on to bigger and better as a four-time NBA champion and the only player in league history to hit 4,000 career three-pointers.
Florida Atlantic Owls, 2023
Seed: No. 9, East Region
Record: 35-4
Final Result: Lost to San Diego State 72-71 in Final Four
Florida Atlantic finished Conference USA play with an 18-2 record in 2023 before winning the conference tournament with wins over Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee, and UAB. The title gave them an auto-bid into the NCAA tournament where they were granted a No. 9 seed in the East.
Although they did luck out with a Round of 32 matchup against No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson, the Owls won their region thanks to wins over No. 4 seed Tennessee and No. 3 seed Kansas State.
While a one-point loss to San Diego State in the Final Four ended their national championship hopes, head coach Dusty May benefited from their accomplishments, as he landed the University of Michigan job two seasons later.
St. Peter's Peacocks, 2022
Seed: No. 15, East Region
Record: 22-12
Final Result: Lost to North Carolina 69-49 in Elite Eight
Led by the mustache man in guard Doug Edert, the MAAC champion St. Peter's Peacocks started the 2022 NCAA tournament out with a bang by taking down the No. 2 seed Kentucky Wildcats in overtime.
They not only became the 10th 15-seed to upset a No. 2 seed in tournament history, but also the first to advance to the Elite Eight—an honor they still hold today—after subsequent wins over 7-seed Murray State and 10-seed Purdue.
Despite losing to North Carolina by 20 points with a chance to advance to the Final Four, the run landed Peacocks head coach Shaheen Holloway his dream job, as he was hired as his alma mater Seton Hall Pirates' next head coach the following season.
Butler Bulldogs, 2011
Seed: No. 8, Southeast Region
Record: 28-10
Final Result: Lost to UConn 53-41 in NCAA national championship
After coming up literal inches away from a national championship in 2010, Butler returned to the court in 2011 without their best player in Gordon Hayward—who left for the NBA the previous spring.
Expected to take a step back, the Bulldogs did anything but that, finishing the regular season with nine straight victories before winning the Horizon League and earning an 8-seed in the NCAA tournament.
With guard Shelvin Mack taking over for Hayward as the team's nucleus, Butler went on a mega-run, defeating 9-seed Old Dominion, 1-seed Pittsburgh, 4-seed Wisconsin, 2-seed Florida, and 11-seed VCU on their way to a national championship appearance against UConn.
While unfortunately losing their second national title in a row, the prowess Brad Stevens showed as a head coach helped him ultimately get hired by the Boston Celtics in 2013.
Florida Gulf Coast Eagles, 2013
Seed: No. 15, South Region
Record: 26-11
Final Result: Lost to Florida 62-52 in Sweet 16
Dunk City, stand up.
Though they ultimately didn't advance very far, the Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles took the 2013 March Madness tournament by storm thanks to two upsets and plenty of highlight-reel dunks.
FGCU became the first 15-seed in NCAA tournament history to advance to the Sweet 16 after their bracket-busting first-round win over No. 2 seed Georgetown and a subsequent victory over No. 7 seed San Diego State.
Despite losing to Florida the following weekend, head coach Andy Enfield took advantage of the Eagles' run and was hired as USC's head coach the following season—a job he held for 11 years.
George Mason Patriots, 2006
Seed: No. 11, West Region
Record: 27-8
Final Result: Lost to Florida 73-58 in Final Four
Often looked at as one of the tournament's more improbable Cinderella runs, the 2005-06 George Mason Patriots took an 11-seeded at-large bid to the Final Four.
Their wins along the way included triumphs over 6-seed Michigan State, 3-seed North Carolina, 7-seed Wichita State, and an overtime victory over the Rudy Gay-led UConn Huskies.
They lost to the Florida Gators in the Final Four, but head coach Jim Larrañaga parlayed the success into an eventual job with the Miami Hurricanes, where he coached for 14 seasons.
Villanova Wildcats, 1985
Seed: No. 8, Southeast Region
Record: 25-10
Final Result: Won NCAA national championship 66–64 over No. 1 Georgetown
As the lowest seed ever to win a national championship, the 1985 Villanova Wildcats are all but unanimously considered to be the greatest Cinderella story in March Madness history.
Led by head coach Rollie Massimino, No. 8 seed Villanova claimed the Southeast Region thanks to tight wins over 9-seed Dayton, 1-seed Michigan, 5-seed Maryland and 2-seed North Carolina before defeating 2-seed Memphis State in the Final Four.
This set them up for a David vs. Goliath matchup against the 35-1, No. 1-ranked Georgetown Hoyas. The Wildcats took the pressure in stride, winning the title game 66-64 and becoming the most unlikely champions the tournament has ever seen.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as March Madness: Top 10 Cinderella Runs in NCAA Tournament History.
