X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Biggest College Basketball Upsets In March Madness History: NCAA Tournament Bracket Busters

John Calipari - College Basketball Head Coach, NCAAB Picks, March Madness

RotoBaller's list of the biggest NCAA tournament upsets of all time. What are the most shocking March Madness upsets? Read the college basketball analysis.

Zach Edey - CBB DFS Picks, NCAA Daily College Fantasy Basketball

2023: (16) Fairleigh Dickinson Def. (1) Purdue

Behind 2023 College Basketball Player of the Year, Zach Edey, the Boilermakers were one of the favorites to win the 2023 NCAA tournament. With Edey averaging 22.3 points and 12.9 rebounds per game, no one could have predicted Purdue, a 23.5-point first-round favorite, to slip up in the very first round.

Edey was able to put up 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field and 7-of-10 at the free-throw line to go along with 15 rebounds, but the team made just 12 of 42 shots otherwise. Guards Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer combined to make just seven of their 20 field goal attempts, and Purdue’s bench only contributed five points. A bad shooting night can cause any team to be upset as Fairleigh Dickinson learned with its first-ever NCAA tournament win. This upset marked just the second time a 16-seed has knocked off a one-seed.

2018: (16) UMBC Def. (1) Virginia

Speaking of 16-seeds crushing the hopes and dreams of a one-seed, enter the 2018 first-round contest between UMBC and Virginia. The Cavaliers were the No. 1 overall national seed behind a 31-2 record and an ACC Championship (regular season and tournament). Meanwhile, UMBC boasted an impressive 24-10 record and won the American East Conference tournament to make the dance, but its only game against a ranked opponent in the regular season ended in a 103-78 loss to Arizona in November.

What makes this upset so incredible is it wasn’t even a close contest late in the game. The Retrievers were tied with Virginia at halftime before a 20-point beatdown in the second half. Virginia entered the game as a 20-point favorite yet lost by 20. How wild is that? Jairus Lyles will live in history for his 28-point performance in the first-ever win by a 16 seed in the Round of 64.

 

Oumar Ballo - College Basketball Rankings, NCAA CBB DFS Lineup Picks

2023: (15) Princeton Def. (2) Arizona

Let’s move on to our most recent 15 vs. 2 upset. Following a 25-6 regular season and three-straight victories in the Pac-12 tournament to bring home the conference hardware, Arizona looked poised for a deep March Madness run behind forward Azuolas Tubelis and center Oumar Ballo. Ivy League champion Princeton had other ideas.

Despite Princeton shooting just 4-of-25 from three-point land and making just three total free throws, they took down the Wildcats as 14.5-point underdogs. When you look at the final team stats, it’s tough to find an edge for Princeton. However, they outscored Arizona 42-34 in the paint, which helped them erase a 14-point deficit and send the Wildcats packing. Princeton then defeated Missouri in the Round of 32 before losing to Creighton in the Sweet 16.

Oscar Tshiebwe daily college fantasy basketball CFB DFS picks March Madness

2022: (15) Saint Peter's Def. (2) Kentucky

John Calipari, the legendary head coach who has Final Four runs with three different schools, does not get upset in Round 1, right? Well, the Saint Peter’s Peacocks had something to say about that in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Kentucky earned a two-seed after compiling a 26-7 record that included a road win over No. 5 Kansas, who went on the win the national title.

Despite Oscar Tshiebwe’s 30-point and 16-rebound effort, Kentucky was no match for Saint Peter’s who shot 52.9% from three and made 18 of 21 free-throw attempts. Daryl Banks III (27) and reserve Doug Edert (20) led the way in scoring for the Peacocks, and overall, three-point shooting was the difference in the contest.

Ohio State Buckeyes - NCAA College Team Logo Stock

2021: (15) Oral Roberts Def. (2) Ohio State

Without a doubt, Oral Roberts looked like one of the weakest 15 seeds in tournament history. The Golden Eagles began the 2020-21 season with a 3-5 record and did not defeat any power-conference teams during the regular season. They were the four-seed in the Summit League conference tournament but ultimately upset South Dakota State and North Dakota State to take home the league crown. Still, they entered March Madness with just 16 wins in 26 games.

On the flip side, the Buckeyes lost four consecutive games to close the regular season but built some momentum in the Big Ten conference tournament, winning three games before falling short in the title game in overtime against Illinois. Overtime misery would continue in the Round of 64, as Oral Roberts pulled off the upset behind 59 combined points from Kevin Obanor and Max Abmas.

Michigan State Spartans - NCAA College Team Logo Stock

2016: (15) MTSU Def. (2) Michigan State

Led by head coach Tom Izzo, the Michigan State Spartans were coming off a Final Four run from 2015 heading into the 2016 NCAA Tournament. MSU spent a chunk of the 2015-16 season as the top-ranked team in the nation and ended the season on a nine-game winning streak and a Big Ten conference tournament title. The matchup with Middle Tennessee State, who did not face a ranked team all season, did not seem like a dangerous matchup. That ended up being far from the case.

MTSU would hang 90 points on the Spartans behind a well-balanced scoring attack. All five of the Blue Raiders’ starters scored at least 11 points, and the team shot 57.9% from three. That’s the recipe.

 

 

Missouri Tigers - College Team Logo Stock

2012: (15) Norfolk State Def. (2) Missouri

Norfolk State entered the 2012 NCAA Tournament with a strong 26-9 record, but Missouri enjoyed a dominant regular season ending in a Big 12 conference tournament crown. Led by future NBA veteran Kyle O’Quinn’s 26 points and 14 rebounds, the Spartans dominated the Tigers on the boards (37-25), which made up for the fact that Missouri committed fewer turnovers, made more three-pointers, and made more free throws.

While most big March Madness upsets stem from a spectacular night of three-point shooter and winning the turnover battle, Norfolk State used good old fashioned “bully ball” to end the Tigers’ title hopes. This would be the last game Missouri played as a member of the Big 12 before joining the SEC.

Duke Blue Devils - NCAA College Team Logo Stock

2012: (15) Lehigh Def. (2) Duke

A Duke team with Mason Plumlee, Miles Plumlee, Austin Rivers, Quinn Cook, and Seth Curry can’t lose in the first round as a two-seed, right? Wrong, according to the Lehigh Mountain Hawks led by C.J. McCollum. McCollum entered the dance averaging over 20 points per game, so it was reasonable to expect him to have a nice day on the national stage. But how could anyone have seen a Patriot League team defeat Coach K in the Round of 64?

Behind McCollum’s 30 points on nine field goals and 10 free throws made, and Duke’s abysmal 23.1% three-point shooting, the Mountain Hawks shocked Duke as 27.5-point underdogs.

 

 

Iowa State Cyclones - NCAA College Team Stock Logo

2001: (15) Hampton Def. (2) Iowa State

Led by future 11-year NBA veteran Jamaal Tinsley, the Cyclones had title aspirations as they entered the 2001 NCAA Tournament with a 25-5 record, including a 13-3 record in Big 12 play. The 13-point loss to Baylor in their opening game of the Big 12 tournament could have been seen as foreshadowing, but Iowa State was still obviously a heavy favorite over Hampton.

Tinsley shot just 4-for-11, and no Cyclone player scored more than 10 points. Despite Iowa State winning the rebound battle and shooting a higher percentage from the floor, its 17 turnovers and 19 fouls proved the be the difference in the contest. Hampton’s Travis Williams led all scorers with just 16 points.

South Carolina Gamecocks - College Team Logo Stock

1997: (15) Coppin State Def. (2) South Carolina

In 1997, Coppin State became the first No. 15 seed to earn a double-digit victory over a No. 2 seed. This seemed improbable after the Eagles began the 1996-97 campaign with a 4-7 record, but they held the line and won 18 of the next 19 games heading into March Madness. The team was hot, but so was South Carolina, who won 19 of their final 21 contests heading into the NCAA Tournament.

Neither team shot the three-ball well in this Round of 64 SEC vs. MEAC contest, but Coppin State’s 10-rebound advantage proved to be a significant boost, and the Gamecocks suffered an embarrassing 13-point defeat.

 

 

 

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Rasmus Andersson14 mins ago

Out Against Kings
Jonathan Huberdeau24 mins ago

Sits Out Regular-Season Finale
Ryan Pulock36 mins ago

Out On Thursday
Jake Sanderson47 mins ago

Back In Action Thursday
Thomas Chabot53 mins ago

To Be Rested Against Hurricanes
Claude Giroux1 hour ago

Active On Thursday
DJ LeMahieu1 hour ago

Could Start A Rehab Assignment On Tuesday
Brady Tkachuk1 hour ago

Returns To Senators Lineup Thursday
Drew Doughty1 hour ago

To Remain Out Thursday
Masyn Winn1 hour ago

To Start A Rehab Assignment On Friday
Grayson Rodriguez1 hour ago

Dealing With Shoulder Soreness
Quinton Byfield1 hour ago

A Game-Time Call Thursday
Francisco Alvarez2 hours ago

Could Return This Weekend
Adrian Kempe2 hours ago

Resting Against Flames
Wyatt Langford2 hours ago

Expected To Return From Injured List This Weekend
Anze Kopitar2 hours ago

Expected To Return Thursday
Josh Smith2 hours ago

Remains Out On Thursday
Logan O'Hoppe2 hours ago

Back From Illness On Thursday
FLA2 hours ago

Jesse Puljujarvi Suspended For Two Games
Michael Tonkin2 hours ago

To Make Rehab Outing On Friday
Royce Lewis3 hours ago

To Do Some Baserunning On Thursday
Pablo López3 hours ago

Pablo Lopez To Make A Rehab Start On Saturday
David Bednar3 hours ago

Looking Good In The Minors
Noelvi Marte4 hours ago

Reds Recall Noelvi Marte From Triple-A
Caleb Durbin4 hours ago

Brewers Calling Up Caleb Durbin
Andrew Benintendi4 hours ago

Reinstated From Injured List
Brandon Marsh4 hours ago

Out On Thursday With Knee Injury
LaMonte Wade Jr.4 hours ago

Sitting Against A Left-Hander
Dallas Cowboys4 hours ago

Cowboys Add Hakeem Adeniji To Offensive-Line Room
Aaron Rodgers4 hours ago

Retirement Still An Option For Aaron Rodgers
Wilmer Flores4 hours ago

Jung Hoo Lee Sitting On Thursday
Tyler O'Neill5 hours ago

Remains Sidelined On Thursday
Davis Schneider5 hours ago

Sent To Triple-A
Alex Verdugo5 hours ago

Promoted, Bryan De La Cruz Optioned
Richie Palacios5 hours ago

Activated From The Injured List
San Francisco 49ers6 hours ago

Isaac Alarcon Suspended Six Games
Stanley Morgan Jr.6 hours ago

Titans Cut Stanley Morgan Jr.
6 hours ago

Browns GM Impressed With Jalen Milroe
Cleveland Browns6 hours ago

Browns Think Travis Hunter May Be Best Suited As A Receiver
Dallas Goedert6 hours ago

Eagles May Be Interested In Future Draft Picks For Dallas Goedert
DeMar DeRozan10 hours ago

Notches Game-High 33 Points In Play-In Loss
Klay Thompson10 hours ago

Sinks Five Triples En Route To 23 Points
Anthony Davis10 hours ago

Scores 27 Points In Win Over Kings
Josh Giddey10 hours ago

Bags Double-Double In Play-In Loss
Tyler Herro10 hours ago

Leads Heat Past Bulls Wednesday Night
Jericho Sims11 hours ago

Set To Return For Playoffs
Kyrie Irving11 hours ago

Mavericks Optimistic Kyrie Irving Returns By January
Connor McDavid12 hours ago

Hits 100-Point Mark For Fifth Straight Season
Jack Eichel12 hours ago

Scores In Return
Dylan Larkin12 hours ago

Tallies Two Points In Victory
Kaiden Guhle13 hours ago

Leads Montreal To Playoff-Clinching Victory
Connor Hellebuyck13 hours ago

Stops 30 Shots On Wednesday
Jason Robertson13 hours ago

Exits Early On Wednesday
Tennessee Titans19 hours ago

Titans Have Become Sold On Cam Ward
19 hours ago

Shedeur Sanders' Draft Stock Has Fallen
19 hours ago

Jaxson Dart A Lock To Be A First-Round Pick?
Las Vegas Raiders19 hours ago

Kolton Miller Sitting Out Offseason Program As He Seeks Extension
Chicago Bears19 hours ago

Bears Sign T.J. Edwards To Two-Year Extension
Anthony Davis22 hours ago

Available On Wednesday Night
Ja Morant22 hours ago

Says He'll Play On Friday Night
Kevin Durant23 hours ago

Rockets Have "Level Of Mutual Interest"
Lucas Glover23 hours ago

Looks To Rebound After Poor Performance
Stuart Skinner23 hours ago

Starts Against Sharks Wednesday
Ondrej Palat23 hours ago

Out On Wednesday
Timo Meier24 hours ago

Exits Devils Lineup Wednesday
Kevin Love1 day ago

Still Out On Wednesday
Nikola Jović1 day ago

Nikola Jovic Won't Play Against Bulls
Pelle Larsson1 day ago

Ready To Return On Wednesday
Dalen Terry1 day ago

Active On Wednesday
Lonzo Ball1 day ago

Remains Out Against Heat
Josh Giddey1 day ago

Officially Available Wednesday
1 day ago

Trevor Etienne Visiting With Patriots On Wednesday
Daniel Berger1 day ago

Looking To Continue Solid Play At RBC
Sepp Straka1 day ago

Looking To Bounce Back At RBC
1 day ago

Colston Loveland To Be Top-15 Draft Pick?
Baltimore Ravens1 day ago

Ravens Have Spent Significant Time Scouting Kickers
1 day ago

Isaiah Bond Files Federal Complaint Against Accuser
Logan Woodside1 day ago

Bengals Bring Logan Woodside Back
New York Giants1 day ago

Giants Not Adamant On Drafting A Quarterback
Chicago Bears1 day ago

Shemar Stewart Visits With Bears
1 day ago

Kyle McCord Being Undervalued?
1 day ago

Tyler Shough A Potential First-Round Pick?
Justin Thomas1 day ago

Looking To Shake Off Poor Masters At RBC Heritage
Xander Schauffele1 day ago

Still Looking For Year's First Win At RBC Heritage
Maverick McNealy1 day ago

Is An Intriguing Play At RBC Heritage
Shane Lowry1 day ago

Looks To Shake Off Poor Masters Sunday At RBC Heritage
Tre Jones1 day ago

Remains Out On Wednesday
Kevin Love1 day ago

Could Return To Action Wednesday
Pelle Larsson1 day ago

Iffy For Wednesday
Nikola Jović1 day ago

Nikola Jovic Listed As Questionable For Wednesday
Alec Burks1 day ago

Active On Wednesday
Will Zalatoris1 day ago

Eyes A Bounce-Back At RBC Heritage
Gary Woodland1 day ago

Could Add Some Surprise At Hilton Head
Sam Burns1 day ago

Hoping For Better Times At RBC Heritage
Sahith Theegala1 day ago

Still Trying To Put It All Together
Aaron Rai1 day ago

Might Be That Guy For Hilton Head
Robert MacIntyre1 day ago

All Or Nothing At RBC Heritage
Tom Hoge1 day ago

Still Playing Solid Heading To Hilton Head
Nick Dunlap1 day ago

Continues To Have Rough Stretch
Keegan Bradley1 day ago

Looks To Move On From Masters Performance
Matt Fitzpatrick2 days ago

A Boom-Or-Bust Option At RBC Heritage
Patrick Cantlay2 days ago

A Strong Play At RBC Heritage
Jordan Spieth2 days ago

Targets Another Strong RBC Heritage Showing
Collin Morikawa2 days ago

Eyeing Victory At RBC Heritage
Max Homa2 days ago

Breaks Through At The Masters
Alexander Volkanovski2 days ago

Reclaims Featherweight Title
Diego Lopes2 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC 314
Paddy Pimblett2 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Michael Chandler2 days ago

Suffers TKO Loss
MMA2 days ago

Patricio Freire Gets Dominated In His UFC Debut
Yair Rodriguez2 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Bryce Mitchell3 days ago

Gets Submitted At UFC 314
Jean Silva3 days ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC 314
Dominick Reyes3 days ago

Wins Third Fight In A Row
Austin Dillon3 days ago

Nabs His First Top-10 Finish Of The 2025 Season At Bristol
Ryan Blaney3 days ago

Bold Strategies Fall Flat, Still Musters A Top-Five Finish At Bristol
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Finishes In The Top 10 After Falling Back Midway At Bristol
Ty Gibbs3 days ago

Earns His First Top-Five Finish Of The 2025 Season At Bristol
Chase Briscoe3 days ago

Quietly Scores First Career Top-Five Finish At Bristol
William Byron4 days ago

Denny Hamlin Cuts Into William Byron's Points Lead
William Byron4 days ago

Makes Best Of His Mediocre Qualifying Run With Sixth-Place Finish
Alex Bowman4 days ago

Despite Engine Failure, Alex Bowman's Improved Speed Looks Promising
NASCAR4 days ago

A.J. Allmendinger Enters Playoff Picture With Surprise Bristol Top-10 Finish
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Will Compete For The Win At Bristol
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Is One Of The More Favorable DFS Options Available For Bristol
William Byron4 days ago

Is A Solid DFS Option For Bristol Lineups
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Could Tyler Reddick Be A Sneaky DFS Option For Bristol?
NASCAR4 days ago

Is Bubba Wallace Worth Rostering For Bristol This Week?
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Could Ross Chastain Be A Worthy DFS Choice For Bristol?
Carson Hocevar4 days ago

Is Carson Hocevar Worth Rostering For Bristol DFS Lineups?
NASCAR5 days ago

Should Fantasy Managers Avoid Rostering A.J. Allmendinger In DFS For Bristol?
Ryan Preece5 days ago

Is Ryan Preece Worth Rostering For Bristol Lineups?
Austin Dillon5 days ago

May Be One Of The Top Value Options For Bristol DFS This Week
Noah Gragson5 days ago

Should DFS Players Consider Noah Gragson For Bristol Lineups?
Riley Herbst5 days ago

Is In Play For Bristol DFS Lineups
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF