15 biggest NCAA Tournament upsets of all time

CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 16: The UMBC Retrievers celebrate their 74-54 victory over the Virginia Cavaliers during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 16, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 16: The UMBC Retrievers celebrate their 74-54 victory over the Virginia Cavaliers during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 16, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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7. No. 15 Florida Gulf Coast over No. 2 Georgetown, 78-68 (2013, first round)

The Georgetown Hoyas were one of the premier college basketball programs in the 1980s and 1990s, led by John Thompson and always seemingly in contention to win the title. Meanwhile, the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles weren’t even founded as a school until 1991. You know when none of that ultimately matters? When March Madness rolls around and when Dunk City was born in the 2013 NCAA Tournament.

Led by Markel Starks and Otto Porter Jr., the Hoyas seemed likely to dominate this matchup against an FGCU team playing in their second-ever tournament game and in only their sixth year of Division I competition. What they weren’t ready for is one of the most fearless brands of basketball that we’ve ever seen a team play in this type of matchup.

Florida Gulf Coast earned the Dunk City moniker because of their high-flying and fast-paced attack that they deployed against the Hoyas (and in the next round, as well). The Eagles were throwing alley-oops, were getting after the rim against a physically superior team and showed tremendous amounts of guts for the way that they played in this one.

Dunk City became a phenomenon after this game — or at least for a weekend in March. There was a YouTube video giving them a signature song, there were endless highlights of their high-flying upset win over Georgetown playing on ESPN and so on. But all of that hype shouldn’t dampen just how impressive their confidence under head coach Andy Enfield was as they took down the Hoyas.