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20 most shocking NCAA Tournament upsets that put the ‘madness’ in March

By Mike Phillips

CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 16: K.J. Maura #11 and Jairus Lyles #10 of the UMBC Retrievers talk during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament against the Virginia Cavaliers at the Spectrum Center on March 16, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Retrievers won 74-54. Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** K.J. Macura;Jairus Lyles
CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 16: K.J. Maura #11 and Jairus Lyles #10 of the UMBC Retrievers talk during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament against the Virginia Cavaliers at the Spectrum Center on March 16, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Retrievers won 74-54. Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** K.J. Macura;Jairus Lyles /
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March Madness, NCAA Tournament upsets
CHARLOTTE, NC – MARCH 16: The UMBC Retrievers celebrate a basket during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament against the Virginia Cavaliers at the Spectrum Center on March 16, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Retrievers won 74-54. Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

Ranking the biggest, most shocking, I-still-can’t-believe-they-happened upsets in the history of March Madness.

The NCAA Tournament is a lot of fun, with upsets being a staple of the madness. The upsets are often unexpected and shatter brackets, which lead to some memorable moments. With the 2020 edition of the NCAA Tournament canceled, now is the time to look back at the 20 greatest March Madness upsets of all time to fill the void without games this year.

20. No. 14 Northwestern State over No. 3 Iowa – 2006

  • Northwestern State wins 64-63

When an upset happens in the NCAA Tournament, it usually doesn’t involve a comeback for the ages. That was the case in 2006 when 14-seed Northwestern State took on 3-seed Iowa.

The Hawkeyes built themselves a 17-point lead with just over eight and a half minutes to go, but Northwestern State simply wouldn’t quit. The Demons cut the deficit to 63-61 in the final seconds and got the basketball into the hands of Jermaine Wallace, who nailed a contested three in the corner to give Northwestern State the lead.

The shot fell with half a second on the clock and Iowa’s desperation heave fell short, knocking out the Hawkeyes in the first round and sending Northwestern State on to a matchup with West Virginia.

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