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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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2. No. 8 Villanova over No. 1 Georgetown – 1986

  • Villanova wins 66-64

Let’s take a look at what is still considered the biggest upset in the national championship of all time. Back in 1985, it was an all-Big East affair in Lexington as Georgetown squared off against Villanova for the title.

The tale of the tape for these two programs couldn’t have been any more different. Under the tutelage of head coach John Thompson and featuring a future Hall of Famer in Patrick Ewing, the Hoyas entered the title game making their third appearance in it over the past four years, including a win the previous year.

Villanova, on the other hand, was not expected to do much in the NCAA Tournament. A 5-5 record down the stretch, headlined by a 15-point loss to St. John’s in the Big East Tournament, sent the Wildcats tumbling into the dance as an 8-seed.

Knowing his team didn’t have the firepower to outshoot Georgetown, head coach Rollie Massimino devised a game plan based on limiting possessions. Without a shot clock, which was not implemented until the following season, Georgetown had little recourse when Villanova was content to simply hold the basketball.

The brilliant strategy helped the Wildcats topple the Hoyas and claim their first national title in program history. Entering the contest as nine-point underdogs, many still point to this contest as one of the greatest upsets in the history of sports.

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