The Greatest NCAA Tournament Underdogs: The Teams that Did the Unthinkable

Every year, the NCAA basketball season concludes with a unique post-season format involving sixty-five teams in a single elimination tournament. Round by round, the tournament produces the top 32, the sweet 16, the elite 8, and the final 4, all before the championship game.

However, nearly every year, a team goes a lot farther than expected. Instead of losing in the first round as predicted, the team pulls off an upset and then surprises even more people by winning in the next round, and maybe even continuing to win until their run finally ends well after they were destined to lose.

Every year, a few squads tend to find a glass slipper and become Cinderella for that year's tournament. However, in order to make this list, the underdog has got to do more than just win. The games they win along the way have to be most unpredictable, they have to face some sort of adversity, and they have got to truly astound the college basketball nation. Listed below, are the top ten teams that met this criteria.

#10. Wisconsin Badgers (2000)

Heading into the tournament, the Badgers didn't even look like they belonged. Placing sixth in the Big 10, with a conference record of 8-8, Wisconsin came into the tournament with a rare thirteen losses and a long history of hard-court ineptitude. With less than a month before the tournament selection, they seemed to be completely out of it.

At that point, the Badgers posted a record of 13-12, but they then reeled off five straight to secure a spot in the tournament with an eight seed. Wisconsin then continued to surprise everyone, winning four and three straight against ranked opponents Arizona, LSU, and Purdue. In the final four, they faced Michigan State, a team they had already lost three times that season to. The fourth time wasn't a charm and the Badgers ended their run with a 42-54 loss.

#9. Louisiana State (1986)

Midway through the 1985-1986 season, LSU held a 14-0 record and was looking like a really great team. Then a bout of problems hit them including academic ineligibility, an office bugging attempt, a player disappearance, the spread of chicken pox, and a NCAA investigation. After the undefeated start, LSU lost 11 games and finished the regular season tied for fifth in the SEC. However, the Tigers were still able to get into the tournament with an eleven seed. The magical run that was to come was almost not to be as LSU just squeaked by Purdue in double overtime. They then followed up with wins over twelfth ranked Memphis, sixth ranked Georgia Tech, and third ranked Kentucky to advanced to the Final Four. LSU then ended their run with a loss to eventual champion Louisville.

#8. Gonzaga (1999)

Contrary to now-days, Gonzaga was rarely known by college basketball fans in 1999. However, after the tournament, everyone knew who they were. Probably one of the most underrated teams in tournament history, Gonzaga lost only six games but was assigned a ten seed. The Bulldogs then proceeded in proving everyone wrong with wins over Minnesota, seventh ranked Stanford, and twenty-third ranked Florida to make it to the Elite 8. Even though they lost the next game to eventual champion Connecticut, Gonzaga gained a lot of respect for playing a close game with a great team down to the final minute. Ever since this tournament, Gonzaga has went from a small school nobody knew about to a well-respected NCAA powerhouse.

#7. Kansas (1988)

The J-Hawks set a record in 1988 that still stands today: most losses (11) by a NCAA men's tournament championship team. Coached by Larry Brown, Kansas entered the regular season unranked with a dismal eleven losses, but eventually made it all the way to the semifinals. They then beat fifth ranked Duke and a fourth ranked Oklahoma team they had lost to twice during the regular season. Instead of going down in the early rounds as predicted, the J-Hawks found a way to keep winning and capture a national championship everyone thought they had no shot at getting to begin with.

#6. Pennsylvania (1979)

No Ivy League school, to this day, has been able to accomplish Pennsylvania's amazing feat in the 1979 NCAA tournament. Without a single player on a full scholarship, the quakers only accounted for five losses during the regular season. However, do to poor competition, the Quakers were a nine seed in the tournament, which proved to be much too low for the soon to be Final 4 team.

After a free throw with two seconds left in their first tournament game, Pennsylvania was able to seal a victory over a tough North Carolina team. They followed up with wins against powerhouses Syracuse and St. Johns. It wasn't until the semifinals when Pennsylvania lost at the hands of a Magic Johnson-led Michigan State 101-67. The drubbing, tough, could not take away from the accomplishments the Quakers made during 1979.

#5. Loyola Marymount (1990)

Out of tragedy rose this Cinderella team. During a West Coast Conference tournament game, Hank Gathers, the team star, collapsed and died, leaving the team in shock and sorrow. The conference championship was canceled, but the Lions still received an NCAA tournament bid. Seeded eleventh, the Lions were the highest scoring team in the nation at 122.4 points per game. Highly motivated by the loss of their teammate, Loyola Marymount rolled over New Mexico State 111-92 in the first round, led by Gathers best friend Bo Kimble with forty-five points.

In the next round, the Lions continued their perseverance beating defending national champions and thirteenth-ranked Michigan 149-115. In the regional semifinals, Alabama slowed them down, but LMU was still able to pull off yet another upset 62-60. They then ran into a tough UNLV team, who was on their way to a national championship, and lost, ending their magical run. It was truly one of the most inspiring stories in all of sports.

#4. Providence (1987)

The Friars lost eight games during the season and received a bid to play in the NCAA tournament, but before their first round game was played, tragedy struck. Coach Rick Pitino suffered a disastrous lost when his infant son, prematurely born, died. After taking a brief leave of absence, Pitino came back and led the Friars, who relied on three pointers, to victories over Birmingham by twenty-two, Austin Peay by three, ninth-ranked Alabama by twenty-one, and fourth-ranked Georgetown by fifteen. By doing this, Providence was able to make the Final Four but that was it as they lost to Syracuse 63-77 in their next game.

#3. North Carolina State (1983)

The Wolfpack, who held a 17-10 record at the end of the regular season, only got to the NCAA tournament because of their ACC championship. Seeded sixth in the West, the Pack was able to make it all the way to the final against Houston. Along the way, in order, they barely beat Pepperdine 69-67 in double overtime, scraped by sixth-ranked UNLV 71-70, and was just able to get by fourth-ranked Virginia 63-62. After eventually making it to the championship game, N.C. State kept their streak of close games going beating Houston on a slam dunk with two seconds left. It capped off a miracle season for the Wolfpack.

#2. George Mason (2006)

The regular season record looked good for the Patriots, winning a school record twenty-three games. Although they weren't able to win their conference, they got a controversial eleven seed in the tournament. Not many felt like they belonged in such a prestigious event. George Mason proved its critics wrong as they were able to easily handle Michigan State and proceeding to beat North Carolina 65-60 after trailing by a large margin early. They continued their streak beating Wichita State, another mid-major 63-55 and defeating Connecticut, the favorite to win the tournament all season, 86-84 in overtime.

The latter win was recognized as one of the most memorable games in tournament history. However, George Mason's magical run ended at the hands of eventual champion Florida 57-73. Even so, the Patriots run is considered one of the most surprising and memorable in NCAA history. Along the way, they were able to set several records including being the first team in CAA to reach the Final 4, the second team to reach the Final 4 with a double-digit seed, and the first mid-major to reach the Final 4 since 1979.

#1. Villanova (1985)

The Wildcats lost ten games throughout the season, were seeded eight in the tournament, and were considered to be just an average team. But looks can be deceiving as Villanova proved by making it all the way to the championship game. They defeated Dayton, second-ranked Michigan, Maryland, seventh-ranked North Carolina, and Memphis State in order to get to there, but were still lowly favored to their opponent Georgetown.

They were the heaviest underdogs ever in a tournament championship game and nobody was giving them a shot, but when the game started, Villanova had other ideas. They played nearly a perfect game, shooting 22-27 (9-10 in the second half) from the field and 22-27 from the free-throw line, and were able to beat college basketball god Patrick Ewing's Hoyas 66-64.