A long shot, a dark horse, a David in the battle versus Goliath, little guy, a bracket-buster, underdog. We love them and hate them all at the same time. March is the time where these expected losers make a name for themselves, exceed all expectations, and shock the world. There is a reason why it’s called March Madness after all.
Only six No. 15-seeds and potential Cinderella stories have ever made it past the first round of the NCAA Tournament, and zero No. 16-seeds have been able to defeat a No. 1 seed in the history of the tournament. Every year there are bound to be upsets, some more heart-breaking than others, and some that are just as shocking to the underdogs as they are to bracket enthusiasts.
Often the power of these so-called “underdogs” is quite overlooked. Underdogs not only have the potential to make a run for the title that no one could have ever anticipated but also have the potential to gain the support of basketball fans nationwide. When teams are eliminated one after the other, some people tend to root for the team that defeated their alma mater, however March Madness is the exception. Since the chance of achieving a perfect bracket are less than winning the lottery two times in a row, when a top seed is eliminated and brackets are busted, fans can’t help but root for the teams capable of having story books written after them.
Perhaps one of the most devastating yet remarkable upsets from an underdog in all of NCAA history was that of the 1983 Championship. No. 6-seed NC State pulled off the upset of the century in one of the most thrilling runs the tournament has ever seen when they defeated the very heavily favored and No. 1-seed stacked with two eventual NBA Hall of Famers- Houston. With Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler standing in the way of a national title, this was a true David and Goliath scenario. The game ended in an alley-oop at the buzzer from the Wolfpack’s Lorenzo Charles to win the game 54-52. NC State made their name known that year, fought till the end in a series of nail-biters that enabled them to get into the tournament and then go on to produce upset after upset while there. The champions are still known today as the “Cardiac Pack” for their style of play. Hearts may have been broken that day but history was made.
In 1986 No. 11-seed LSU defeated the reigning No. 1-seed Kentucky powerhouse in the Elite 8 to advance to the Final 4, proving that there is in fact a way to defeat this long-time basketball dynasty. For a short time, LSU was believed to have some magic in them, until they came up short on their way to the national title with a loss to Louisville.
In 1995, the UCLA Bruins won their 11th National Championship. Just one year after, the team was seeded No. 4 going into the tournament against No. 13-seed Princeton. Yup, you heard that right, Princeton. Ivy League schools can generally be assumed the underdog in any stage of March Madness, nonetheless, they are rarely expected to even make it out of the first round. Well, Princeton pulled off an ugly but rewarding upset against the reigning champs in 1996 that defined a key moment in Ivy League history.
During the developmental stages of a Cinderella story, legends can also emerge… Legends that lead schools you’ve never heard of to be the most popular search on Google for a short period of time. Legends such as Steve Nash left his mark on the entire NCAA basketball scene in 1993 when he enabled his formerly overlooked and uncelebrated team, Santa Clara, to advance past the arguably untouchable Arizona Wildcats. Arizona was seeded No. 2 at the time, while Santa Clara barely made the tournament, seeded 15. Nash demonstrated his ability to succeed under pressure by finishing free throws when the game was on the line after shooting just 1-of-7 from the floor. Santa Clara went on to defeat the Wildcats 64-61 that year.
More recently in 2014, the Duke Blue Devils were brought down in the first round by a team from the Atlantic Sun Conference that the majority of the nation didn’t even knew existed. Macon, GA is home to the No. 14 seed team, Mercer that was responsible for ending a phenomenal Blue Devil season leaving audiences speechless. After the game, a senior from Mercer simply commented that this is what March Madness was all about. Although Mercer did not prevail much longer, this win alone was the school's biggest victory of all time, enabling the five returning seniors on the team to leave a legacy that will never be forgotten.
Underdogs inspire, they create lasting memories, and they give people a reason to believe that magic may exist, all while bringing people from all regions together for just one short month.
Approximately 10% of the United States population is said to participate in the bracket pool surrounding March Madness. If you are a part of that 10%, be sure not to count out any underdogs. 2016 Could potentially be the year that magic happens.
