Miracle On Hardwood: Top Seeded Virginia, Fourth-Seeded Arizona Are College Basketball’s Biggest Losers
How about a Miracle On Hardwood?
Or, “do you believe in miracles? Yes!!!”
March Madness style.
Tiny, who-is-this, #16 seed UMBC – the University of Maryland Baltimore County – pulled off the biggest upset in NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament basketball history by defeating #1-seed Virginia 74-54 in the first round.
It was the biggest upset in the history of college basketball since who-is-this Chaminade beat, well, Virginia, in 1982. Virginia was led by Ralph Sampson at the time.
The most recent historic Virginia meltdown was so epic is managed in an instant to take the social media “shocker” posts away from Arizona, which just 24 hours earlier had lost in similar there-goes-my-bracket fashion 89-68 to Buffalo. Buffalo!?
Looking for the biggest losers in this year’s March Madness? Look no further than Virginia and Arizona.
While nothing will surpass the 1980 USA Olympic hockey team’s epic upset over the Russians these back-to-back unseen upsets will forever be a part of March Madness miracles.
In both March Madness games, this was not a case of an underdog playing lights out and hitting a late 3-pointer while the favorite stumbled; both games were routs from the beginning. Anyone not knowing the seedings watching the Virginia game, for example, would clearly assume that UMBC was the far better team. And by a long shot.
UMBC took it to Virginia and kept taking it to the no-so Cavaliers. The Retrievers were the Golden Retrievers on this night.
Arizona, embattled in controversy from the start of the season, did what it does best. Lose in the first round. It’s a tradition started in the Lute Olson era – a huge season, conference championship and tournament flop. Arizona has a tradition of either losing in the first round or, if it escapes, going to the Final Four.
And well, yes, Virginia, there is a UMBC as well as a Chaminade.
Yes! You’re so right. Thanks for the comment!
That’s what makes March Madness so darn fun! Love seeing the great equalizer – passion, take over a talented team and have them take on the Goliath’s and win.