Top 5 biggest Sweet 16 upsets in March Madness history ft. Xavier vs. Arizona
The March Madness tournament in college basketball is considered one of the most exciting sporting events every year. The unpredictability of this win-or-go home tournament makes it a spectacle every year, as upsets can happen at any given moment.
Making it to the final group of eight teams from a 68-team starting field is a massive accomplishment for any program, no matter what seed they earn. But making it past the Sweet 16 with an upset over a favored team is part of what makes this event so exciting.
With the first half of the Sweet 16 matchups in 2024 behind us, here is a look at the top five upsets in March Madness history that occurred during the Sweet 16.
Biggest Sweet 16 upsets in March Madness history
#5. Arizona vs. Kansas, 1997
The Kansas Jayhawks entered the 1997 NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 seed in the Southwest region. Led by head coach Roy Williams, the Jayhawks finished the regular season with a record of 29-1 and were Big 12 Conference champions.
Similarly, future NBA players such as Paul Pierce, Raef LaFrentz, Scot Pollard, and Jacque Vaughn all had their sights set on a national championship run during March Madness.
They defeated Jackson State in round one and Purdue in round two to set a matchup with No. 4-seeded Arizona in the Sweet 16.
This Arizona Wildcats roster contained future NBA players like Michael Dickerson, Mike Bibby, Miles Simon, and Jason Terry.
The Wildcats received 20 or more points from both Dickerson and Bibby in their Sweet 16 matchup with Kansas and had A.J. Bramlett post 12 points and 12 rebounds as well.
This March Madness contest would come down to the wire, but the Wildcats would shock the Jayhawks after struggling against Charleston in the second round. Arizona would ride the momentum from this Sweet 16 upset all the way to beating Kentucky to win the National Championship game.
#4. Xavier vs Arizona, 2017
No. 11-seed Xavier was on an upset spree through the first three games of March Madness in 2017. They knocked off No. 6 Maryland and No. 3 Florida State to advance to their Sweet 16 contest against No. 2 Arizona.
Arizona finished the 2016–17 season as one of the top offensive-rated teams in the country, going 27-4 in the regular season. The Wildcats were led by Lauri Markkanen, Kadeem Allen, Kobi Simmons, and Alonzo Trier and defeated No. 15 North Dakota and No. 7 Saint Mary's to earn their spot in the Sweet 16.
Xavier's Trevon Bluiett led the way for the Musketeers, recording a game-high 25 points on their way to shocking the Wildcats 73-71. Xavier advanced to the Elite Eight, where they would fall to the No. 1-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs 83-59.
#3. Missouri vs. UCLA, 2002
The UCLA Bruins were not a top seed in this tournament, but they were considered by many to be the most talented eight seed ever in March Madness. The Bruins boasted future NBA talent with players like Jason Kapono, Matt Barnes, Dijon Thompson, and Cedric Bozeman.
UCLA defeated Ole Miss and Cincinatti to get to the Sweet 16, where they matched up with a Missouri team that went 20-10 during the regular season.
The Tigers were proving themselves as a team not to be underestimated during March Madness, coming off wins against No. 5 Miami and No. 4 Ohio State in the first two rounds.
The No. 12-seeded Missouri Tigers didn't necessarily have a flashy roster, with just one future NBA player in Kareem Rush.
But Missouri would get 23 points from Clarence Gilbert and a double-double from Arthur Johnson and upset the Bruins 82-73 to become the first No. 12 seed in history to advance to the Elite Eight.
The Tigers would, however, end up losing 81-75 to the No. 2 Oklahoma Sooners in the next round.
#2. LSU vs. Georgia Tech, 1986
The No. 11-seeded LSU Tigers had a string of upsets all the way to the Final Four against all odds in 1986.
The Tigers were dealing with suspensions and a chicken pox outbreak during the season but qualified for March Madness and made the most of their opportunity.
They defeated No. 6 Purdue and No. 3 Memphis to advance to the Sweet 16 and face off against No. 2 Georgia Tech.
The Yellow Jackets were led by future NBA stars Mark Price and John Salley and had proven they could compete with the top teams in the nation.
LSU would get 27 points from Don Redden and 23 points from Derrick Taylor, who would outshine the two stars on the floor for Georgia Tech. The Tigers would maintain their first-half lead and hold on for a shocking 70-64 upset over the Yellow Jackets.
Their March Madness run didn't end there, as the Tigers would become the first ever double-digit seed to make the Final Four after another upset over No. 1 Kentucky in the Elite Eight.
#1. Indiana vs. Duke, 2002
One of the biggest upsets in Sweet 16 history again came in 2002, when the No. 5-seed Indiana Hoosiers matched up with the No. 1 seed Duke Blue Devils.
This Indiana team, coached by Mike Davis, was one of the top defensive teams in the country this season. But the Blue Devils had a loaded roster that featured Jay Williams, Carlos Boozer, Mike Dunleavy, Dahntay Jones, and Chris Duhon.
The Blue Devils were the heavy favorites for this contest, and the Hoosiers had taken care of No. 12 Utah and No. 13 UNC Wilmington in the first two rounds of the tournament.
Indiana was down by 13 points at halftime against the Blue Devils, but stormed back in the second half to outscore the Blue Devils by 14 points and win 74-73.
Hoosiers forward and future first-round NBA draft pick, Jared Jeffries, had an incredible game, posting a game-high 24 points and 15 rebounds.
The Hoosiers continued their magical run, getting past No. 10 Kent State and No. 2 Oklahoma before losing to Maryland 64-52 in the National Championship game.
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