March Madness and the “Cinderella” teams that made history
We look back at the best Cinderella stories from March Madness over the years, including Steph Curry with Davidson and others who raised eyebrows.
Cinderella stories are what give magic to March Madnessand this year, High Pointseeded number 12, could be the next to star in them.
After achieving a surprise elimination in the first round, High Point has established itself as one of the favorites to continue that tradition, joining VCUseeded number 11, as one of the double-digit seeded teams that are already making a splash in the 2026 tournament.
The past few years have shown how quickly breakout teams can dominate March. NC Stateseeded number 11, reached the Final Four in 2024, and McNeese12th seed, did it last year with a Sweet 16 appearance thanks to the meteoric rise of team manager Amir Khan.
Since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, there have been seven occasions in which a double-digit seeded team reached the Final Four. None of them won the title; The team with the worst classification that achieved it was Villanovanumber 8 in the ranking, in 1985.
Here we review other surprising recent advances.
Teams defeated: No. 6 Michigan State Spartans, No. 3 North Carolina Tar Heels, No. 7 Wichita State Shockers, No. 1 UConn Huskies
It reached: Final Four, defeat vs. No. 3 Florida Gators
In 2006, George Mason starred in one of the first big surprises of the March Madness in the last two decades, making a splash in college basketball.
The Patriots They came into the tournament with a 23-7 record, after losing to Hofstra Pride in the last game of the regular season. Coach Jim Larranaga led George Mason to four consecutive victories, three of them against teams considered elite.
The Patriots were the first team with a double-digit ranking to reach the Final Four since the LSU Tigers in 1986.
Teams defeated: No. 7 Gonzaga Bulldogs, No. 2 Georgetown Hoyas, No. 3 Wisconsin Badgers
It reached: Elite Eight, defeat vs. No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks
Before becoming a star for the Golden State Warriors, Stephen Curry led his alma mater in its most memorable participation in the March Madness.
The Wildcats They came into the tournament on a 22-game winning streak, but were still only the 10th seed. That didn’t matter with the future two-time NBA MVP on the team. Curry He shone in the first round with 40 points, 30 of them in the first half, and eight triples for a comeback victory.
In four games, he averaged 32 points and a 44.2% success rate on three-pointers. Curry He became the fourth player in history to score 30 points in his first four tournament games. The Jayhawks They narrowly defeated the Wildcats 59-57 in the Elite Eight.
Teams defeated: No. 11 USC Trojans, No. 6 Georgetown, No. 3 Purdue Boilermakers, No. 11 Florida State Seminoles, No. 1 Kansas
It reached: Final Four, defeat vs. No. 8 Butler Bulldogs
In the inaugural edition of the “First Four” matches, the Virginia Commonwealth University became the first team to go from the First Four to the Final Four.
VCU turned on at the right time and won five consecutive games, four of them by double digits, to reach the Final Four. The coach’s energetic antics Shaka Smart in the band became a memorable part of the surprising breakthrough.
Butler had reached the final as fifth seed and had starred in his own history of Cinderella the previous year. The bulldogs They ended the season VCU in it Final Four.
Teams defeated: No. 2 Georgetown, No. 7 San Diego State Aztecs
It reached: Sweet 16, defeat vs. No. 3 Florida
Do you remember “Dunk City”? The spectacular Eagles they became the first fifteenth-seeded team to reach the round of Sweet 16 in the history of the tournament.
Florida Gulf Coast He wasn’t even eligible for the tournament until 2012; the first student was admitted in 1997. However, it surprised Georgetown in the first round with a 21-2 run in the second half and spectacular dunks. The Eagles then they came back to beat San Diego State and stay in the competition.
The advance of Florida Gulf Coast finally ended against Florida.
Teams defeated: No. 6 Miami Hurricanes, No. 3 Tennessee Volunteers, No. 7 Nevada Wolf Pack, No. 9 Kansas State Wildcats
It reached: Final Four, defeat vs. No. 3 Michigan Wolverines
In a tournament that included the surprising victory of the UMBC Retrieversseed number 16, on the Virginia Cavaliersseed number 1, the Sister Jean and Loyola Chicago They became the story of March of that year.
The first three victories of the Ramblers in the tournament they came with a combined disadvantage of five points. They dominated the Wildcats by 16 points to become the fourth 11th seeded team to reach the Final Fouralways with the Sister Jean at his side.
The then 98-year-old Catholic nun and team chaplain became a household name during the career of Loyola Chicago. The Ramblers They failed to reach the final of the national championship.
Teams defeated: No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats, No. 7 Murray State Racers, No. 3 Purdue
It reached: Elite Eight, defeat vs. No. 8 North Carolina
Saint Peter’s He had only participated three times in the March Madnesssy had not recorded any victories before their 2022 matchup against Kentucky. However, with a 19-11 record, the Peacocks They had just won the MAAC Tournament Championship and had a seven-game winning streak.
The rest is history. Saint Peter’s surprised Kentucky in the first round and then won two more matches to become the first 15th seeded team to reach the Elite Eight.
Teams defeated: No. 6 Texas Tech Red Raiders, No. 14 Oakland Golden Grizzlies, No. 2 Marquette Golden Eagles, No. 4 Duke Blue Devils
It reached: Final Four, defeat vs. No. 1 Purdue
NC State entered the ACC tournament after four consecutive losses and with a 17-14 record. They emerged victorious from the conference tournament, becoming the second team to win a conference tournament as a No. 10 seed. That would only mark the beginning for the Wolfpackwho led a memorable career in the NCAA tournament.
The five-win streak was extended to nine, and NC Stateseeded number 11, became the perfect example of survival and advancement. Led by the duo of DJ Burns and DJ Horne, the Wolfpack they reached the Final Four for the first time since 1983. Their 14 losses were the most for a team in the Final Four. But the surprising trajectory ended with a defeat against Purdue.
