For three weeks in March, the only thing that matters to sports fans is the NCAA Tournament. Wild upsets may bust people’s chances of winning their office pool, but then again, it gives us some of the best Cinderella stories of the NCAA Tournament.
Steph Curry’s Coming Out Party
In the end, the 2008 NCAA Tournament was the most anticlimactic bracket we have ever seen, considering it was the first time that the four number-one seeds (Kansas, Memphis, North Carolina, and UCLA) made the Final Four.
However, Stephen Curry, a gangly shooting guard from Davidson, took the world by storm. Curry led the Wildcats to the Elite 8, scoring 30+ points in each game before losing to the eventual champion Jayhawks. Curry eventually became a two-time MVP, four-time NBA champion, and the greatest shooter in history.
Sister Jean’s Favorite Team
If you like your bracket busters and sheer chaos during March, the 2018 NCAA Tournament was the one for you. It started with the first-ever one-seed (Virginia) to lose in the first round against UMBC, but the year’s darlings were the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers and their Final Four run.
It wasn’t the first time the world fell in love with a team with Loyola in their name, as Paul Westhead and Bo Kimble’s Loyola Marymount squad went to the Elite 8, averaging a record 122 points a game. The Loyola Marymount run captivated the country because of the tragic death of Hank Gathers, whereas Loyola Chicago’s motivating factor was Sister Jean.
Divine intervention may be the only explanation for Loyola Chicago to make the final four after beating their first three opponents by four points.
Florida’s Gulf and “Dunk City’s” Coast
There have been a handful of 15-seeds that beat a two-seed in the tournament’s opening round, but until “Dunk City” and Florida Gulf Coast, no one made it past the round of 32. After upsetting a heavily favored Georgetown team in the opening round 78-68, the Eagles stunned San Diego State to become the highest seed to reach the Sweet 16. Unfortunately, FGCU’s historic run ended when they lost to Florida 62-50.
The Peacock Strut
Florida Gulf Coast walked so the Saint Peters Peacocks could run. It was enjoyable enough to see the small New Jersey school beat blue blood like Kentucky in the opening round. Still, no one could have expected what was coming, proving that betting on the underdog has benefits.
Saint Peterson became the third 15-seed to make the Sweet 16 after beating another Cinderella team in Murray State. Making it to the second weekend was legendary, even if they didn’t move on against Purdue. Nevertheless, the glass slipper still was firmly on their foot, defeating the Boilermakers to reach the Elite 8. Their magical run ended against the eighth-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels.
The Patriot Way
Hardly anyone had heard of George Mason before the committee shockingly included Patriots in the tournament field after being on the bubble. Luckily for the committee, George Mason justified their decision with their memorable run to the Final Four, including a victory over the unanimous favorite UCONN Huskies in the Elite 8.
We will undoubtedly have more Cinderella stories to interest us in this year’s tournament. Still, it will be a tall task to match the good feelings we have from the best Cinderella stories of the NCAA Tournament.
