With only one top-seeded team left remaining in the 2019 NCAA Tournament, this year's edition of March Madness has already brought plenty of surprising upsets. But are there more in store as we head toward Final Four weekend?
Can fifth-seeded Auburn take down the lone remaining top dog in Virginia? Will Texas Tech continue an improbable run by upsetting Michigan State?
History has shown us that the Final Four can be full of surprises and that no team that has managed to advance this far should be taken lightly, regardless of the numerical seeding assigned to them. We've already done this for the opening weekend, the Sweet 16, and the Elite Eight, so now it's time to take a look at the biggest Final Four upsets in NCAA Tournament history.
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2002: No. 5 Indiana defeats No. 2 Oklahoma
Under second-year coach Mike Davis, who took over a program left in turmoil by Bob Knight, the Hoosiers were an unlikely candidate to advance to all the way to the title game. But after defeating defending national champion Duke in the regional semifinals, Indiana put together a tremendous team performance to take down Oklahoma. They cut through the Sooners' heralded defense and shot 52 percent from the floor en route to a 73-64 victory. Indiana ultimately finished as national runner-up after falling to Maryland in the title game.
1988: No. 6 Kansas defeats No. 2 Duke
After losing to Duke at home during the regular season, the Jayhawks were able to get their revenge in the Final Four. Led by Danny Manning, who posted a double-double (25 points, 10 rebounds), Kansas was able to take down the Blue Devils in the semifinal before moving on to capture the national title against then-Big 8 rival Oklahoma. The Jayhawks' 11 losses during the regular season became the most ever from a national champion.
1985: No. 8 Villanova defeats No. 2 Memphis
Villanova came into the 1985 tournament as a No. 8 seed with 10 losses on the season, but they eventually made a stunning run that culminated in the Wildcats topping Patrick Ewing's Georgetown Hoyas for the title in what is considered one of the biggest upsets in tournament history. But first, Villanova had to take down Memphis State in the Final Four to earn the chance to play Georgetown, and their win in the semifinal was unexpected as well. Dwayne McLain led Nova with 19 points as they pulled away from the Tigers late, winning by a final score of 52-45.
1998: No. 3 Utah defeats No. 1 North Carolina
With only three losses during the regular season, Utah wasn't exactly a darling Cinderella in 1998. But the Utes still surprised many with a strong run to the final in under Rick Majerus and they were able to punch their ticket to the championship game with an upset victory over Vince Carter, Antawn Jamison and the Tar Heels in the Final Four. Standout Utah guard Andre Miller dropped 19 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and dished out seven assists in the 65-59 win.
2003: No. 3 Syracuse defeats No. 1 Texas
The Longhorns may have have entered the tournament as a top seed, but only one of these teams had Carmelo Anthony. The freshman standout dropped 33 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to power Syracuse to a 95-84 victory over T.J. Ford's Texas squad. Syracuse went on to win the national title with a victory over Kansas in the final.
1991: No. 2 Duke defeats No. 1 UNLV
It might have only been a No. 2 seed over a No. 1 seed, but that's underselling things a bit. Heading into this 1991 semifinal, UNLV was riding a 45-game winning streak and had gone over a calendar year without a loss. Larry Johnson and the Runnin' Rebels had beaten the Blue Devils by a 30-point margin in the national championship game the previous year, but Duke got its revenge in the 1991 Final Four. The Blue Devils mounted a dramatic late comeback that saw Christian Laetner bury the winning three throws with 12 seconds remaining. Duke went on to beat Kansas in the final and capture its first NCAA title.
1997: No. 4 Arizona defeats No. 1 North Carolina
En route to winning the 1997 national title, the fourth-seeded Wildcats became the first, and to date only, team to take down three No. 1 seeds in one tournament, including topping the North Carolina Tar Heels in the semifinal. Mike Bibby drained six 3-pointers and scored 20 points to help push Arizona past UNC -- led by Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison -- in a 66-58 win. The Wildcats went on to beat Kentucky in the final.
2014: No. 7 UConn defeats No. 1 Florida
After two late-season losses to Louisville -- including an embarrassing 81-48 blowout in the regular-season finale -- UConn was largely overlooked heading into the 2014 tournament. But the Huskies, led by Shabazz Napier, managed to make an improbable run to the Final Four under the direction of second-year coach Kevin Ollie. The Huskies weren't given much of a shot against No. 1 seed Florida in that semifinal, but Connecticut managed to pull out a rather stress-free 10-point victory to punch its ticket to the title game. The Huskies went on to beat Kentucky for the crown.
