Saturday, March 20, 2010

Looking Back At Other No. 1 Seeds That Failed to Get to the Sweet 16


While Kansas loss to Northern Iowa was shocking, it isn't like this hasn't happened before. In the last 20 years, it has now happened 11 times in 9 different tournaments. The only thing about this time is the fact that the six year gap between times where a No. 1 seed failed to get to the Sweet 16.

This Kansas loss may be the worst, though. Other No. 1 ranked teams have lost in the second round ... including Kansas ... but really none were as supposedly dominant as these Jayhawks.

Let's look back at the past 20 years of No. 1 seeds failing to get to the Sweet 16:

2004: It happened twice. Kentucky, the top ranked team in the land, was beaten by UAB in the second round of the tournament. Stanford, one of the top teams all year long, was upset by Alabama. The Kentucky loss was worse, a heartbreaking one point loss.


2002: Cincinnati lost to UCLA in the second round. It was a thrillin 105-101 double overtime win for the Bruins. It shouldn't be that shocking. The 8th seeded UCLA Bruins had Dan Gadzuric, Jason Kapono and Matt Barnes on that team.

2000: It happened twice this year, too. North Carolina toppled top-ranked Stanford in the second round. Wisconsin bit Arizona that same weekend (UNC and Wisconsin would go on to the Final Four). That Arizona loss was stunning. The Wildcats had Luke Walton, Richard Jefferson and Gilbert Arenas on that squad.


1998: Kansas was the victim again. In that year, the Jayhawks were beaten by Rhode Island. Probably Roy Williams' most talented team at Kansas and nothing to show for it. Paul Pierce and Raef LaFrentz led Kansas that year, but couldn't contain Cuttino Mobley and the Rams.

1996: Purdue is beaten by Georgia.

1994: This one was also a shocker. Boston College upset top ranked North Carolina. This was a Tar Heels team that were defending champions that added Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace. Shocking!


1992: Guess what? It's Kansas again! This time, UTEP upended them.


1990: North Carolina smacks top seeded Oklahoma in the second round. Rick Fox hit the game winner as time expired.

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