Sports

Best NCAA Tournament Bracket 'Underdog' Upsets

March 19, 2015 / 8:00 AM CDT / CBS Texas

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Every year, college basketball teams get invited to the big dance that is the NCAA Men's College Basketball Championship. And every year, a few squads find a bone and become the darling 'underdog' of the tournament.

More than often, the little-known teams gets in the first round and never advances while very few make it to the Elite 8, or even the Final Four.

Underdogs are such a factor in the tournament, a Harvard sports analyst wrote an article predicting NCAA Tournament Upsets.

Another study conducted by an Ohio State professor showed that underdog teams felt they had more to lose actually tried harder, which basically tears apart the whole theory that the SFAs, Northern Iowas and Belmonts of the world will be laying more on the line this week than Kentucky, Kansas and Wisconsin.

Here are a few of the most unpredicted victories in NCAA history.

1999 NCAA Tournament: Weber State (14) vs North Carolina (3)

Weber State, located in the small burg of Ogden, Utah, hadn't qualified for the tournament since 95, but they were ready to take on the legendary basketball powerhouse North Carolina Tar Heels.

Weber caused trouble for UNC from the moment of tip-off, taking an early 24-17 lead. Carolina came back to take a 26-24 lead just before halftime, but it would be their final advantage. The Weber State Wildcats opened the second half with a 9-2 run and extended their lead to 10 with just under four minutes to go. The Heels then started an NCAA comeback, but Harold "The Show" Arceneaux, who scored 36 points in the game, hit two free throws with 13 seconds left to win it for Weber.

1993 NCAA Tournament: Santa Clara (15) vs Arizona (2)

The little known Santa Clara Broncos were 20-point underdogs against the desert powerhouse Arizona, who they faced in the first round of the West Regional in Salt Lake City.

Santa Clara held on and survived a mid-game run of 25 straight points by the No. 2 seeded AZ to win, 64-61.

It was the second straight year that Arizona had been tossed in the first round. The year before they were eliminated by 14th seed East Tennessee State.

1996 NCAA Tournament: Princeton (13) vs UCLA (4)

The Bruins were the defending National Champs in 96 while Princeton had lost close games in its previous four tournament appearances.

Trailing by 7 with six minutes left in the game, Princeton shut down UCLA the rest of the way. As the game wound down, Princeton scored the go-ahead basket in the only appropriate way: Gabe Lewullis took a pass from Steve Goodrich and converted a backdoor layup.

1966 NCAA Tournament: Texas Western vs Kentucky

Texas Western (now University of Texas at El Paso) and its all-black starting five, heavy underdogs vs. Kentucky ("Rupp's Runts" - all under 6'6") and its openly racist coach, Adolph Rupp.

Rupp was knows for spotting white talent - Louie Dampier and Pat Riley were All-Americans - but he couldn't spot the future. The little known Texas Western won the title game vs the Wildcats, 72-65.

1985 NCAA Tournament: Villanova (8) vs Georgetown (1)

The 1984 Georgetown Hoya powerhouse was led by then college aged Patrick Ewing and seemed to be the sure-fire winner for the crown in 85. Villanova, the eighth seed in the Southeast Regional, never cracked the Top 20 and lost twice during the regular season to the Hoyas.

Villanovas led by one at the half, and then played a nearly flawless second half, missing only one shot from the field. The Wildcats won, 66-64, after shooting 78 percent against the best defensive team in the nation.

UNDERDOGS TO WATCH IN 2015

Over the years, we've watched Steph Curry, Dunk City, the Butler Bulldogs and mighty Mercer catch the nation's attention with mid-major runs through the bracket. Here's a few more underdogs to keep an eye on in this year's bracket:

Valparaiso. Coach Bryce Drew had his shining moment against Ole Miss in the 1998 tournament. The gritty Crusaders could make some noise in this year's bracket behind Alec Peters.

New Mexico State. Cut down on the turnovers and the Aggies have a chance. They open against Kansas, which will play without forward Cliff Alexander. Still a longshot, but you never know.

Davidson. No Steph Curry, but still light it up from 3.