- Georgia Tech hit a layup with less than two seconds to go to take a 67-65 lead in the 2004 Final Four.
- No. 7 seed UConn beat No. 1 seed Florida in 2014 as a 7-point underdog.
- UNLV was 34-0 in 1991, and they lost in the Final Four as a No. 1 seed to No. 2 seed Duke.
When you reach the Final Four, it’s quite rare to see a notable upset. However, over the course of multiple decades, there have been some upsets that were more notable than others.
Below, I’ll walk you through the five biggest Final Four upsets. The first one on this list, to this day, features one of the best teams of all time to be upset.
Let’s dive in.
| Rank | Matchup | Year |
| 5 | Kentucky vs Wisconsin | 2014 |
| 4 | Georgia Tech vs Oklahoma State | 2004 |
| 3 | Indiana vs Oklahoma | 2002 |
| 2 | UConn vs Florida | 2014 |
| 1 | Duke vs UNLV | 1991 |
| Kentucky vs Wisconsin |
5 Biggest Final Four Upsets in NCAA History
5. Kentucky vs Wisconsin – 2014
A No. 8 seed in the 2014 NCAA Tournament, Kentucky beat No. 2 seed Wisconsin.
Tied 71-71 with 16 seconds to go, Wisconsin hit two free throws to go up 73-71.
Then, with seven seconds to go, Andrew Harrison hit his brother, Aaron Harrison, with a pass, and Aaron hit a 3-point shot to take the 74-73 lead. Wisconsin missed a shot with a second to go, and Kentucky secured the win.
Kentucky has long been a great team, but I can’t deny a No. 8 seed beating a No. 2 seed.
4. Georgia Tech vs Oklahoma State – 2004
As a No. 3 seed and with a 24-9 record, Georgia Tech was a quality team already, but they were going up against No. 1 seed Oklahoma State in the 2004 Final Four. This team was 31-4 and 20-0 at home. With less than a minute to go, Oklahoma State tied the game 65-65 after a 3-pointer from John Lucas.
However, after pushing the tempo up the court and holding onto it with less than two seconds to go, Georgia Tech banked in a layup to take the 67-65 lead and ultimately win the game after a failed full-court heave.
Luke Schenscher had 19 points and 12 rebounds, while Marvin Lewis added 15. They fended off a combined 57 points from Lucas, Joey Graham, Ivan McFarlin, and Tony Allen for Oklahoma State.
3. Indiana vs Oklahoma – 2002
As a No. 5 seed like Indiana was, any time you make the Final Four, it’s already a win. Here, they took on No. 2 seed Oklahoma and won 73-64. Oklahoma held a 34-30 halftime lead, but Indiana came out strong in the second half, outscoring them 43-30. Oklahoma’s Aaron McGhee had 22 points, and Ebi Ere had 15.
Indiana had three players reach double-digit points, including Jeff Newton (19), Jarrad Odle (11), and Donald Perry (10).
Oklahoma was a 7-point college basketball betting favourite.
2. UConn vs Florida – 2014
The 2014 NCAA Tournament was a rare one in that there were two Final Four upsets on each side of the bracket. However, the No. 7 seed UConn Huskies win over No. 1 seed Florida was an incredible win.
The Huskies won 63-53 as 7-point underdogs. They outscored Florida 25-22 in the first half and never looked back.
The Huskies got 20 points from DeAndre Daniels, 13 from Ryan Boatright, 12 from Shabazz Napier, and 11 from Niels Giffey.
UConn went on to beat Kentucky in the national championship 60-54.
1. Duke vs UNLV – 1991
This list has just been warming up to this point — the Duke and UNLV matchup was a spectacle. Sure, this was a No. 2 seed Duke upset over No. 1 seed UNLV, but the context is key.
UNLV was 34-0 that year and hadn’t lost a game since February 1990. UNLV also beat Duke that same year by 30 points.
Also, UNLV was a 9.5-point favourite and Anderson Hunt scored 29 points while Greg Anthony added 19. Christian Laettner had 28 points and seven rebounds for the Blue Devils.
That 1991 UNLV squad is easily considered the best team never to win a national title.
