- Antonio Gates, a future NFL tight end, was part of an upset with Kent State.
- Steph Curry scored 33 points in a Sweet 16 upset over No. 3 seed Wisconsin.
- Indiana overcame a 42-29 deficit to beat No. 1 seed Duke.
According to NCAA.com, there are, on average, 0.26 upsets in the Sweet 16 per year. There have been 10 occasions with one upset, but never a year with more than that.
With that in mind, college basketball odds for these games can be a bit easier to pick, but there have been some upsets over the years.
Below, I’ll list the 10 most notable Sweet 16 upsets in NCAA Tournament history, which could make you think twice about your basketball parlays in the future.
10 Biggest Sweet 16 Upsets
| Rank | Matchup | Year |
| 10 | Kent State vs. Pitt | 2002 |
| 9 | Davidson vs Wisconsin | 2008 |
| 8 | Gonzaga vs. Florida | 1999 |
| 7 | Loyola-Chicago vs Nevada | 2018 |
| 6 | Loyola Marymount vs Alabama | 1990 |
| 5 | Xavier vs Arizona | 2017 |
| 4 | Arizona vs Kansas | 1997 |
| 3 | LSU vs Georgia Tech | 1986 |
| 2 | Missouri vs UCLA | 2002 |
| 1 | Duke vs Indiana | 2002 |
10. Kent State vs. Pitt – 2002
From a betting perspective, this game was a pick ’em, but Kent State was a No. 10 seed while Pitt was a No. 3 seed. Kent State was led here by Trevor Huffman and Antonio Gates. If Antonio Gates sounds familiar, that’s because he went on to become one of the best tight ends in NFL history for the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers. Yes, he played basketball, too.
Gates had 22 points and eight rebounds, while Huffman had 17 points.
9. Davidson vs Wisconsin – 2008
We all know Steph Curry as one of the best shooters in NBA history, but during this tournament run, Curry was unstoppable. Against the No. 3 seed Wisconsin Badgers as a No. 10 seed with his Davidson squad, Curry had 33 points and six 3-pointers.
2008 Throwback: Davidson vs Wisconsin
Steph Curry drops 33 in the Sweet 16 with Lebron in attendance. pic.twitter.com/Hj0cJwZCYg
— VBS (@VBSofficial_) March 18, 2023
Curry couldn’t be stopped, and they sailed away to a 73-56 win before losing in the Elite Eight.
8. Gonzaga vs. Florida – 1999
This game will forever be immortalized in Gonzaga lore. Florida, a 1-point favourite, had a chance to win, but Gonzaga’s big man, Casey Calvert, sailed over two defenders and tipped in a shot with four seconds remaining. Because of this, they beat Florida by one point before losing in the Elite Eight.
7. Loyola-Chicago vs Nevada – 2018
In addition to downing the Nevada Wolfpack 69-68, there was one fantastic storyline to go with this tournament run in Sister Jean. She was a massive supporter of the team and served as the team chaplain for decades, offering spiritual support to the players. She attended this tournament run at 98 years old and served as an icon for the team.
With about six seconds to go, Loyola-Chicago hit a 3-point shot to go up by four. This would prove massive as Nevada hit a 3-point shot of their own with about two seconds left.
Loyola-Chicago lost in the Final Four to Michigan, which lost to Villanova in the national title game.
6. Loyola Marymount vs Alabama – 1990
Loyola Marymount played this NCAA Tournament with a heavy heart, with Hank Gathers passing away. Gathers was a player on the team who sadly collapsed on the court twice against UC Santa Barbara and Portland. Following his second collapse, he passed away. That was in March of that season.
Loyola Marymount, a No. 11 seed, upset No. 7 seed Alabama 62-60.
Loyola Marymount was down by eight with less than eight minutes to go but pulled out a come-from-behind win. Bo Kimble led the way with 19 points.
Alabama had a chance to win at the end, but their shot at the buzzer came up short.
5. Xavier vs Arizona – 2017
I’ll talk more about Arizona shortly, but first, I want to talk about them as a No. 2 seed on the upset end of things. They lost in 2017 to No. 11 seed Xavier, leading to the Musketeers’ first Elite Eight appearance in what was almost a decade.
Arizona was a 7.5-point favorite here, but Xavier won 73-71. Trevon Bluiett scored 25 points, Malcolm Bernard 15, and J.P. Macura 14.
4. Arizona vs Kansas – 1997
The Jayhawks were a powerhouse in 1997 with Paul Pierce on the squad. He scored 27 points in this game, but No. 4 seed Arizona, despite being a 10.5-point underdog, won. Michael Dickerson, Mike Bibby, A.J. Bramlett, and Miles Simon each finished with double-digit points for Arizona.
Arizona went on to win the national championship.
3. LSU vs Georgia Tech – 1986
The LSU Tigers, as a No. 11 seed, defeated No. 2 seed Georgia Tech. LSU went up against a team with NBA talent in Mrk Price Price and John Salley. LSU had 27 points from Don Redden, leading to LSU becoming the first double-digit seed to make the Final Four.
2. Missouri vs UCLA – 2002
UCLA may have been a No. 8 seed, but this team had plenty of talent, including Matt Barnes, Billy Knight, Jason Kapono, and Dan Gadzuric. Barnes led the way with 23 points and 11 rebounds, and Gadzuric had four blocks.
That said, Missouri weathered the storm, with Clarence Gilbert and Kareem Rush each scoring 20+ points. Arthur Johnson also had 14 points and 14 rebounds. Rush had nine rebounds.
Gilbert’s performance was massive in fending off UCLA, as 17 of his points came in the second half.
1. Duke vs Indiana – 2002
In the same year as Missouri and UCLA, the No. 1 Sweet 16 upset belongs to No. 5 seed Indiana defeating No. 1 seed Duke 74-73.
Duke had a 42-29 halftime lead, but were outscored 45-31 in the second half.
Duke vs Indiana, 2002 Sweet 16 closing seconds.
WILD FINISH. pic.twitter.com/h68O1JZlgr
— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) March 14, 2023
The Hoosiers can forever thank Jared Jeffries, as he had 24 points, 15 rebounds, one assist, two steals, and one block. Indiana went on to lose in the national championship to No. 1 seed Maryland, but they made it much further than expected despite Carlos Boozer, Mike Dunleavy, and Jay Williams scoring 15 points or more each.
Duke went 31-4 to that point in the season. This was a massive loss for the program.
