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  • March 24, 2008 12:48 PM ET

NMI III: The greatest single game NCAA Tourney Upset.

E4P Is Not So Mad For Max (72-17-3) vs Secret Squirrel (78-69-15)
5
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11
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DONT VOTE UNTIL WE'VE EACH DONE TWO ARGUEMENTS!!!


First name your upset. Leave the debating for the other two.

I'm going with the 1983 NCAA championship game when the NC State wolfpack beat the Houston Cougars 54 to 52.


Like I said, i was seriously considering Texas Western over Kentucky....but....


The 1985 (I got it right this time...) National Championship where 8 seeded Villanova defeated #1 Georgetown....


This is completely opinionated so I'll try to make my best case possible since I don't have any stats.

NC state basically limped into the tourney with 10 losses after winning the ACC tourney. Somehow they get into the championship as a six seed and look who their opposition is, a college all-star squad.

Maybe one of the most dominant teams in history, Houston was built with two players who would become two of the NBA's fifty greatest players.(Olajuwon and Clyde the Glide.) Along with Michael Young, the #1 overall seed murdered almost every team all year long. Four players off of that team went on to the NBA!!!

Everyone can picture that last second putback dunk along with the late but great Coach V running around the court in pure disbelief. Not only is this the greatest upset of all time, it may be the iconic image that represents college basketball.


In 1985, Villanova became the lowest seed to ever win a NCAA Championship, defeating the DEFENDING champion Georgetown Hoyas, who had one of the best centers in history (Which is a tough crowd) in Patrick Ewing, and another future first round pick in Reggie Williams.

The Wildcats did the thing that seems impossible to do (And now, you actually can't) in college basketball, by holding on to the ball each time they got it, letting the clock run down, kind of like how teams milk the clock (or attempt to) when they play the Patriots. By not letting Ewing and the Hoyas get the ball, they avoided the by far best player in the game from dominating the game.

Villanova also did something that I don't think has ever been done since, by shooting 79% in the game, with relative no names compared to Georgetown. Ed Pinckney was good, but not to Ewing's level.

The Hoyas had beaten the Cats twice already in the regular season, and were ten point favorites coming into the game.


Even thought those Hoyas were great, I think we can both agree that the Cougrars were a better team. (Which kinda equals out Villanova being the lower seed in a way.) Ewing is good but he has nothing on the pair of Clyde and Hakeem.

At least Villanova had a star in Pickney. The eventual top ten pick was someone who they could lean on when they were in trouble. NC State had nobody! They were the best example of a pure team that I can think of.

That ending alone is one of the most exciting things I've ever seen in sports. Just watching it gives me goosebumps.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=bFolL4Is-sU

This game, along with the exciting championship with NC before it, really made the tournament what it is today.


Yes Villanova had a star in Pinckney, but they did not have seven draft picks from their team.

Even if Houston had a better team, Villanova had to overcome the best team in college basketball that year, especially on defense.

It's incredibly hard to shoot 79% throughout the game and 90% (!!!!) in the second half against a team that gave up less than 40% shooting in the previous NCAA tourney games.

Even if you have Pinckney, he has to battle a three-time All American in the low block, rendering him useless, or at least of little value.

The NC State vs. Houston game did have a great ending, but the Georgetown vs. Villanova game was dominated by the Wildcats throughout the game, in a game where they were supposed to be completely obliterated by the Hoyas.

All in all, the Villanova team had to overcome a giant (or two, if you count John Thompson) and was one of the best examples of David. vs. Goliath of all-time....

Comments (57) Add A Comment

March 24, 2008  09:53 PM ET
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Dont tell me when to vote. I do what I want. Your lucky your command to tell me what to do is less insulting that Super Squirrel being spineless and deleting me as a friend by order of the Night Owls. Vote left.

March 24, 2008  10:10 PM ET
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And you wonder why no one likes you.

March 24, 2008  10:11 PM ET
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I don't wanna be a hypocrite so ill just vote for you super squirrell to even it out.

March 24, 2008  10:35 PM ET
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this should have been the first thing i did but i wanna wish you good luck.

March 24, 2008  10:37 PM ET
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Seriously, I could care less why Cassidy voted, vote for yourself Elway....

March 24, 2008  10:51 PM ET
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Cassidy,

F
U
C
K

OFF

March 24, 2008  10:53 PM ET
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Amen dudeman.

And I had to vote right to even out the playing field. Plus I agree with SS so far. Vote for yourself.

March 24, 2008  10:55 PM ET
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don't wanna be a hypocrite so ill just vote for you super squirrell to even it out.

Elway4Prez needs more tourney! | 03/24/08, 1

Thats so nice of you Elway, but really Squirrel and everybody else understands the blind hatred of the vote before yours. Vote for yourself.

March 24, 2008  11:00 PM ET
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Alright I will. I just hate that sh** dude.

March 24, 2008  11:01 PM ET
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Dont tell me when to vote. I do what I want. Your lucky your command to tell me what to do is less insulting that Super Squirrel being spineless and deleting me as a friend by order of the Night Owls. Vote left.

Cassidy: Martinsville-Minded | 03/24/08, 09:53 PM

So because I deleted you from my friends list because of my own opinion of what I've seen on FanNation over the last few weeks, you're calling me spineless? That's a load of crap...

March 24, 2008  11:01 PM ET
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4 Owls in a row: and still nothing meaningful has been said. Nothing new. No suprise. Get lives.

March 24, 2008  11:01 PM ET
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Dont tell me when to vote. I do what I want. Your lucky your command to tell me what to do is less insulting that Super Squirrel being spineless and deleting me as a friend by order of the Night Owls. Vote left.

Cassidy: Martinsville-Minded |

-- Thats a Lie- I can state as a FACT that the Night Owls do NOT ask ANYONE to delete ANYONE from thier freinds list as a prereq for membership.

Feel Free to poll the ENTIRE MEMBERSHIP ROSTER of the night owls if you need proof.

and I'll start

Number Dropped by Cass as a Freind 1
Number Dropped by NightO as a Freind 0

March 24, 2008  11:02 PM ET
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Cassidy, I repeat:

F
U
C
K

OFF

March 24, 2008  11:04 PM ET
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4 Owls in a row: and still nothing meaningful has been said. Nothing new. No suprise. Get lives.

Cassidy: Martinsville-Minded | 03/24/08, 11:01 PM

I have NEVER had any issues with you....

March 24, 2008  11:05 PM ET
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Hard part on this TD is both were MAJOR upsets-

NC State made it in without being the best team in the ACC (that would be Maryland)
and Villanova lost twice to G-town - who had 3 NBA players on that roster-

I'll comment more but I've given enough ammo

March 24, 2008  11:05 PM ET
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Number Dropped by Cass as a Friend 2
Number Dropped by NightO as a Friend 0

March 24, 2008  11:06 PM ET
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4 Owls in a row: and still nothing meaningful has been said. Nothing new. No suprise. Get lives.

Cassidy: Martinsville-Minded | 03/24/08, 11:01 PM

I have NEVER had any issues with you....
Super Squirrel | 03/24/08, 11:04 PM

You're a Night Owl. That means Roy automatically hates you.

March 24, 2008  11:06 PM ET
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Oh boy! Cassidy, have you lost weight?

March 24, 2008  11:07 PM ET
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"Your lucky your command to tell me what to do is less insulting that Super Squirrel being spineless and deleting me as a friend by order of the Night Owls. Vote left."

Wow. Not back more than an hour and already resumes attacking the night Owls. Amazing.

 
March 24, 2008  11:07 PM ET
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Hemogoblin pressured SS to drop me. If either deny it, they are liars evermore.

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