Before there was Davidson
Davidson is one win shy of joining these teams as one of the greatest Cinderella stories in NCAA tournament history:
3) 1986 LSU
For 20 years, LSU stood as the lone team to reach the Final Four as a double-digit seed (No. 11). The Tigers’ march was an exciting one – a double-overtime win over Purdue, a buzzer-beater victory over Memphis State and a two-point triumph over Kentucky. They lost to eventual national champ Louisville in the semifinals.
2) 2006 GEORGE MASON
A No. 11 seed, the Patriots reached the Final Four. Their march included wins over defending national champion North Carolina and top-seeded Connecticut. But in the Final Four, they were no match for Florida, which went on to win the national title.
1) 1985 VILLANOVA
No one could beat the eight-seeded Wildcats at their slow-paced game. Villanova’s surprising ascension included wins over No. 2 seeds North Carolina and Memphis State and top seeds Michigan and Georgetown (their championship-game foe). Adding to the excitement of the upset, Villanova, the lowest seed ever to win it all, had lost twice to the Patrick Ewing-led Hoyas in the regular season. Still one of the greatest sports upsets of all time, the title game was the only one in the tournament in which the Wildcats scored more than 60 points (66-64).
