Every March the top teams in college
basketball believe they have what it takes to win the National Championship.
But, the entire basketball world loves an upset and there is no grander stage
on which to fail than the annual NCAA Tournament.
Favorites fall, and the world smiles. The
madness is real. Here are five favorites who wish they could run it back.
Iowa
State, 2001: Led by star guard Jamaal Tinsley, the
Cyclones were ranked as high as No. 6 in the country in 2001. Iowa State even earned
a No.2 seed in the NCAA tournament! Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be.
The Cyclones became just the fourth number 2 seed to fall to the number
15-seeded team as Hampton earned a hardfought 58-57 victory.
Kentucky,
2004: Ninth-seeded University of Alabama-Birmingham
sent the Wildcats packing in the second round of the 2004 tournament. An
impressive team, led by the likes of future NBAers Rajon Rando and Chuck Hayes
was expected to at least make the Final Four. Instead, the unknowns of UAB dismantled
the unorganized Wildcats. This loss signified the beginning of the end for head
coach Tubby Smith’s era in Lexington.
Duke,
2006: J.J. Reddick was the superstar of this
stacked Blue Devils lineup. Media and fans alike had hailed this as the best
Duke squad in years. Featuring the shot of Reddick and future number five
overall selection Shelden Williams, the Blue Devils were favored to go deep
into the tournament. Coach K’s team easily swept aside Southern and George
Washington. However, an athletic LSU Tigers squad gave Reddick fits and shut down this
Blue Devils team.
Kansas,
2010: The Jayhawks ran through their regular season
schedule and B1G 12 , Conference tournament. Coach Bill Self’s men were easily
selected as the tournament’s No. 1 seed. Even with the services of two
All-Americans the team couldn’t make it to the Sweet 16. Kansas easily defeated
Lehigh, before being upset by No. 9 seed Northern Iowa in the second round.
Connecticut,
2006: This team had it all! Armed with future
first-round NBA Draft picks Rudy Gay, Marcus Williams, Hilton Armstrong, and
second rounder Denham Brown, this unit was absolutely loaded. Jim Calhoun’s
squad were the most talented team in the nation.
But all the talent in the world couldn’t save the Huskies. The team was a
victim of Geoge Mason’s Cinderella run to the Elite Eight.
Although an Elite Eight appearance would hardly qualify as a bust for most
sides, the Huskies failed to capitalize on their massive skill advantage. As
the team that should have run roughshod through the tournament, they stand as
the greatest NCAA Tournament bust of the 21st century