The upsets keep coming as 15-seed Princeton downs two-seed Arizona
First came Furman. Then came Princeton.
Hours after No. 13 Furman stunned No. 4 Virginia, the Ivy League Tournament champion Tigers pulled off an even more shocking win over Pac-12 Tournament champion Arizona, 59-55, to throw the South Region into further chaos.
Seeded 15th, Princeton used a 9-0 run over the final 4:28 to pull off the biggest upset in a tournament that's just getting started.
The win recalled Princeton's 43-41 upset win over UCLA in the 1996 NCAA Tournament as a 13-seed. Head coach Mitch Henderson was the Tigers' point guard on that 1996 team.
Per NCAA.com, Princeton is only the 11th 15-seed to defeat a No. 2 seed. Entering the 2023 tournament, 15-seeds were 10-138 all-time against two-seeds, but now have a win in three consecutive tournaments.
In 2021, Oral Roberts defeated Ohio State, 75-72. Last season, Saint Peter's pulled off an 85-79 upset against Kentucky.
It's been more prevalent of late, but there was a time when it was basically unheard of for a 15-seed to win.
From 1985-2011, 15-seeds were 4-104 (3.8 win percentage) against a No. 2. They are 7-34 (17 percent) in the 11 tournaments since. It might be more expected now than a decade ago, but it's no less thrilling -- or agonizing depending on one's vantage point -- to see an upset of this caliber at the NCAA Tournament.
The Wildcats had the seventh-best pre-tournament odds of winning the national title while the Tigers were one of 18 teams tied for the lowest pre-tournament odds, per Fox Sports.
Princeton spoiled a lot of bets and brackets but likely gained just as many bandwagon followers for however much longer the team's run lasts.
More must-reads: