Ed Pinckney, 6 foot 9 and about 210 lbs went out and completely outplayed the 1st pick in the 1986 NBA draft in Brad Daugherty. Then he beat up on 6-10 250lb 3 time all American in Keith Lee and then went out and outplayed the one guy who had beaten him up for 4 straight years in Patrick Ewing. It was a team effort to be sure but in my opinion it was the greatest individual performance by an underdog in the history of the NCAA tournament. Pinckney gave up a lot to those guys in size, weight and skill but there is no measurement for heart.
I was a junior in high school in '85. Huge Villanova fan. John Pinone and Stewart Granger were both talented basketball players. Then came E.P., the McClains, Presley and company. I filled out my bracket and all my teachers where laughing at me. I think, although its been a long time, that The Wildcats opened the tourney against Dayton and Daytons home court. My history teacher said "they'll lose in the first round." I told him that the Dayton game may be their toughest game of the entire tournament. After my beloved Wildcats finished off the Hoyas all my teachers kept saying was "damn, I wish I had your bracket and had put some money on Villanova." The '85 Championship is one ill cherish forever.
In 1979 I Believe Dwayne McClain and Patrick Ewing played Each other For the Massachusetts High School Division 1 State Championship in Basketball. McClain for Holy Name in Worcester and Ewing for Cambridge Ringe & Latin. Ewing Won!! Those 2 Guys Were Basketball Legends in Massachusetts
One of the greatest upsets in tournament history along with N.C. State's upset victory over Houston. Which brings up the questions which victory and tournament run is the greatest: NC State or Villanova. I say NC State's run was the greatest because they had to win the ACC tournament just to make the NCAA tournament field of 52. And they had overcome a talented and loaded Houston team, which they only had 1 day to prepare. Villanova played Georgetown 2 times in which they were close games but it is hard to beat team 3 times and Nova knew Georgetown very well and played a perfect game. I love both upsets but I give the nod to The 1983 NC State Wolfpack.
Yup. NC State had to win 10 straight. In that run they played #1 seed Virginia with Ralph Sampson twice, #2 seed North Carolina with Michael Jordan and Sam Perkins, #1 overall seed Houston with Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. And 8 of those 10 games came down to the last second or went into overtime.
Let's clear one thing up: 1988 was the last time the Final Four was held in a college gym-sized arena, Kemper in Kansas City. And that was also a big upset, Kansas over Oklahoma. (Which should never be considered an upset in basketball. In football, yes; in basketball, no.) Of course, as with some other big upsets -- Jets over Colts '69, USA over USSR '80, for example -- it wasn't just that the underdog played a perfect game. It was also that the favorite choked. Any Knicks fan who was ever shocked that Patrick Ewing choked in the NBA Playoffs obviously forgot about this game -- and the 1982 Final against North Carolina.
