The Michigan State Spartans are still smarting from the shocking loss on the first day of men's college basketball, losing to James Madison Dukes in overtime, 79-76, on Monday, November 6.
It was a stunner of an opening, especially for the No.4 Spartans. It was branded as one of the team's worst losses in years, MLive.com reported. It was the worst home loss of MSU since 1986.
Spartans coach Tom Izzo admitted that they got outplayed and didn't deserve to win, Reuters reported. This was even though the Spartans were leading nearly the entire final 10 minutes of regulation.
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The Spartans' shock loss to the Dukes will append the list of biggest upsets in college basketball history. Here are 5 other shockers on record.
1. Stephen F. Austin's win over Duke Blue Devils, 85-83
Without question, the Duke Blue Devils own a solid program thanks to the efforts of Mike Krzyzewski. He had an eye for recruiting good players and fitting them into a system that resulted in a winning tradition.
However, that does not mean the Blue Devils are perfect. And one of the painful losses they got was in 2019 against Stephen F. Austin.
That game saw Duke leading by as much as 15 points at a certain stretch. The Lumberjacks managed to claw their way back into the game, eventually winning at the buzzer, 85-83, courtesy of Nathan Bain, per ESPN.
Making that loss doubly painful for Krzyzewski and the Blue Devils is that it happened on their home turf, their first non-conference loss since 2000.
2. Villanova's upset over Georgetown in 1985
Billed as the "Perfect Game," the Villanova Wildcats defeated a touted Georgetown Hoyas team led by eventual NBA Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing, 66-64.
The Wildcats had a near-perfect game at the time, both offensively and defensively. Aside from holding down Ewing, Villanova also shot an incredible 78.6% from the field - missing only one shot after halftime.
The Wildcats were the lowest-seeded team ever to win the NCAA title.
3. George Mason University's 2006 win over UConn
George Mason University was in the headlines in 2006 after taking down higher-seeded teams one after the other. But it was the 11th-seeded team's conquest over Connecticut, 86-84, that most will remember, a win that pushed them into the Final Four.
It was a huge thing, considering the Huskies were tipped to win it all. The Patriots' Cinderella run ended after they lost to the Florida Gators in the Final Four matchup.
4. Missouri Tigers loss to Norfolk State Spartans
Another David vs. Goliath game that some will recall is the one between the Missouri Tigers and the Norfolk State Spartans. The Spartans were 21.5 underdogs against the top-seeded Tigers in the March Madness in 2012.
The Spartans won 86-84, their first tournament appearance in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball tournament. Further, it was the first time that a 15th-seeded defeated a 2nd-seeded team.
5. Virginia's loss to Chaminade in 1982, 77-72
The Virginia Cavaliers game against the Chaminade Silverswords hardly drew interest, considering the latter was a virtually unheralded team. More so, the Cavaliers were led by a familiar name in Ralph Sampson.
With only about 3,383 people on hand and the game not being televised, it was a game that most hardly paid attention to. That was until the Honolulu-based squad turned the tables on the Silverswords, 77-72. It was branded as one of the biggest upsets by multiple outlets, per SI.com.
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