Harvard pulled off the biggest shocker of the NCAA tournament Thursday by knocking out No. 3 seed New Mexico, 68-62. Then No. 15 seed Florida Gulf Coast claimed that distinction Friday with a convincing 78-68 win against Georgetown.
Florida Gulf Coast became the seventh No. 15 seed to win bump off a No. 2 seed, and the third in the past two seasons. The first time that a No. 15 seed beat a No. 2 was 1991 when Richmond derailed Syracuse. Florida Gulf Coast didn't exist as a school until 1997.
Harvard's win was the 17th time that a No. 14 seed has beaten a No. 3 seed since the tournament field expanded to 64 teams in 1985, so an upset coming from this part of the bracket is hardly an unprecedented development.
But sometimes the upset is about more than strictly the number of the seed. It has about the perception of the two teams, and Harvard brings plenty of decidedly non-basketball stereotypes to the table, Jeremy Lin notwithstanding.
Here's a look at notable first-round upsets in which second, third and fourth seeds went down in stunning fashion.
Biggest First-Round Upsets In NCAA Tournament
Florida Gulf Coast Beats Georgetown, 2013
The No. 15 seed Eagles were making their first appearance in the NCAA tournament. It has been eligible for the tourney for just two years and lost 20 games in 2010-11. The Eagles led by as many as 19 points and ousted No. 2 seed Georgetown 78-68.
Harvard Beats New Mexico, 2013
The Crimson beat expectations even reaching the tournament after its two captains were dropped from the team because of an academic issue before the season started. This was Harvard's second tournament appearance since 1946.
Lehigh Beats Duke, 2012
C.J. McCollum had 30 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals to spark Lehigh to a 75-70 win over No. 2 seed Duke. The Blue Devils' tandem of Austin Rivers and Seth Curry shot a combined 6 for 23 from the field.
Norfolk State Beats Missouri, 2012
Senior Kyle O'Quinn had 26 points and 14 rebounds as the No. 15 seed shocked the second-seeded Tigers. Norfolk State's upset started with its dominance on the boards, winning the rebound battle 37-25.
Hampton Beats Iowa State, 2001
Iowa State, the No. 2 seed, had reached the Elite Eight in the previous season. The Cyclones had a chance to avoid the upset but Jamaal Tinsley missed a layup with 1.2 seconds left, which sealed a 58-57 win for the Pirates.
Coppin State Beats South Carolina, 1997
The Eagles, under coach Fang Mitchell, were 30-point underdogs but didn't even need a dramatic finish to oust No. 2 seed South Carolina. They overcame a seven-point deficit in the second half, and then pulled away for a 78-65 win.
Santa Clara Beats Arizona, 1992
No. 2 seed Arizona was led by Damon Stoudamire, but Santa Clara had a relatively unknown freshman named Steve Nash. Coming off the bench, Nash had 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists, and Santa Clara hung on for a 64-61 win.
Richmond Beats Syracuse, 1991
This was the first time that a No. 15 seed beat a No. 2 seed, but given Richmond's track record in the tournament, maybe it wasn't an absolute stunner. With coach Dick Tarrant, the Spiders had knocked off an Auburn team with Charles Barkley in 1984 and beat defending national champion Indiana in 1988.
Bucknell Beats Kansas, 2005
The No. 14 seed Bison had just five scholarship players but scored the first tournament win in school history, 64-63. Kansas' downfall was shooting just 1 for 11 on three-pointers.
Weber State Beats UNC, 1999
This is the game that made Harold (The Show) Arceneaux a March Madness legend. Arceneaux finished with 36 points and made the winning free throws in a 76-74 win for No. 14 seed Weber State. It was the first time the Tar Heels lost their tourney opener since 1980.
Cleveland State Beats Indiana, 1986
No. 14 seed Cleveland State stunned the Hoosiers 83-79 and then kept going. It beat St. Joe's in the next round before losing to Navy and David Robinson, 71-70, in the regional semifinals. Indiana recovered to win the national title the next season.
Valparaiso Beats Mississippi, 1998
This one is simply known as the "Bryce Drew Game." Drew's buzzer-beating three-pointer gave Valpo, the No. 13 seed, a 70-69 win.
Princeton Beats UCLA, 1996
The No. 13 seed Tigers had come close to toppling a giant before, but they finally broke through against UCLA, the defending national champions, 43-41. Gabe Lewullis scored the winning basket on a signature Princeton backdoor play with 3.9 seconds left
Vermont Beats Syracuse, 2005
No. 13 seed Vermont beat No. 4 seed Syracuse 60-57 in overtime. Gerry McNamara missed a three-pointer in the final seconds of overtime for the Orange, which committed a season-high 24 turnovers.
