NCAA Basketball: Top 25 NCAA Tournament upsets since 2000
By Joey Loose
18. #14 Georgia State, #3 Baylor 56 (2015 Round of 64)
When the NCAA Selection Committee released the bracket for the 2015 NCAA Tournament, the Georgia State Panthers were given a 14-seed, but they were no ordinary team on that line.
The Panthers had R.J. Hunter, the two-time Sun Belt Player of the Year who would eventually play in the NBA. They also started Kevin Ware, the Louisville Cardinals transfer who finally returned to the NCAA Tournament after suffering a gruesome leg injury while playing for Louisville in 2013.
Regardless, they were matched up with the 3-seed Baylor Bears, a strong team from a very potent Big 12. Georgia State head coach Ron Hunter was also dealing with an issue of his own, having broken his foot during the team’s celebration of their Sun Belt tournament championship.
Wheeling around the sidelines on a stool, he was still capable of coaching his son and the rest of his team. Boy, did he have a banner day.
Less than six minutes into the game, Baylor built a double-digit lead, but like so many upset-minded teams before them, the Panthers didn’t panic. They fought back, led briefly and trailed by just three at the half.
They finally got the lead back in the second half only to give up a 12-0 run to the Bears. A pair of free throws by Rico Gathers gave Baylor a 56-44 lead with under 3 minutes left, but they wouldn’t score again. Georgia State chipped away until their March moment happened.
With time running down, R.J. Hunter hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 2.6 seconds left to give the Panthers the win. The excitement of the moment caused Ron Hunter to fall from his stool and give the 2015 NCAA Tournament its magical moment.
The shot gave R.J. Hunter 16 points, and despite being heavily rebounded (40-22) and outshot, the Panthers prevailed. The Bears committed 21 turnovers and an 18-point, 15-rebound effort from Taurean Prince was wasted.
The magical moment as Ron Hunter fell from his chair while watching his son win the game will live in infamy for years to come. The lowly 14-seed pulled the amazing upset. Even though the Panthers would lose their next game, they cemented their place in March Madness history with the win.