NCAA Basketball: Top 25 NCAA Tournament upsets since 2000
By Joey Loose
17. #10 Syracuse 68, #1 Virginia 62 (2016 Elite Eight)
There was general confusion and outrage among many when the bracket was revealed in 2016 and Syracuse was included in the NCAA Tournament. At 19-13 (9-9 in ACC play), the Orange were not only in the Tournament, but avoided the play-in game, being handed a 10-seed.
This team did have some key victories against teams like the Duke Blue Devils, the Connecticut Huskies and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. However, their inclusion was a shocker to some. The real shocker would come as the Tournament began.
The Orange marched to their Elite Eight matchup with the Virginia Cavaliers, knocking out the Dayton Flyers, the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders and the Gonzaga Bulldogs on the way.
They certainly benefited from upsets in their side of the bracket, facing the 15 and 11-seeds, but Syracuse did what they were supposed to do. They actually beat these teams, and they certainly were ready for Virginia.
Initially, this all-ACC game was going poorly for the Orange, as they struggled to a 14-point halftime deficit. A 3-pointer by London Perrantes gave Virginia a 15-point lead with less than 10 minutes left in the game. It looked like Syracuse’s miraculous run would come to an end, but head coach Jim Boeheim wasn’t going to let that happen.
He switched his Orange to a full-court press that began to turn the tide of the game. Malachi Richardson had an incredible half, scoring 21 points after halftime. A 15-0 Syracuse run late in the half gave the Orange the lead for good, as the Cavaliers’ offense just couldn’t hit shots late or beat out the pressure.
Perrantes had 18 points to lead the Cavaliers, but the team really struggled late in this game, aided by their 13 turnovers. The Orange hit enough of their free throws late (80 percent for the game), and rode that late spurt to a surprise trip to the Final Four.
The inclusion of Syracuse over other deserving teams remains a huge mystery, but you can’t deny that the Orange took advantage of their entry and proved that they belonged. The comeback win over Virginia was an incredible performance, with Richardson and the rest of the Orange scrapping together to pull out the upset in the end.