NCAA Basketball: Top 25 NCAA Tournament upsets since 2000

7. #11 VCU 71, #1 Kansas 61 (2011 Elite Eight)

When the 2011 NCAA Tournament bracket was revealed, there was an inclusion that was instantly berated by fans and experts across the nation. The VCU Rams were 23-11 and had lost in the CAA Tournament.

Things were so dire that the Rams’ players hadn’t even watched the selection show and were just as shocked as everyone else when they punched their ticket. For the rest of America, it was VCU who would have the last laugh.

They were part of the inaugural First Four, earning a match-up against the fellow 11-seed USC Trjoans before they were even among the 64 teams in the Tournament. Little was expected of the Rams, but they were relentless, shocking USC, the 6-seed Georgetown Hoyas, the 3-seed Purdue Boilermakers and the 10-seed Florida State Seminoles to make the Elite Eight.

They needed overtime against the Seminoles, but had won their other three games by double-digits. Their run had been fantastic, but the 1-seed Kansas Jayhawks was waiting in the Elite Eight, a sign that their magical run would likely end.

Incredibly enough, this wasn’t the case. Despite being heavy underdogs and facing their toughest game of the season, the Rams played impressive basketball and built a 17-point lead in the first half, with Kansas’ deficit at 14 by halftime.

The Jayhawks pulled to within two points, but the Rams fought back and went on another mini-run. After being on fire from 3 early in the game, the Rams hit enough shots late to keep Kansas at bay, securing a trip to the Final Four in the most unlikely fashion.

Marcus Morris (20 points, 16 rebounds) and Markieff Morris (13 points, 12 rebounds) couldn’t do enough for the Jayhawks. The team shot just 9 percent from 3 and they were sloppy with the basketball.

The Rams were led by an impressive 26-point, 10-rebound performance from Jamie Skeen, who hit four of VCU’s 12 3-pointers. They had been disregarded and doubted by everyone for two weeks, but the Rams were the team heading to the Final Four, while Kansas headed home.

The 2011 NCAA Tournament was one known for its upsets, with VCU’s next game against a fellow mid-major. They couldn’t topple the Butler Bulldogs to make the title game, but that doesn’t delegitimize their incredible run.

They knocked off teams from five different power conferences, including the No. 2 ranked team in the nation by double-digits. Expected to run out of gas or to fall apart, the Rams stood firm and shocked the Jayhawks, pulling one of the most incredible Elite Eight upsets we’ve ever seen.