NCAA Basketball: Top 25 NCAA Tournament upsets since 2000
By Joey Loose
23. #13 Buffalo 89, #4 Arizona 68 (2018 Round of 64)
Deandre Ayton was a stud freshman center on this talented Arizona Wildcats squad. He was drafted first overall by the Phoenix Suns this past June’s NBA Draft.
The Wildcats powered their way through Pac-12 play and won the Pac-12 Tournament with a roster full of studs. However, as they arrived in Boise to play the 13-seed Buffalo Bulls, it wasn’t Buffalo’s season that was about to end.
Ayton’s brief college career would end, as the Wildcats were knocked off by 21 points against the MAC champions. Head coach Nate Oats delivered the big upset that his predecessor Bobby Hurley could not before departing for the Arizona State Sun Devils. The Bulls’ sharpshooting paced them to the huge win.
The Bulls led much of the first half, but the Wildcats kept the game close, with a 40-38 halftime lead in Buffalo’s favor. What happened in the second half wasn’t as fortuitous for Arizona.
Buffalo kept hitting its shots and pulled away as Arizona’s offense disappeared. In total, the Bulls made 50 percent of its 3-point attempts, hitting 15 outside shots on the night. Arizona was no threat from outside, making just 11 percent and were bodied by the Bulls.
Buffalo guards Wes Clark (25 points) and Jeremy Harris (23 points) were offensive machines and each of them made 10 field goals. C. J. Massinburg added six 3-pointers (19 total points) and the Bulls completed overwhelmed the Wildcat defense. Dusan Ristic had 16 points, while Ayton added 14 points and 13 rebounds, but it simply wasn’t enough.
With controversy surrounding him, this game was a disappointing end of the season for head coach Sean Miller, while Buffalo seems to have built on this upset. They’ve become one of the best mid-major teams this season and have spent several months in the top 25.
The Bulls are in prime position to pull another upset, while Arizona flounders in a weak Pac-12. No matter what happens in 2019, this upstart Buffalo squad busted plenty of brackets in 2018.