NCAA Basketball: Top 25 NCAA Tournament cinderellas since 2000
By Adam Childs
13) 2014 Dayton Flyers, No. 11-seed
Record: 26-11, Elite Eight
Beat: (6) Ohio State Buckeyes, (3) Syracuse Orange, (10) Stanford Cardinal
The Dayton Flyers were another surprise at-large team after finishing 23-10 in the regular season. That included a 10-6 mark in the A-10, which was good for just fifth place. They had to sweat out Selection Sunday after losing by three to the Saint Joseph’s Hawks in the conference tournament, missing out on the automatic bid.
Dayton would make the most of their opportunity, though, which included starting off the tournament against the in-state rival Ohio State Buckeyes. In a back-and-forth game that included 15 lead changes, Vee Sanford hit a layup with 3.8 seconds left to give the Flyers the win and bragging rights for the state of Ohio. It was especially sweet for leading scorer Jordan Sibert, who transferred to Dayton after two years at Ohio State.
The No. 3-seeded Syracuse Orange were waiting in the second round. Dayton was again up or the challenge. In yet another low-scoring close game, the Flyers were able to hold off the Orange for a two-point win and their first trip to the Sweet 16 in 30 years. Sibert came up big this game with a huge 3-pointer with 47.7 seconds remaining to help the Flyers get the win.
In the Sweet 16, the Flyers had a much easier time with the No. 10-seeded Stanford Cardinal. After the Cardinal took the lead with 9:52 left in the first half, Dayton would take the lead and never relinquish it the rest of the game. Sibert led the scoring attack with 18 points.
Their run would end in the Elite Eight, as the No. 1-seeded Florida Gators would jump on them in the first half and coast the rest of the way to pick up the win and trip to the Final Four.
For a team that barely made it in and without a big-time star, this was a great run by Dayton and definitely an unexpected one. The Flyers came up just short, but for this tournament, at least they were kings of Ohio.