NCAA Basketball: Top 25 NCAA Tournament cinderellas since 2000
By Adam Childs
8) 2013 Wichita State Shockers, No. 9-seed
Record: 30-9, Final Four
Beat: (8) Pittsburgh Panthers, (1) Gonzaga Bulldogs, (13) LaSalle Explorers, (2) Ohio State Buckeyes
The Wichita State Shockers were a very good team during the regular season, but after losing their last two games they fell to second place in the Missouri Valley Conference. They would fall to the Creighton Bluejays in the conference tournament championship game, but got an at-large bid anyway. But because of them faltering at the end, they got only a No. 9-seed.
They cruised by the Pittsburgh Panthers in the first round by 18 to set up a second-round matchup with the top-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs. The Shockers jumped up early on Gonzaga. While the Bulldogs would fight back, they couldn’t come all the way back. Wichita State would hit five straight 3-pointers late to close out the game, sending the Shockers to the Sweet 16.
Wichita State would play the No. 13-seed LaSalle Explorers in the next round. The Shockers were just too much for the Explorers and would win by 14 to reach their first Elite Eight in 32 years. Waiting for them would be the No. 2-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes.
Wichita State would jump out to a 13-point halftime lead on the Buckeyes, but Ohio State would not go down without a fight. The Buckeyes cut a 20-point second half deficit to three before the Shockers finally held off the stingy Ohio State team, who had won 11 in a row coming into the game. The win sent Wichita State to its first Final Four since 1965.
The Shockers looked like they were on their way to the title game when they lead the Louisville Cardinals by 12 with 13:35 to play, but the Cardinals made a run. It was too much for Wichita State to withstand and their Cinderella run ended with a four-point loss.
It was a tough loss for the Shockers in a game they thought they had control of. The Shockers had grinded their way to the Final Four and almost did the same to the title game. It was proof that Wichita State was more than just a mid-major.