Busting Brackets
Fansided

NCAA Basketball: 10 most memorable NCAA Tournament runs of last decade

By Donovan Darlington

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MARCH 16: A view of the official game basketball during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament between the Arizona Wildcats and the North Dakota Fighting Sioux at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 16, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MARCH 16: A view of the official game basketball during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament between the Arizona Wildcats and the North Dakota Fighting Sioux at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 16, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 11
Next
LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 30: Fred Van Vleet #23 of the Wichita State Shockers with the ball against LaQuinton Ross #10 of the Ohio State Buckeyes in the second half during the West Regional Final of the 2013 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Staples Center on March 30, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 30: Fred Van Vleet #23 of the Wichita State Shockers with the ball against LaQuinton Ross #10 of the Ohio State Buckeyes in the second half during the West Regional Final of the 2013 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Staples Center on March 30, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

8. 2013 Wichita State (MVC, 30-9, 9 Seed)   Final Four

The 2013 Wichita State Shockers are intriguing due to the fact that all the signs suggesting they would make a run were present prior to the Tournament. Heading in, the Shockers were 26-8 and coming off a loss to Creighton in the Missouri Valley Championship. Still, backcourt depth and a high spirit defined this team.

The only reason this squad went under the radar is the fact that they played in the Missouri Valley Conference at the time. Despite being given no respect, they were dealt an at-large bid and a 9 seed in the tournament.

In the first round, the Shockers played a talented ACC team in Pittsburgh. The front court duo of Cleanthony Early and Carl Hall posed too much of a problem for Pitt, and Senior Guard Malcolm Armstead used his quickness and deadly mid-range game to drop 22 points and trounce them 73-55.

In the Second Round, the Shockers vanquished Gonzaga 76-70. The big and highly tenacious front court mixed with the right amount of crafty guard play was the issue once again.

The Sweet 16 brought the Shockers against the 13 Seed LaSalle Explorers. The Explorers had a great tournament run in their own right, but Wichita State was far more talented and possessed much more depth, ultimately beating them 72-58.

To get to the Final Four, Wichita State upset Ohio State in a game that required help from everyone. Armstead led the way with a modest 14 points, but six Shockers players scored 8+ points that day. Freshmen Fred Vanvleet and Ron Baker also shined against Ohio State, making it clear to the entire country how talented and deep their backcourt truly was.

In the Final Four, the Shockers met #1 seed Louisville. The Shockers kept the game interesting, allowing it to be one of the best game of the tournament, but eventually fell 72-68. The top end ACC talent was too much of an issue.

When looking back on the Shockers, it is important to remember the depth. The backcourt possessed a 5-man rotation, and every individual was capable of producing. Also, being from the MVC, they faced off against lower level competition in the regular season, but that did not hinder them one bit when playing against high-majors.

Home/March Madness