Mixing March Madness & Sadness: Zags 20th #1 Seed Failing to Reach Sweet 16

Let's go to the videotape! Did ESPN elitists make such disparaging remarks about #1 seeds from power conferences losing in the second round as they do regarding Gonzaga's defeat against Wichita State? The condescending comments from analysts such as Adrian Branch zinging the Zags as unworthy of a #1 seed are as ridiculous as blaming Branch for not keeping Maryland teammate Len Bias on the straight and narrow.

For all the bitter disappointment experienced by fans of a highly-ranked team unexpectedly bowing out of the provocative NCAA Tournament, there is an equal amount of euphoria emanating from supporters of the victor. The range of disparate emotions is one of the reasons there is such a fascination with upsets because nothing is guaranteed when a traditional power opposes a darkhorse.

The ultimate in March Madness materialized in 1993 when Arizona, ranked fifth by AP, was stunned in the first round of the West Regional by Santa Clara (64-61). In terms of point spreads, it was the biggest upset in NCAA playoff history because Santa Clara was a 20-point underdog. The next largest point spread to not hold up occurred in 1986 when 17 1/2-point underdog Arkansas-Little Rock shocked Notre Dame in the Midwest Regional (90-83). Was Branch colleague Digger Phelps' Irish squad unworthy of a #3 seed in 1986?

A total of 20 No. 1 seeds, including DePaul three straight years from 1980 through 1982, failed to reach the regional semifinals since seeding was introduced in 1979. Gonzaga, the first mid-major in this category, joined the following crestfallen top-ranked teams: