Acing Nation's #1 Team: Evansville and SFA Kayo Top-Ranked UK and Duke
November 15th, 2019 - 10:04
Four of the last nine times a national top-ranked team lost came at the hands of a mid-major opponent after Evansville won at Kentucky and Stephen F. Austin ended Duke's 150-game winning streak at home vs. non-conference opponents. Wildcats coach John Calipari was on the other end of similar games in the mid-90s when Massachusetts knocked North Carolina and Arkansas off their lofty perch. Following is list that UE and SFA joined of mid-major schools kayoing a #1-ranked team currently a member of a power conference since top-ranked Virginia fell at Chaminade in perhaps the biggest upset in NCAA history on Christmas Eve in 1982:
| Date | #1 Team From Power League | Score | Mid-Major Foe Pulling Off Upset | Mid-Major Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12-24-82 | Virginia | 77-72 | at Chaminade, HI | Merv Lopes |
| 1-2-88 | Arizona | 61-59 | at New Mexico | Gary Colson |
| 3-23-89 | Arizona | 68-67 | vs. UNLV in West Regional Semifinals | Jerry Tarkanian |
| 1-25-93 | Kansas | 64-49 | vs. Long Beach State | Seth Greenberg |
| 11-24-93 | North Carolina | 91-86 | vs. Massachusetts in OT at New York | John Calipari |
| 11-25-94 | Arkansas | 104-80 | at Massachusetts | John Calipari |
| 11-26-11 | North Carolina | 90-80 | at UNLV | Dave Rice |
| 11-21-15 | North Carolina | 71-67 | at Northern Iowa | Ben Jacobson |
| 3-16-18 | Virginia | 74-54 | vs. UMBC in South Regional First Round | Ryan Odom |
| 11-21-18 | Duke | 89-87 | vs. Gonzaga in Maui | Mark Few |
| 11-12-19 | Kentucky | 67-64 | vs. Evansville | Walter McCarty |
| 11-26-19 | Duke | 85-83 | vs. Stephen F. Austin in OT | Kyle Keller |