Bumpy Ride: Virginia's 25-Point Tourney Loss Wasn't Most Lopsided For Cavs

Virginia wasn't for lovers of good offense when the Cavaliers, failing to make a field goal the last 10 1/2 minutes of first half, crashed and burned by 25 points against Colorado State in the First Four. Elsewhere, Kansas' sordid second half resulted in a 21-point setback against Gonzaga in the second round. But at least 'bloodbath" for each of recent national titlists weren't their all-time worst NCAA playoff setbacks (37 points by Michigan in 1989 vs. VA and 34 by USC in 2021 vs. KU).

An embarrassing defeat was also a jolt to Indiana fans when the Hoosiers were smothered by Saint Mary's, 82-53, in the first round of the 2022 East Regional. But their ardent followers could take some solace in fact that 13 other former champions lost an NCAA Tournament game by as many points over the years. The Hoosiers' previous most numbing tourney reversal was by 25 points against St. John's in 1999.

On the other end of the setback spectrum, is a traditional blueblood other than Connecticut, Duke, Georgetown, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, UCLA or Villanova the only former national kingpin never to lose an NCAA playoff game by fewer than 15 points? No, but the ex-champ holding this distinction boasts school colors of Blue and Gold. It's La Salle, the 1954 titlist which subsequently lost three separate tourney games by 14 points.

Ohio State is the lone power-conference member in this group never to incur an NCAA playoff setback by at least 20 points. Arkansas departed in a one-sided result this year but the Razorbacks previously were eliminated by an even wider margin. Former NCAA champions Wyoming (49 points) and UConn (47) sustained the worst reversals on the following list of most-lopsided losses in NCAA Tournament competition among the 37 former titlists: