An 8-seed is the lowest seed to win the national championship. Villanova accomplished the feat in 1985 with a win over 1-seed Georgetown.
Villanova in the 1985 NCAA Tournament
The 1985 NCAA Tournament was the first tournament with 64 teams, up from 53 teams in 1984. The Wildcats were the 8-seed after winning 18 regular-season games (9-7 in the Big East) and entering the tournament with only 19 wins (19-10).
Led by 12th-year head coach Rollie Massimino, Villanova won its first three games of March Madness by a combined nine points before winning its next two by a combined 19 points. And with a two-point win over Patrick Ewing and the Hoyas in the 1985 national championship, the Wildcats were national champions for the first time in program history.
Two other 8-seeds have played in the national championship. UCLA lost to Louisville in 1980, and Butler lost to UConn in 2011.
What Was the Spread for Villanova-Georgetown in 1985?
Villanova’s win over Georgetown is widely considered one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history but, with the Wildcats as a 9.5-point underdog, it’s not one of the biggest upsets ever by spread.
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