The play was called “The Pacer,” after the NBA team from which Valparaiso (Ind.) coach Homer Drew stole it. And Pacer was just perfect. With 2.5 seconds left and Valpo down two, Jamie Sykes, standing under his own basket, floated a pass to Bill Jenkins, who jumped, caught it, and before his feet touched the ground, shuffled the ball to Homer’s son, Bryce, who was streaking down the right side. Drew stopped, popped, and the three-pointer dropped, giving Valpo an incredible win.
Top 10 NCAA Tournament First Round Upsets
The bands. The buzzer-beaters. The unproductive offices. Must be the start of the NCAA men's basketball tournament. To mark this year's edition, we scoured the record books to select the 10 best first round upsets in tournament history
(13) Valparaiso 70, (4) Mississippi 69, 1998
Full List
March Madness
- (13) Princeton 43, (4) UCLA 41, 1996
- (15) Richmond 73, (2) Syracuse 69, 1991
- (15) Hampton 58, (2) Iowa State 57, 2001
- (14) Cleveland State 83, (3) Indiana 79, 1986
- (13) Valparaiso 70, (4) Mississippi 69, 1998
- (15) Santa Clara 64, (2) Arizona 61, 1993
- (14) Northwestern State 64, (3) Iowa 63, 2006
- (13) Vermont 60, (4) Syracuse 57, 2005
- (14) Bucknell 64, (3) Kansas 63, 2005
- (14) Austin Peay 68, (3) Illinois 67, 1987