Only 23 schools played in the 1965 NCAA basketball tournament, which back then was much smaller than this year’s 68-team monstrosity. Princeton University had made it to the tournament the previous four years, but had only won one game and was not expected to do particularly well. And yet they made it to the Final Four. They lost to the top-ranked University of Michigan but went on to beat Wichita State in the consolation game. The Tigers’ near national victory is still talked about at the Ivy League school.
Bonus fact: Princeton’s 1965 All-American and captain Bill Bradley later became a U.S. Senator.