NCAAB
The 5 Biggest First Round NCAA Tournament Upsets Since 2000
1. (15) Norfolk State over (2) Missouri, 2012
In 2012, the Missouri Tigers were one of the best teams in the country. They were 30-4 and fresh off a Big 12 Tournament win when they met the 15-seeded Norfolk State Spartans, the winners of the MEAC Tournament.
In a very high-scoring game, the Spartans shocked the world with an 86-84 victory and advanced past the first round. They outrebounded Missouri 35-23, including 14 offensive boards. Kyle O'Quinn led his team with 26 points, 14 rebounds and 2 blocks in 37 minutes of action.
Carrying a nERD of -0.86, the Spartans defied the odds to best the Tigers (15.89 nERD) and, to date, are the only team to overcome a nERD deficit of 15 or more since we started tracking it in the year 2000.