More improbable NCAA Hoops title: '83, '85, '88?

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Valvano's bunch had to win te conference tourney just to get in, and knocked off UH.

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Not just because they had to play great in the conference tournament to get in, and from the conference tournament all the way to the Final Four they were in big trouble in the final minute in most of those games. Down by 6 with less than 45 seconds and no 3 point line in game 1 of the NCAAs? Crazy run.

I loved all three of those championship runs, but NC State has to be the most improbable. Like another poster said, they had to win the ACC Tourney to get in, then had to pull a miracle to beat Pepperdine in the First Round. They were also down 7 late in the Championship Game vs. Phi Slamma Jamma. Nova and Danny and the Miracles were great in their own way, but nothing tops the '83 Wolfpack.

Nova missed only 6 shots all game, including only 1 in the second half. Let that sink in. And with that they only won by 2. NC State's win was crazy but Nova's performance as a team in the clutch was unprecedented.

toss up with 83 and 85, I'd lean toward 83 because Villanova had played Georgetown 3 times, though they lost all 3, they were close games. No way could they have won a year or 2 later when the shot clock was added.

Danny Manning was the player of the year in 88, I really don;t remember why they lost so many games to get an 6 seed, but when you have a HOF coach and the best player, that's not that big of an upset.

Villanova by a mile.

Kansas barely got by Murray St in the 2nd round with a blocked shot by Manning in the lane with the game on the line.

In comparison, G-town was all mighty when Villanova took them out. Kansas was just another team with one super player, Danny Manning, whose pro career was never the brilliance we saw in the tournament, due to an injury early on.