ranked Georgia Tech, and third ranked Kentucky to advanced to the Final Four. LSU then ended their run with a loss to eventual champion Louisville.
#8. Gonzaga (1999)
Contrary to now-days, Gonzaga was rarely known by college basketball fans in 1999. However, after the tournament, everyone knew who they were. Probably one of the most underrated teams in tournament history, Gonzaga lost only six games but was assigned a ten seed. The Bulldogs then proceeded in proving everyone wrong with wins over Minnesota, seventh ranked Stanford, and twenty-third ranked Florida to make it to the Elite 8. Even though they lost the next game to eventual champion Connecticut, Gonzaga gained a lot of respect for playing a close game with a great team down to the final minute. Ever since this tournament, Gonzaga has went from a small school nobody knew about to a well-respected NCAA powerhouse.
#7. Kansas (1988)
The J-Hawks set a record in 1988 that still stands today: most losses (11) by a NCAA men's tournament championship team. Coached by Larry Brown, Kansas entered the regular season unranked with a dismal eleven losses, but eventually made it all the way to the semifinals. They then beat fifth ranked Duke and a fourth ranked Oklahoma team they had lost to twice during the regular season. Instead of going down in the early rounds as predicted, the J-Hawks found a way to keep winning and capture a national championship everyone thought they had no shot at getting to begin with.
#6. Pennsylvania (1979)
No Ivy League school, to this day, has been able to accomplish Pennsylvania's amazing feat in the 1979 NCAA tournament. Without a single player on a full scholarship, the quakers only accounted for five losses during the regular season. However, do to poor competition, the Quakers were a nine seed in the tournament, which proved to be much too low for the soon to be Final 4 team. After a free throw with two seconds left in their first tournament game, Pennsylvania was able to seal a victory over a tough North Carolina team. They followed up with wins against powerhouses Syracuse and St. Johns. It wasn't until the semifinals when Pennsylvania lost at the hands of a Magic Johnson-led Michigan State 101-67. The drubbing, tough, could not take away from the accomplishments the Quakers made during 1979.
#5. Loyola Marymount (1990)
Out of tragedy rose this Cinderella team. During a West Coast Conference tournament game, Hank Gathers, the team star, collapsed and died, leaving the team in shock
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