The Abilene Christian Wildcats scored a miraculous win over Texas Longhorns in Round 1 of the NCAA Tournament. He did not shoot well and was one down with a few seconds left in the game, but two late free-throws by Joe Planter helped Abilene Christian secure a big-time win.
Upset was also historic for Abilene Christian, who recorded the first NCAA tournament win in program history. Now, the team is looking to earn a second to come in the Sweet 16 against UCLA, another power five program.
It has been more than two decades when a 14 seed has made the Sweet 16, and this has occurred only on a few occasions. Therefore, the Wildcats have already put themselves in the history books, and here’s how they compare to the last 14 seeds to win the game, including the opponent, margin of victory, key players and more.
UPS limit by seed
15 vs 2 | 14 vs 3 | 13 vs 4 | 12 vs 5
The last time a 14 seed made a Sweet 16
Only two 14 seeds have ever made it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament, and it has taken a long time to happen. Chetanooga was the last team to do so and it did 1996. They defeated two teams, Georgia and Illinois, in the first two rounds of the tournament before falling to Providence Fryers 71–65 in the Sweet 16.
Cleveland State is the only other 14 seeds to make the Sweet 16. They did so in 1986, just the second year that the tournament had 64+ teams, and defeated Indiana and St. Joseph to bring it to the Sweet 16. They eventually suffered a one-loss loss to the Navy and that knocked them out of the tournament.
Abilene Christian could be involved in both of those events if they can thwart UCLA, which won two games in the NCAA tournament by beating Michigan State in the round of 64 and BYU in the first round.
How many 14 seeds made sweet 16?
Chattanooga (1996)
- Opponent: 3-seed Georgia, 6-seed Illinois, 10-seed providence
- Margin of victory: 7.5 points per game
The Docs won the Southern Conference and held a 20–9 record during the regular season. He entered the first round of the tournament over Tubby Smith’s Georgia Bulldogs and scored a 3-point win over the 17th-ranked team in the country. The Docs then went on to win a 12-point win over the Illinois Fighting Illini, the 19th-ranked team in the country. It looked like the Mocs might have a chance to make the Elite Eight as opposed to the 10-seed fryers in the Sweet 16, but the Pete Gillan-led Providence Squad went on to lead as a double to win 71–65. achieved. Seed the seed.
key players
- Johnny Taylor: 17.7 PAPS, 6.0 RPG, 1.3 APG
- Willie Young: 15.7 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.7 apg, .407 3-point percentage
- Chris Mims: 12 pps, 8.3 rpg, 2.0 apg, .520 field goal percentage
- Marquise Collier: 8.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 0.0 apg,
Taylor was the leader of Moscow, and it showed during the NCAA tournament. The So-Con Player of the Year for 1997 collected 17.7 points per game and played second-most minutes for Chantanogo, leaving behind only Young, who was red-hot from behind the arc as part of a team Which did not take many 3-point shots. Taylor selected the Orlando Magic first round in 1997 and played four years in the NBA before pursuing a good career abroad. The youth played completely abroad. Both of them have studied in coaching.
MORE: The nine least seeded teams to make the Sweet 16
Cleveland State (1986)
- Opponent: 3-seed Indiana, 6-seed St. Joseph, 7-seed Navy
- Margin of victory: Five points per game
The Vikings went 27–3 during the regular season and 13–3 in conference play as a part of the Association of Mid-Continent Universities (AMCU). He suffered twice to Ohio State and was ranked No. 2 at Michigan. After winning the AMCU tournament, Cleveland State was put into a fight with No. 3 seed Indiana and emerged with an 83–79 victory over Bob Knight’s club. From there, they stayed hot and defeated the 6-seeded St. Joseph Hawks by six points. Ultimately, his luck ran out against the No. 7 seed navy, led by “The Admiral” David Robinson, but he made a play of it. The Navy went on to win by one point to send the Vikings home.
key players
- Clinton Ramsey: 17.3 PAPS, 6.0 RPG, 1.0 APG, 1.3 SPG
- Mouse McFadden: 16 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.0 spg
- Clinton Smith: 14.7 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 1.7 apg, 2.3 spg
- Eric Mudd: 10.3 PPS, 9.0 RPG, 0.7 SPG
The Vikings were a high scoring bunch and averaged 76 points per game during the NCAA tournament. He had a balanced offensive attack with four double-digit scorers, and rebounded well. Smith was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in the fifth round of the 1986 NBA Draft due to his efforts during the tournament.
Statistics reflect NCAA tournament numbers
How does Abilene Christian compare
- Opponent: 3-seed Texas, 11-seed UCLA
- Margin of victory: 1 point per game
The Wildcats have not yet made the Sweet 16, but if they can shut out the UCLA Bruins. In their first game of the tournament, two clutch free throws gave Abilene Christian a one-point lead with 1.2 seconds remaining on the clock. It was a huge upset win for him that Texas needed to stop the stretch to win the game. They could not get it.
key players
- Which is enjoyable: 11.0 PPP, 8.0 RPG, 1.0 SPG
- Korean Mason: 11.0 PSP, 2.0 RPG, 1.0 APG
- Clay Gammon: 9.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 3.0 apg.
- Reggie Miller: 7.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.0 spg
The Wildcats fought a massive offensive against the Longhorns, but they managed to win Texas against Pleasant and Texas, hitting some occasional shots, with Plinter’s two being thrown free with 1.2 seconds left on the clock. Against the Brins, they will need Colton Kohl, who stepped into the regular season for the team with 12.0 points per game, making it an easy matchup for them.
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