Magic In March: Lowest Seed to Win March Madness

• Year: 1997
• Final Score: Arizona 84 - Kentucky 79

Despite finishing fifth in the Pac-12 during the regular season, the University of Arizona Wildcats ended the 1997 season as the #15 ranked team in the country.

Led by future NBA guards Mike Bibby and Jason Terry, the Wildcats made an incredible run to the NCAA finals against the #1 seeded University of Kentucky. The game ended regulation in a deadlock: 74-74. Both teams gave it their all in overtime, but the University of Arizona edged out Kentucky for the championship.

• Year: 1988
• Final Score: Kansas 83 - Oklahoma 79

Kansas had a magical run during the 1988 NCAA tournament that saw them complete multiple incredible upsets. They first faced off against #2 seeded Duke in the Final Four, defeating them 66-59.

They moved on to play an Oklahoma team in the finals that beat them twice in the regular season and was coming off a win over the #1 seeded University of Arizona. Danny Manning had an otherworldly performance, scoring 31 points and grabbing 18 rebounds en route to a National Championship.

• Year: 1983
• Final Score: NC State 54 - Houston 52

There may be lower seeds to win March Madness, but there is no better Cinderella story than head coach Jimmy Valvano's 1983 NC State Wolfpack. Valvano truly believed his team had what it takes to win it all, and he was proven correct. He even had his team practice cutting down the nets after every practice to get them in the mindset that they would eventually be doing it for real.

They squared off against quite possibly the most stacked college team we've ever seen, the #1 seeded University of Houston, featuring future NBA Hall-of-Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. After a back and forth game, Lorenzo Charles put a game winning dunk in with 1 second left to secure NC State the title.

• Year: 2014
• Final Score: UCONN 60 - Kentucky 54

Never count out the hungry Huskies... ever! After serving a post-season ban for academic infractions, UCONN entered March Madness as the #7 seed. They did have three players on their roster who won a National Championship in 2011; Shabazz Napier, Ryan Boatright, and Niels Giffey.

In the 2014 tournament UCONN was the higher ranked seed only in the first round and the National Championship, making them heavy underdogs throughout March. After taking down #1 seeded Florida they faced a similar cinderella story in #8 ranked Kentucky for the National Championship. UCONN handled their business and hoisted the trophy.

• Year: 1985
• Final Score: Villanova 66 - Georgetown 64

There are so many perfect things about the 1985 National Championship game. First, these teams were Big East conference rivals, making it the third time playing each other. Second, Gerogetown was led by future hall-of-fame center Patrick Ewing. Finally, the game came right down to the wire and was only a one possession game.

There will probably never be a run quite like Villanova in 1985 because it was the perfect storm. The right pieces fell into place that gave them an opponent who they had scouted and practiced against. I'm not certain, but this may be an unbreakable record.