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Fairleigh Dickinson did not even win their convention match, however after a play-in victory they shocked Purdue for the largest dissatisfied in NCAA Tournament historical past.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The 2023 NCAA Tournament gave us the largest first spherical dissatisfied in historical past when Fairleigh Dickinson, a play-in 16 seed who did not even win their convention match, dissatisfied primary seed Purdue on Friday, 63-58.
It was once a crisis efficiency from Matt Painter’s squad, who did not rating within the ultimate 5 mins and could not get just right appears to be like for his or her big name middle, Zach Edey.
The Knights will now face Florida Atlantic on Sunday and the winner will advance to the Sweet 16 – proving as soon as once more simply how a lot insanity their is in March.
Locked on College Basketball hosts Andy Patton and Isaac Schade broke down this huge dissatisfied on the most recent episode, discussing a number of the just about incredible facts about this matchup and function from the Knights:
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Fact 1: An old-fashioned NCAA rule is the one explanation why FDU was once within the match
The NCAA these days has a rule which prevents groups who transition from D-2 to D-1 from competing in a championship match for his or her first 4 years. The rule exists to stop faculties from leaping from side to side, nevertheless it has come beneath fireplace as numerous systems have moved up a degree, competed smartly, and been ineligible to play within the playoffs – hurting the varsity’s recruiting within the procedure.
For Fairleigh Dickinson, they completed 3rd within the NEC all the way through the common season, however for the reason that convention winner Merrimack was once ineligible for the postseason the Knights earned the automated bid – and the remainder is historical past.
Fact 2: FDU was once obviously considered because the worst crew within the Field of 68
This dissatisfied will endlessly draw comparisons to UMBC, who dissatisfied Virginia in 2018 for the primary 16-1 win in match historical past. However, UMBC was once a some distance awesome crew – making this the largest dissatisfied of all-time, a minimum of within the NCAA Tournament first spherical.
UMBC didn’t need to play in to their 16 seed, and whilst their dissatisfied was once improbable they had been ranked quantity 188 in KenPom. Meanwhile, FDU was once quantity 312 in KenPom, and needed to play within the play-in sport and beat Texas Southern to be able to have the ability to stand Purdue.
When the committee sat down to reserve the groups, the Knights had been straight away indexed because the 68th and ultimate crew within the box – and but they pulled off one of the vital memorable victories in match historical past.
Fact 3: This matchup featured the tallest and shortest groups within the NCAA – a literal David vs. Goliath
The Knights personal the shortest roster in Division 1 basketball, with a median top of simply 6-foot-1. Meanwhile, Purdue’s reasonable top is the best possible within the NCAA – putting in place one of the vital distinctive matchups in match historical past. FDU’s way to triple or even quadruple crew Zach Edey – Purdue’s 7’4 National Player of the Year candidate – paid dividends all through because the Boilermakers had been not able to hit open photographs.
Edey had an unbelievable sport, scoring 21 issues on 7-11 capturing, however no person stepped up round him and the Knights took merit and stole a victory.
Fact 4: FDU trainer Tobin Anderson prophesized this dissatisfied again in January
Back on January 31, Fairleigh Dickinson trainer Tobin Anderson spoke with David Cobb about a hypothetical matchup in opposition to Purdue within the NCAA Tournament. Anderson discussed they might triple the post and indicated he believed his crew may just do it.
Then, following their win over Texas Southern, Anderson advised his crew within the locker room they liked the matchup in opposition to Purdue and felt they might win. While he admitted he did not need that dialog to get leaked – he was once completely proper.
Fact 5: New Jersey is the house of big upsets
The darling of the 2022 NCAA Tournament was once Saint Peter’s, a plucky college from New Jersey who no longer simplest dissatisfied quantity two seed Kentucky, however went on a deep run into the Sweet 16.
On the primary day of the 2023 NCAA Tournament Princeton, the winner of the Ivy League auto-bid, dissatisfied Arizona in an epic 15-2 combat.
And then on Friday we noticed this report breaking win from Fairleigh Dickinson. All of those systems no longer simplest pulled off 3 of the largest NCAA Tournament upsets ever – they’re all situated in New Jersey, about an hour force from every different.
No Rutgers and no Seton Hall within the Big Dance this 12 months, however the state of New Jersey has one thing else to hold their hat on: the underdogs.
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