Kentucky’s history as a No. 3 seed includes one of the 3 vs. 14 first-round upsets

Let’s have an uncomfortable conversation now because it is unavoidable this week: the history of No. 3 seeds in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. A No. 14 seed has knocked off the No. 3 in 20 of the 39 NCAA Tournaments since the field went to 64 teams. The most recent instance of the 3 vs. 14 upset came last season, unfortunately, to your University of Kentucky Wildcats. John Calipari’s last Kentucky team was a No. 3 seed and lost to Oakland, 80-76, as a 13-point favorite in Pittsburgh.

The Big Blue Nation has tried to forget that game and the inexcusable defense against Jack Gohlke, but it will be a talking point when the 3 vs. 14 games are broken down in the lead-up to this year’s tournament. Kentucky is a No. 3 for the second year in a row, playing Troy in Milwaukee.

Prior to Big Blue Nation’s demise as a 3 in 2024, there were five 3 vs. 14 upsets in four years from 2013-16, but only one other No. 14 win since, when Abilene Christian defeated Texas, 53-52, in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, played at limited capacity.

Mar 20, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Abilene Christian Wildcats forward Joe Pleasant (32) and the Abilene Christian Wildcats celebrate after beating the Texas Longhorns in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Nelles-USA TODAY Sports

Other memorable No. 14 seeds are Bucknell over Kansas in 2005, Mercer over Duke in 2014, and Chattanooga reaching the Sweet Sixteen as a 14 in the 2007 NCAA Tournament.

Upsets in the 3 vs. 14 game

YEARRESULTSCORE1986Cleveland State def. Indiana83-791986Arkansas Little-Rock def. Notre Dame90-831987Austin Peay def. Illinois68-671988Murray State def. NC State78-751989Siena def. Stanford80-781990Northern Iowa def. Missouri74-711991Xavier def. Nebraska89-841992ETSU def. Arizona87-801995Old Dominion def. Villanova89-811995Weber State def. Michigan State79-721997Chattanooga def. Georgia73-701998Richmond def. South Carolina62-611999Weber State def. North Carolina76-742005Bucknell def. Kansas64-632006Northwestern State def. Iowa64-632010Ohio def. Georgetown97-832013Harvard def. New Mexico68-622014Mercer def. Duke78-712015UAB def. Iowa State60-592015Georgia State def. Baylor57-562016Stephen F. Austin def. West Virginia70-562021Abilene Christian def. Texas53-522024Oakland def. Kentucky80-76

(NCAA.com)

Kentucky as a No. 3 seed

Kentucky has been a No. 3 seed three other times in the modern era, going 2-1 in first-round games. Tubby Smith’s 1999 Wildcats reached the Elite Eight as a 3.

YEARRESULTSCORE1994Kentucky def. Tennessee State83-701999Kentucky def. New Mexico St.82-602024Oakland def. Kentucky 80-76

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