March Madness kicks off with First Four games and teams looking to do some bracket busting
Last year, a team from New Jersey called Fairleigh Dickinson played its way out of the First Four and became one of the most improbable bracket-busters in NCAA Tournament history
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — A year ago, Fairleigh Dickinson landed in the First Four and by the following weekend became one of the most improbable bracket-busters in NCAA Tournament history.
After routing Texas Southern in Dayton, the 16th-seeded Knights — one of the shortest teams in the tournament facing the tallest — upset No. 1 seed Purdue 63-58, only the second time a No. 16 seed had beaten a top-seeded team.
“Anybody has a chance. Anything can happen, no matter what’s going on,” said Donald Copeland, the coach of an injury-depleted Wagner team that opens this year's First Four against Howard on Tuesday night. “Now our path is probably different, but it gives you motivation to want to hopefully achieve something like that.”
The winner of that game will advance as the No. 16 seed to face top-seeded North Carolina on Thursday in the West Region.
