College Basketball

March Madness: The History of No. 13 Seeds Over No. 4 Seeds

Colin Lynch Sports Editor

Updated8 hours ago on April 19, 2024

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The No. 13 vs. No.4 seed matchup has become synonymous with the matchup where you can undoubtedly find an upset. Most pundits and just about anyone giving out bracket info and picks will start with these matchups when they’re looking to comment on the most likely upsets. And rightfully so, these happen reasonably frequently, including a pair of 13’s over No. 4’s in 2021. 13 seeds have a 20.9% winning percentage in these matchups since 1985. Let’s look at this year’s No. 13 vs. No.4 matchups and the history of these matchups in the NCAA tournament.

No. 13 Seeds vs. No. 4 Seeds All-Time Stats

31-117: Record for 13 seeds vs. No. 4 seeds
20.9 percent: Overall winning percentage for 13 seeds since 1985
23: Largest margin of victory for a 13 seed; Navy over LSU (78-55)
1: Smallest margin of victory for a 13 seed; six times, first by Xavier over Missouri (70-69)
6-3: Record for No. 13 seeds in games decided by one point
2: Buzzer-beater wins for 13 seeds: Murray State over Vanderbilt (2010), Valparaiso over Ole Miss (1998)
6: 13 seeds to win at least two games

2023 NCAA Tournament No.13 Seeds vs. No. 4 Seeds

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The History of No. 13 vs No. 4

Over the past 40 years, since the NCAA Tournament field was expanded to 64 teams in 1985, 26 tournaments have seen at least one 13-seed triumph. In four of those years, multiple 13 seeds won games, including Xavier and Missouri State in 1987, Indiana State and Kent State in 2001, Siena and San Diego in 2008, and Buffalo and Marshall in 2018.

The 2008 upsets were particularly noteworthy, as both occurred on the same court in Tampa, making it a historic day in NCAA Tournament history. The other two winning teams that day were double-digit seeds: 12th-seeded Western Kentucky won on a buzzer-beater in overtime. And then, 12th-seeded Villanova staged a comeback from an 18-point deficit to upset Clemson.
The first time a 13 seed defeated a four seed was also memorable. In 1985, the inaugural year of the expanded tournament, future NBA star David Robinson led his Navy Midshipmen to a dominant 23-point victory over No. 4 seed LSU, which still stands as the largest margin of victory for any 13 seed.

Year	Result	Score
1985	Navy def. LSU	78-55
1987	Missouri State def. Clemson	65-60
1987	Xavier def. Missouri	70-69
1988	Richmond def. Indiana	72-69
1989	Middle Tennessee def. Florida State	97-83
1991	Penn State def. UCLA	74-69
1992	Southwestern Louisiana def. Oklahoma	87-83
1993	Southern def. Georgia Tech	93-78
1995	Manhattan def. Oklahoma	77-67
1996	Princeton def. UCLA	43-41
1998	Valparaiso def. Ole Miss	70-69
1999	Oklahoma def. Arizona	61-60
2001	Indiana State def. Oklahoma	70-68
2001	Kent State def. Indiana	77-73
2002	UNC Wilmington def. USC	93-89
2003	Tulsa def. Dayton	84-71
2005	Vermont def. Syracuse	60-57
2006	Bradley def. Kansas	77-73
2008	Siena def. Vanderbilt	83-62
2008	San Diego def. UConn	70-69
2009	Cleveland State def. Wake Forest	84-69
2010	Murray State def. Vanderbilt	66-65
2011	Morehead State def. Louisville	62-61
2012	Ohio def. Michigan	65-60
2013	La Salle def. Kansas State	63-61
2016	Hawaii def. California	77-66
2018	Buffalo def. Arizona	89-69
2018	Marshall def. Wichita State	81-75
2019	UC Irvine def. Kansas State	70-64
2021	North Texas def. Purdue	78-69 (OT)
2021	Ohio def. Virginia	62-58

Some Memorable No. 13 Over No. 4 Upsets

No. 13 Valparaiso 70, No. 4 Ole Miss 69 – March 18, 1988

Who could forget Bryce Drew’s incredible buzzer-beater that propelled Valpo past Ole Miss in the NCAA Tournament opener? Widely considered one of the most beautifully orchestrated buzzer-beaters in tournament history, the shot helped the Crusaders advance to the second round, where they defeated the 12th-seeded Florida State to reach the Sweet 16. Unfortunately, their run ended there with a loss to Rhode Island. Nevertheless, Drew’s unforgettable shot remains a cherished moment in NCAA Tournament lore. Bryce Drew is currently the coach at Grand Canyon, a 14 seed this year that is taking on Gonzaga in the first round.

25 years ago, Bryce Drew hit an iconic buzzer beater for 13-seed Valparaiso.pic.twitter.com/f9fIWgJXu6

— DraftKings (@DraftKings) March 13, 2023

No. 13 Richmond 72, No. 4 Indiana 69 – March 13, 1988

In 1991, coached by Dick Tarrant, the Spiders became the first No. 15 seed to win a game in the tournament, stunning 2-seed Syracuse. But this wasn’t the first time Tarrant had orchestrated an upset; in 1988, the Spiders knocked off defending national champions Indiana in the opening round, then upset fifth-seeded Georgia Tech in the second round. This was just the fourth 13-seed to knock off a four-seed. Richmond’s historic run ended in the Sweet 16, as top-seeded Temple handed them a 22-point defeat. Despite the loss, Tarrant and the Spiders had etched their names in NCAA Tournament history.