ON THIS DAY IN COLLEGE BASKETBALL
April 1.
Different years. Same date. Games worth remembering.
ON THIS DAY · April 1PAINT
Unranked. Unforgettable.
Unranked wins over ranked teams. Best rank beaten first.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Villanova66 | #1 Georgetown64 | Neutral site · Lexington, KY |
ON THIS DAY · April 1PAINT
When the ranked collide
Ranked matchups, highest-ranked team first.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | #6 Arkansas75 | #4 North Carolina68 | Neutral site |
| 1989 | #10 Michigan83 | #3 Illinois81 | Neutral site |
| 2017 | #6 North Carolina77 | #9 Oregon76 | Neutral site · State Farm Stadium · Glendale, AZ |
| 1995 | #1 UCLA74 | #14 Oklahoma State61 | Neutral site |
| 1996 | #2 Kentucky76 | #15 Syracuse67 | Neutral site · East |
| 1991 | #6 Duke72 | #12 Kansas65 | Neutral site · Indianapolis |
| 1989 | #11 Seton Hall95 | #9 Duke78 | Neutral site |
| 2023 | #10 Connecticut72 | #16 Miami (FL)59 | Neutral site · NRG Stadium · Houston, TX |
| 2006 | #7 UCLA59 | #19 Louisiana State45 | Neutral site |
| 2023 | #18 San Diego State72 | #25 Florida Atlantic71 | Neutral site · NRG Stadium · Houston, TX |
ON THIS DAY · April 1PAINT
Down to the wire
Ranked teams. Three points or fewer between them.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | #18 San Diego State72 | #25 Florida Atlantic71 | 1 pt |
| 2017 | #6 North Carolina77 | #9 Oregon76 | 1 pt |
| 1989 | #10 Michigan83 | #3 Illinois81 | 2 pts |
ON THIS DAY · April 1PAINT
Top ten. Taken down.
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | #11 Seton Hall95 | #9 Duke78 | 17 pts |
ON THIS DAY · April 1PAINT
Games for the title
Conference tournament and NCAA Tournament championship games played on this date.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | #4 Maryland64 | Indiana52 | Neutral site · Atlanta |
| 1996 | #2 Kentucky76 | #15 Syracuse67 | Neutral site · East |
| 1991 | #6 Duke72 | #12 Kansas65 | Neutral site · Indianapolis |
| 1985 | Villanova66 | #1 Georgetown64 | Neutral site · Lexington, KY |
ON THIS DAY · April 1PAINT
Never count them out
Largest deficits erased, measured from play-by-play. Earliest on file: 2006.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Trailed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | UC Irvine69 | North Texas67 | Trailed by 15 |
| 2023 | #18 San Diego State72 | #25 Florida Atlantic71 | Trailed by 14 |
| 2014 | Southern Methodist65 | Clemson59 | Trailed by 13 |
| 2026 | Oklahoma90 | Colorado86 | Trailed by 10 |
| 2008 | Massachusetts78 | Florida66 | Trailed by 10 |
ON THIS DAY · April 1PAINT
Points on points
The highest combined scores on this date.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Oklahoma90 | Colorado86 | 176 total pts |
| 2014 | Murray State98 | Pacific75 | 173 total pts |
| 1989 | #11 Seton Hall95 | #9 Duke78 | 173 total pts |
| 2016 | Nevada85 | Morehead State82 | 167 total pts |
| 1989 | #10 Michigan83 | #3 Illinois81 | 164 total pts |
ON THIS DAY · April 1PAINT
You had to be there
The biggest crowds, by announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | #2 Gonzaga77 | South Carolina73 | 77,612 fans |
| 2017 | #6 North Carolina77 | #9 Oregon76 | 77,612 fans |
| 2023 | #10 Connecticut72 | #16 Miami (FL)59 | 73,860 fans |
| 2023 | #18 San Diego State72 | #25 Florida Atlantic71 | 73,860 fans |
| 2002 | #4 Maryland64 | Indiana52 | 53,406 fans |
ON THIS DAY · April 1PAINT
Big nights
The highest-scoring individual games on this date.
| Season | Player | Game | Line |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Danny Ferry | Duke vs. Seton Hall | 34 pts · 10 reb · 2 ast · 1 threes |
| 1996 | John Wallace | Syracuse vs. Kentucky | 29 pts · 10 reb · 1 ast · 2 threes |
| 1989 | Kenny Battle | Illinois vs. Michigan | 29 pts · 7 reb · 1 ast · 1 threes |
| 1989 | Glen Rice | Michigan vs. Illinois | 28 pts · 5 reb · 1 ast · 2 threes |
| 1995 | Bryant Reeves | Oklahoma State vs. UCLA | 25 pts · 9 reb · 0 ast · 0 threes |