Biggest College Basketball Upset

It's December twenty third, nineteen eighty two in Honolulu, Hawaii. It's warm in the sun, Hawaiian shirts are everywhere, and basketball is being played at Chimnata University, home of the Silver Sorts, an NAI school with fewer than eight hundred students, and they're taking on the number one team in the nation led by a towering giant seven to four Ralph Sampson, a guy that won the National Player of the Year three times. And the crazy thing is this small NAI school would go on to beat the number one school in the nation with the number one player in the nation right before Christmas. Join us today as we dive into this crazy upset that sounds like a holiday movie. Today on Daily Sports History, Welcome to Davy Sports History. I'm your guy, Ethan Reese because I would love to go lose a basketball game Honolulu just before Christmas. Okay, So nineteen eighty two, everyone in basketball is watching Virginia. They have Ralph Sampson, who's considered hands down best player in the college. At the time, Sinners, especially tall Sinners, were thought to be unstoppable. He was seven to four. What about the size of Wimby last year, who keeps growing crazily. But he was very similar to Wimby and how he looked, but he was more bulky and could play down low and was unstoppable. Even your regular seven footers struggled to compete with him, and he would go on to be the number one pick without a doubt. And he had a good supporting cast Rick Carlisle, future NBA Championship coach, was on his team along with Craig Robinson, who goes from playing basketball to being on the office. Sorry, not that Craig Robinson, to different Craig Robinson, but still a good player who go on to coach at Oregon State later on his career. They were eight and oh coming into this game. The year before, Virginia finished fifth in the country overall and made it all the way to the Final four. They were a good team and they expect to pick by many to win the national Championship. And they were going to Honolulu to play a NAI school. Now, in case you don't know what NAI is, they're an offshoot of the NCAA. They're not connected to the NCAA, but they do play sports just like the NCAA. They give out scholarships just like the NCAA Innai is somewhere between Division two and Division three. The best NAI schools can face off against the best Division two schools. The worst NAI schools can lose to some of the lower Division three schools. So it's a wide range, but they're generally not seen as competitive versus a Division one school. But you see this a lot happen in early seasons, especially first few games. They play these smaller schools, usually a local school around them, a warm up game for these bigger schools. And the reason why they were playing Virginia as well, why not get a trip to Honolulu just before Christmas. Virginia's like it's cold here, Let's go to Honolulu for Christmas. There was gonna say no to that now. Tim and Otup was a small school, under eight hundred students. They had no national supposter. They were tiny campus, just located out of Honolulu and most of their cruits were transferred. They had no player on their team over six', eight just a kind of. Idea Chim andadup did not have a marching, band no booster, club no national team covered and getting tickets to the game was. Easy the tickets were low and only about thirty five hundred fans showed. Up most of them wanted to See, virginia and it was about five dollars a. Ticket it was easy to go see and this game wasn't supposed to be. Historic this was supposed to be a blimp on the. Radar no one knew. It the matchup was arranged the year, before As virginia had already played two games In japan one game In. Hawaii they were traveling all over the place to play and this was no national media, there just a few local reporters From. Hanaulu what really gave Chim nada the advantage is that travel games In japan another game In. Hawaii like they were. Tired they played three games in five, days all over the, place traveling. Everywhere Ralph sampson even said he was fatigued and had a slight. Cold but they were the number one team in the, nation had an eight and oh, record and had already beat teams Like houston And georgia by double, digits and both of those teams were ranked at the, time but vice. Versa. Timanada most of their players were some basing on the beach that day, relaxing so the tip off, happens and of Course virginia wins the stif off Because Ralph sampson is, huge And virginia opens the game just like every other game inside scoring but not immediately comes back shooting some mid range, jumpers sparking some. Energy But virginia would take the lead early six to, two but Chim nada would eventually rally back to come back and tie the game ten to. Ten virginia was looking a little, sugglish, tired, fatigued like someone that had been traveling all over the place just before this. Game now that Chim nada, Coached Marv loops was A hawaiian board, coach was fire energy and believed deeply in his players and they played, together they could do. Anything. Now he instructed his players not to try to contest things at the rim Against sampson because there was not much they could. Do so what they were said were doing was focusing on mid range, shots drive and kicked out to open, shooters really Taking sampson out of the defensive part of the game which he dominated at at the, time and they slowed the tempo down for Seek virginia to also slow down and played a two to three zone which frustrated In samson at the, time causing them to get double team anytime he got entry, passed And Tim nada played with. Poise their leading Score Tony randolph was, poised showing strong rebounding despite his height disadvantage as standing only six to, six and they were able to also shoot three, pointers which at the time was not, standard But innaia had already adopted, it so they were playing at that arena and three pointers actually, counted which gave another advantage to a smaller team In Jim. Andada so late in the first, half the game was actually tied twenty two to twenty, two And virginia would start to break, away getting up by, six But jim And nada would bring it right back to be down just two at the halftime with the score thirty eight to thirty, six and the crowd was in. Disbelief they thought they were gonna be blown, out but Really jim And nada was holding their. Own Ralph sampson did not look like his dominating him, self which really Made virginia, vulnerable And Jim andada came out in the second Half they're, like we got nothing to, lose let's throw it. Out on the, line so they come out early and fast and take the lead off a mid range jumper made By Tony randolph to take the lead forty two to, forty and the crowd, erupts they're so excited for this. Underdog virginia is stun and starts committing turnover after, turnover playing tight and can barely hit a brick wall and as crowd, shouts let's go, Swords let's go swords and. Around with ten minutes left in the second, half the game was tied. Sixty the game was tied at fifty six when and came out and executed a six zero, run and the crowd's energy shaped to. Disbelief cheering out of their. Minds they, thought we actually have a chance to do, this cheering on every, possession really making it a home court advantage for something that no one expected to. Happen with two minutes, Left jim And nada was up point seventy three to, seventy And virginia Fouls jim And nada on a fast break Founs Tony, randolph who hits both of his free, throws Although samson comes back and makes a dunk on the other, end making a three point game. Again on the next, position Jim andada gets fouled again and hits all their free, throws taking the lead back up to. Five virginia misses a desperation three and the crowd is in. Disbelief it's the final seconds take. Away the final score is seventy. Seven to See, virginia the number one team in the, nation just lost to a SMALL nai school and no one can believe. It samson finished with just twelve points and seventeen, rebounds looking far from, dominant While chinada was led By Tony randolph who's added nineteen points And, rodriguez who had. Seventeen students and local fans flooded the court they were so excited to see. This virginia was just. Stunned they walked off the court in All timnaa's Coach Marv lopes hugged his players one by one just in awe ingratitude of what just. Happened the reason Why chiminada was able to win was they shot over fifty percent from the, field making, threes And virginia could not make a. Basket they shot under forty, percent and the slower pace That chiminada played at really Kept virginia from getting into their, offense and it really set shockwaves across the. NATION A david Versus goliath headline cent. Everywhere but there is no coverage on this, game no NATIONAL, tv NO, espn really no barely any president. Attendance many editors that got this information Thought virginia Beat Jim andada seventy seven to seventy, two but they were shocked to find out, no it was the other way. Around it was later being known as the biggest upset in college basketball, history And Marvel, lopes the coach For jim AND, i said to the school, president this is the Greatest Christmas President hawaii has ever. Gotten Ralph sampson after the game said they played, well we didn't it. Happens head coach For, Virginia Terry, holland shouldered the. Blame didn't blame the stress of the travel with the. Fatigue he just said they Beat. Aspparance what's crazy is this actual upset led to the creation of The Maui Invitational, tournament held in nineteen eighty four for the first time organizing high level basketball games In, hawaii and it became known as The miracle that built a tournament because it showed that fans In hawaii wanted his see good basketball and as known as one of the best n season tournaments in college. Basketball And jada would actually be the host of this tournament every, year And jenada would actually go on to join THE ncaa and now we're part of The division TWO ncaa, program And virginia would find on. It so that year they would lose in the sweet sixteen and. Round samson would move on to THE, nba being the number one pick in Future hall Of. Famer But virginia basketball would find its, way as in years later they would finally win their very first national title in two thousand and nineteen without any flashy seventy four big men and lose without losing to ANY nai. Schools but they do have their own championship. Now and my question for you is what do you think is the biggest upset in college basketball. HISTORY i want to thank you for listening To Today's Daily Sports. History if you like, this please make sure you like them to subscribe wherever you are so you do not miss a single, episode and we will see you on the next. ONE mm