March Madness always serves up some stunning upsets, and this 2026 edition has been no different. No. 1 Florida Gators, the defending champions, were sent home in the Round of 32 by No. 9 Iowa Hawkeyes, while No. 11 Texas Longhorns dispatched No. 3 Gonzaga Bulldogs at the same stage.
Defeats for Florida and Gonzaga have led to a whole lot of brackets being busted already. It was Alvaro Folgueiras who played the role of bracket-buster in that Hawkeyes-Gators contest, drilling a three-pointer with 3.9 seconds remaining to give his team the unlikeliest of victories.
With Folgueiras’ heroics in mind, we decided to look at some of the greatest bracket-busters in NCAA tournament history and where they are now.
Kevin Pittsnogle – Martinsburg North Middle School Principal
Kevin Pittsnogle spent four seasons with the West Virginia Mountaineers from 2002 to 2006, and it was in 2005 that he made a name for himself as a bracket buster. Pittsnogle and No. 7 West Virginia pulled off a stunning upset when they took down Chris Paul and No. 2 Wake Forest 111-105 in double overtime in the second round.
Pittsnogle, an awkward, gangly big man, notably hit a huge three-pointer from the corner that gave West Virginia some much-needed breathing space in the second overtime period. Following that, he scored 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the 65-60 win over No. 6 Texas Tech.
That incredible run would end in the next round, though, as they lost 93-85 to Louisville in overtime. Pittsnogle shone in that clash too, putting up 25 points and five rebounds.
Pittsnogle would declare for the 2005 NBA Draft after the tournament, but he didn’t hire an agent. That meant he could still return to college, and that’s what he did. Pittsnogle led West Virginia to the Sweet 16 in 2006 and then chose to go pro. He’d go undrafted in 2006, though.
Pittsnogle would go on to play in the CBA and in the G League, but never got an opportunity to play an NBA game. He’d eventually start working as a middle school teacher and is now the principal at Martinsburg North Middle School.
DJ Burns – Maccabi Rishon LeZion In Israel
After a blast from the past, we get to a recent Cinderella run with DJ Burns and North Carolina State in 2024. The Wolfpack were the No. 11 seed and managed to make it all the way to the Final Four. They took down No. 6 Texas Tech, No. 14 Oakland, No. 2 Marquette, and No.4 Duke before losing to No. 1 Purdue.
Burns notably had 16 points against Texas Tech and then dropped 29 against Duke. The 6’9″, 260-pound forward became quite the fan favorite because of his personality and exciting style of play.
Burns’ size was going to make it difficult for him to get to the NBA, though. He went undrafted in 2024 and opted to start his professional career in South Korea. Burns was then acquired by the G League’s Greensboro Swarm in 2025, but he’d never play for them. He then opted to go overseas again and is now a member of Maccabi Rishon LeZion in Israel.
Jack Gohlke – Texas Legends In G League
Staying in the 2024 tournament, we get to Jack Gohlke and No. 14 Oakland. The Golden Grizzlies were expected to get crushed by No. 3 Kentucky in the first round, but Gohlke ensured they came away with a memorable win instead. The guard erupted for 32 points on 10-20 shooting from beyond the arc to lead his team to a wild 80-76 win.
Gohlke followed that up with 22 points against Burns’ NC State, but they lost 79-73 in overtime. He then headed to the pros, but went undrafted in 2024. Gohkle has played in the G League and overseas since, and is currently playing for the Texas Legends.
Ali Farokhmanesh – Head Coach Of The Colorado State Rams
Ali Farokhmanesh saw no scholarship offers come his way in 2006, and four years later, in 2010, he hit one of the most memorable shots in recent NCAA tournament history. Farokhmanesh and his No. 9 Northern Iowa were massive underdogs against No. 1 Kansas in the second round, but found themselves up a point with 42.8 seconds remaining.
Instead of draining time off the clock, though, Farokhmanesh let it fly from deep and connected, to all but ensure the Panthers pulled off the upset.
Farokhmanesh finished with 16 points against Kansas. He had drilled the game-winning three-pointer against UNLV in the first round as well and became somewhat of a national sensation.
Northern Iowa would lose to Michigan State in the next round, though, and that was that. Like everyone else before him on this list, Farokhmanesh would go undrafted in 2010. He’d play overseas in the years that followed and then decided to get into coaching in 2014. Farokhmanesh headed to Colorado State in 2018 as an assistant coach and, in 2025, was named head coach.
Sherwood Brown – Al-Karkh In Iraq
No. 15 Florida Gulf Coast was expected to be easy pickings for No. 2 Georgetown in the first round in 2013, but Sherwood Brown had other ideas. Brown had 24 points and nine rebounds to power the Eagles to a 78-68 win over the Hoyas.
Brown followed that up with 17 points and eight rebounds in an 81-71 win over No. 7 San Diego State. Their incredible run ended against Florida, but a whole lot of brackets had been busted by then.
Just like the rest, Brown would go undrafted in 2013. He has spent some time in the G League, but has spent much of his career overseas. Brown currently plays for Al-Karkh in Iraq.
Cameron Krutwig – Hiopos Lleida In Spain
Cameron Krutwig and Loyola-Chicago Ramblers stunned the basketball world by getting to the Final Four in 2018, but it was his play in 2021 that got him here. No. 8 Loyola-Chicago took down No. 9 Georgia Tech 71-60 in the first round that year to set up a clash with No. 1 Illinois in the second round.
The Ramblers were expected to bow out then and there, but Krutwig had 19 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, and four steals to lead them to a shocking 71-58 win.
Krutwig had a 14-point, 10-rebound outing against Oregon State in the next round, but it wasn’t enough. He would then go undrafted in 2021 and has spent his entire professional career overseas. Today, Krutwig plays for Hiopos Lleida in Spain.
Jai Lewis – Behavioural Therapist At A Public School In Baltimore City
Jai Lewis famously led the George Mason Patriots to the Final Four in 2006. No. 11 George Mason took down No. 6 Michigan State, No. 3 North Carolina, No. 7 Wichita State, and No. 1 Connecticut in what was an astonishing run.
Lewis’ best outing came against Connecticut, scoring 20 points and grabbing seven rebounds to help his team to an 86-84 win in overtime.
The Patriots’ Cinderella run would unfortunately end at the hands of Florida. Lewis went undrafted in 2006 and spent his entire professional career overseas. He actually considered playing in the NFL in 2006 and was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent, but chose basketball instead.
Today, Lewis is a behavioural therapist/interventionist in a public school in Baltimore City.
CJ McCollum – Atlanta Hawks In NBA
Lastly, we get to the one guy who did make it to the NBA in CJ McCollum. McCollum famously led No. 15 Lehigh to a 75-70 win over No. 2 Duke in the first round in 2012. He racked up 30 points, six rebounds, and six assists on that memorable night.
Xavier would knock out McCollum and Lehigh in the next round, but he had made quite a splash with that performance. A year later, the Portland Trail Blazers selected him with the 10th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. McCollum is now in his 13th season in the NBA and is playing for the Atlanta Hawks.
