It had been 4019 days — precisely 11 years — since the most infamous loss in Iowa State basketball history.
Then, in 2 hours and 51 minutes, the title of “most recent 2 seed to lose to a 15” turned over twice.
Missouri was a 3 seed in 1990, UNI a 14.
First, in a victory for conference loyalists, Missouri lost to 15 seed Norfolk State. NSU is in the MEAC, same as Hampton. Unlike ISU in Boise 11 years ago, this 2 seed’s loss was in front of a crowd full of fans of the Tigers’ most-hated rival, as Kansas would be playing in Omaha later in the night. Missouri also lost as a 3-seed to Northern Iowa (14) in 1990 and as a 4-seed to Xavier (13) in 1987.
Then, in a victory for everybody outside the state of North Carolina, Duke lost to Lehigh — the same Lehigh that lost to Iowa State by 9 in November.
The 2001 Cyclones will always be part of this group of notorious underachievers, but some new compatriots just walked through the door.
(Numbers at the beginning come from the “Inside March Madness” wrap-up show.)