UMBC head men's basketball coach Ryan Odom, whose Retrievers became the first-ever No. 16 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed in NCAA Tournament history, is hoping Virginia wins it all this season.
"The joy that we experienced from that win, you can't put a price tag on that. And for somebody else to experience that, I would be totally fine with that," Odom said on Glenn Clark Radio March 26. "This particular year I would not have wanted it to be Virginia. They have been through so much."
Odom's Retrievers beat the Cavaliers, 74-54, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last year. Previously, No. 1 seeds had defeated No. 16 seeds in all 135 matchups in the history of the tournament. UMBC's stunning victory inspired other low-seeded teams to believe they could do the same, including No. 13 UC Irvine, which upset No. 4 Kansas State, 70-64, in the first round this year.
