ON THIS DAY IN COLLEGE BASKETBALL
April 4.
Different years. Same date. Games worth remembering.
ON THIS DAY · April 4PAINT
Unranked. Unforgettable.
Unranked wins over ranked teams. Best rank beaten first.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Kansas83 | #4 Oklahoma79 | Neutral site · Kansas |
ON THIS DAY · April 4PAINT
When the ranked collide
Ranked matchups, highest-ranked team first. Showing 10 of 12.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | #2 North Carolina75 | #1 Illinois70 | Neutral site · The Dome at America's Center · St. Louis, MO |
| 2015 | #3 Wisconsin71 | #1 Kentucky64 | Neutral site · Lucas Oil Stadium · Indianapolis, IN |
| 2026 | #3 Michigan91 | #2 Arizona73 | Neutral site · Lucas Oil Stadium · Indianapolis, IN |
| 1992 | #1 Duke81 | #5 Indiana78 | Neutral site |
| 1994 | #2 Arkansas76 | #6 Duke72 | Neutral site · Charlotte, NC |
| 2016 | #6 Villanova77 | #3 North Carolina74 | Neutral site · NRG Stadium · Houston, TX |
| 2009 | #8 Michigan State82 | #5 Connecticut73 | Neutral site |
| 2009 | #2 North Carolina83 | #11 Villanova69 | Neutral site |
| 1983 | #16 NC State54 | #1 Houston52 | Neutral site · Albuquerque, NM |
| 2026 | #7 Connecticut71 | #13 Illinois62 | Neutral site · Lucas Oil Stadium · Indianapolis, IN |
ON THIS DAY · April 4PAINT
Down to the wire
Ranked teams. Three points or fewer between them.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | #16 NC State54 | #1 Houston52 | 2 pts |
| 2016 | #6 Villanova77 | #3 North Carolina74 | 3 pts |
| 1992 | #1 Duke81 | #5 Indiana78 | 3 pts |
ON THIS DAY · April 4PAINT
Top ten. Taken down.
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | #3 Michigan91 | #2 Arizona73 | 18 pts |
ON THIS DAY · April 4PAINT
Games for the title
Conference tournament and NCAA Tournament championship games played on this date.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | #3 Kansas72 | North Carolina69 | Neutral site · Caesars Superdome · New Orleans, LA |
| 2016 | #6 Villanova77 | #3 North Carolina74 | Neutral site · NRG Stadium · Houston, TX |
| 2011 | #9 Connecticut53 | Butler41 | Neutral site · Reliant Stadium · Houston, TX |
| 2005 | #2 North Carolina75 | #1 Illinois70 | Neutral site · The Dome at America's Center · St. Louis, MO |
| 1994 | #2 Arkansas76 | #6 Duke72 | Neutral site · Charlotte, NC |
ON THIS DAY · April 4PAINT
Never count them out
Largest deficits erased, measured from play-by-play. Earliest on file: 2006.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Trailed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | #3 Kansas72 | North Carolina69 | Trailed by 16 |
| 2008 | Tulsa70 | Bradley64 | Trailed by 14 |
| 2019 | Marshall90 | Green Bay70 | Trailed by 13 |
ON THIS DAY · April 4PAINT
Points on points
The highest combined scores on this date.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | #3 Michigan91 | #2 Arizona73 | 164 total pts |
| 1988 | Kansas83 | #4 Oklahoma79 | 162 total pts |
| 2019 | Marshall90 | Green Bay70 | 160 total pts |
| 1992 | #1 Duke81 | #5 Indiana78 | 159 total pts |
| 2026 | West Virginia87 | Creighton70 | 157 total pts |
ON THIS DAY · April 4PAINT
You had to be there
The biggest crowds, by announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | #6 Villanova77 | #3 North Carolina74 | 74,340 fans |
| 2009 | #8 Michigan State82 | #5 Connecticut73 | 72,456 fans |
| 2009 | #2 North Carolina83 | #11 Villanova69 | 72,456 fans |
| 2015 | #3 Wisconsin71 | #1 Kentucky64 | 72,238 fans |
| 2026 | #3 Michigan91 | #2 Arizona73 | 72,111 fans |
ON THIS DAY · April 4PAINT
Big nights
The highest-scoring individual games on this date.
| Season | Player | Game | Line |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Danny Manning | Kansas vs. Oklahoma | 31 pts · 18 reb · 2 ast · 0 threes |
| 1992 | Bobby Hurley | Duke vs. Indiana | 26 pts · 0 reb · 4 ast · 6 threes |