If this keeps up, we’re all going to have to learn how to pronounce “Farokhmanesh.”
In a tournament filled with upsets, Northern Iowa’s Ali Farokhmanesh secured the biggest, hitting a three-pointer from the wing that sealed a 69-67 victory over the tournament’s number one overall seed.
After falling behind by as many as 12 points, the Jayhawks mounted a furious comeback to pull within one. But as so often happens to teams that far behind fall behind, Kansas nearly drew even, but didn’t have quite enough gas in the tank to pass the Panthers. Instead, they become the first number one seed to lose in the second round since both Kentucky and Stanford lost during the opening weekend of the 2004 tournament.
Northern Iowa will make the first trip to the Sweet Sixteen in school history — and the first for a Missouri Valley Conference champion since Larry Bird and the Indiana State Sycamores in 1979. That team, of course, reached the final game before losing to Magic Johnson’s Michigan State Spartans.
The Panthers’ next opponent? Michigan State.
Kansas Upset by Northern Iowa originally appeared on About.com Basketball on Sunday, March 21st, 2010 at 20:19:39.
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