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MIAMI, March 17 (UPI) -- The University of Maryland, Baltimore County remains the only No. 16 seed to ever pull off an upset of the No. 1 team in the NCAA Division I men's college basketball tournament. And key players from that 2018 Retrievers squad hope they keep that designation for years to come.
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"I root hard against 16 seeds," former Retrievers forward Joe Sherburne told UPI. "I want all of them to lose. I want to remain the only one.
"It's selfish, I know, but I'd like to remain the only one. I've got some champagne ready for when the last one loses."
UMBC staged its epic upset over No. 1 overall seed Virginia in the first round on March 16, 2018, in Charlotte, N.C. Sherburne scored 14 points and went on a personal run of eight unanswered points to start the second half and gave the Huskies their final advantage in the 74-54 victory.
Entering Thursday's first-round games for the 2022 tournament, top seeds are 135-1 all-time against No. 16 seeds.
"We were a mid-major school, and I want them to thrive, but I agree to an extent that I hope we stay one of one," said former Retrievers guard Jourdan Grant, who scored eight points in the 2018 upset.
Norfolk State, Georgia State, Texas Southern and Wright State are the No. 16 seeds who will be tasked with battling this year's tournament's highest-rated foes.
Sherburne and Grant are among four former Retrievers who went on to play professionally outside of the United States. Sherburne competed in Germany, while Grant plays in Georgia.
Jairus Lyles, who led the Retrievers with 28 points in the upset, also played in Germany. Fellow former star guard K.J. Maura plays in Puerto Rico.
Former Retrievers coach Ryan Odom now coaches at Utah State. Griff Aldrich, who was the director of recruiting for the team, now is the head coach at Longwood. The No. 14 Lancers face No. 3 Tennessee in the first round of the 2022 tournament.
Sherburne and Grant said that they don't often re-watch highlights from their 2018 upset, but still get asked about it on a somewhat regular basis.
"I have a new girlfriend, and every time I meet a new family member or friends, they always have to ask about it," Sherburne said. "At a new job, they ask about it right away. And every March, I get asked about it again."
Grant admitted that the Retrievers "probably" were a little tired from the emotional victory going into their second-round game, which they lost to No. 9 Kansas State.
Grant also said the memory of the groundbreaking win allows for him to stay better connected with former teammates. He said he will be glued to the TV for another edition of March Madness, where perhaps a new underdog will steal the spotlight.
"There are a lot of talented teams in the country," Grant said. "There is talent everywhere. All it takes is one game. It takes 40 minutes to complete an upset. I think it will happen again."
Norfolk State will be the first 16 seed to take the floor this year. The Spartans were to play No. 1 Baylor at 2 p.m. Thursday on TBS. Georgia State faces No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga at 4:15 p.m. Thursday on TNT.
Texas Southern faces No. 1 Kansas at 9:57 p.m. Thursday on truTV. Wright State meets No. 1 Arizona at 7:27 p.m. Friday on truTV. While all No. 1 seeds are heavy favorites, several sports books list Arizona and Baylor with a more narrow point spread than Gonzaga and Kansas.
