One of the wildest upsets in sports happened on March 16, 2018, when the 16th-seeded UMBC Retrievers men’s basketball team beat the one-seed Virginia Cavaliers 74-54. It was the first time in the history of the NCAA Tournament that a 16 seed had won, and it exemplified “March Madness” for many. But what’s perhaps even more remarkable is how Virginia bounced back to win the entire tournament the next year.
The story of that loss and how the Cavaliers recovered for that championship is shown in a new documentary, with it particularly focusing on star guard Kyle Guy and the mental struggles he faced after the upset. That would be Comeback: A March Madness Story, a 30-minute documentary special airing on truTV at 5:30 p.m. ET both Thursday and Friday. It will also be available to stream on demand in the B/R Sports add-on on Max. Here’s a trailer for it that Guy shared Thursday:
“Comeback: A March Madness Story”
Tonight & tomorrow on TruTv & streaming on Max 🔥
Make sure to tune in… you don’t want to miss this pic.twitter.com/8mQlqwJ7B1
— Kyle J Guy (@kylejguy) March 21, 2024
And here’s more information from a TNT Sports release:
During the NCAA Tournament, a team’s fate can change in a matter of moments with a missed play or an unexpected opportunity. Players’ and fans’ emotions tip the scale with praise for advancing or grief because the season has ended. During the First Round of March Madness, “Comeback: A March Madness Story” — a special feature, airing at 5:30 pm/ET on truTV on Thursday, March 21 and Friday, March 22 — will provide a glimpse into a historic and momentous loss for the University of Virginia Men’s basketball team and their ultimate redemption.
In this compelling story – produced by Brand New World Studios – fans can follow UVA’s 2018-2019 basketball journey, revealing standout guard Kyle Guy’s struggles after the Cavaliers became the first-ever No. 1 seeded team to lose to a No. 16 in the NCAA Tournament, the UMBC Retrievers. Through interviews with coaches, NBA players, and psychologists, it explores the mental hurdles of March Madness, the team’s ability to cope with profound loss, and forging a path towards the ultimate redemption in sports: a national championship. “Comeback” will also be available on Max’s B/R Sports Add-on to stream.
That incredible upset itself has seen a lot of coverage, including in a CBS Sports Four Sides of the Story documentary in the fall of 2018. But this looks like a notable look into one particular player’s struggles after that loss (which included an infamous press conference question), and in how he and the team worked through that for incredible success the next season. For those interested in this particular part of college basketball history, this may be worth checking out.
[Kyle Guy on Twitter/X]
