Sure, the second-round loss to Syracuse still stings, but for Upshaw, the former Baylor School star, and his teammates, the lasting images from that upset of Michigan State will last forever.
"It was one of the most amazing feelings I've had," Upshaw said this week on "Press Row" on Chattanooga's ESPN 105.1 FM. "The one thing probably all the reactions from people all over the country and demolished everyone's brackets."
Mission accomplished.
Michigan State was the second-most popular choice to win the tournament among the more than 13 million brackets filled out on ESPN.com.
And, despite having coach Tom Izzo and a national reputation, the Spartans were no match for Upshaw and his band of upset-hunting teammates.
"It was neat to meet a coach like that who has so much respect around sports in general," Upshaw said. "Knowing we were able to beat a coach and a team like that is one of the highlights of my career."
That highlight didn't last long. Syracuse ended the MTSU run before the Raiders really got going.
"It was very hard," Upshaw said. "Going into the game, we felt like we were ready and knew what we had to do to get into the flow of the game and penetrate their zone. We weren't knocking down the shots we were making against Michigan State."
The abrupt end does not erase the memory, especially for those with brackets that Upshaw and his teammates destroyed.
In truth, the magic of March is paved in upsets and cased in Cinderellas.
And MTSU was happy to slide on its slipper last week. In fact, minus the Picket Fence and the dramatic soundtrack, Upshaw's Blue Raiders were very similar to the cinematic celebrities of fictional Hickory High in the beloved movie "Hoosiers."
"I've watched that movie more than I can even tell," Upshaw said. "Coming out of high school Coach (Austin) Clark always told us about it. As far as my favorite guys is, you named him. He's always been my favorite. I always felt like that Jimmy Chitwood was one of the greatest."
Michigan State has been among the great programs in college basketball in the last decade or so. The Spartans entered the tournament as a 2 seed. Spartans star Denzel Valentine was among the nation's best players, and Coach Izzo is among the A-list rock stars of his profession.
And none of it mattered.
Not when Upshaw dropped in 21 points on 14 shots. He did that while playing in 38 of the 40 minutes and delivering his all-around excellence that has been the hallmark of a junior year in which he paced the team in assists and rebounds.
"I enjoy creating shots for my teammates," Upshaw said. "That's the one thing I get the most joy out of."
The joy of the best first-round upset in the tournament - and maybe ever - was ended with a one-sided loss to Syracuse. But the memories - ones that will be part of the forever montage of footage of the madness of March - will always be there for Upshaw.
And those memories will serve as major motivation heading into next season for him and his returning teammates.
"We look at it, us losing that last game, as motivation to get back next year. After we lost, Coach (Kermit Davis) told us he was very proud of everything we did," Upshaw said. "It starts in a couple of weeks in individual workouts. Already having this kind of background, we can focus on getting back to the NCAA and making a Sweet 16 appearance."
Here's betting few would want to play Upshaw and Co. this time next year. Especially Michigan State.
Conact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/jgreesontfp.