10) Super Mario 2008
Down two against the University of Memphis with 2.8 seconds left to play – and future NBA MVP Derrick Rose at the free throw line – all appeared lost for Mario Chalmers and the Kansas City Jay Hawks. After Rose made one of two free throws, the scene was set for Chalmers. With only 2.1 seconds left, Chalmers’s three-pointer tied the game, leading to an eventual 75-68 victory for Kansas in overtime.
9) Big Bill goes to town
In what many basketball pundits have cited as one of the greatest individual performances in Final Four history, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) centre Bill Walton scored 44 points, shot 21-for-22, and had 13 rebounds, to lead the Bruins to their seventh straight title in the 1973 final over Memphis State.
8) Zero to hero
For Indiana Hoosier Keith Smart, it only took one shot to become a March Madness hero. Smart’s 16-foot jumper over Syracuse’s Howard Triche with five seconds left gave Indiana a 74-73 win – and the legendary Bobby Knight his third national title. Smart had been benched earlier in the second half, but returned in the second to score 12 of Indiana’s final 15 points.
7) George Mason makes Final Four
There are many inspiring underdog stories in the tournament’s history, but George Mason’s 2006 run to the Final Four takes the cake. The team took down powerhouses Michigan State, North Carolina, and Connecticut to reach the Final Four as the first mid-major team to do so in 27 years, and the second No. 11 seed ever. The team remains the only Colonial Athletic Association team to advance to the Final Four.
6) Stephen Curry goes for 40
On March 21, 2008, a then-unknown Stephen Curry began his NCAA tournament run with 40 points to lead Davidson over Gonzaga in the first round. Now one of the NBA’s premier players, Curry led Davidson to its first NCAA tournament win since 1969, scoring 30 second-half points and hitting eight of 10 three-pointers. It was the beginning of an Elite Eight run for the Wildcats, who beat Georgetown and Wisconsin before eventually falling to Kansas.
5) Johnson vs. Bird
In a prequel to one of the NBA’s most beloved rivalries, Michigan State’s Magic Johnson and Larry Bird of Indiana State faced off in the 1979 championship game. The sheer star power and budding competition between the two made for the most-watched college game in television history. Johnson stole the show with 24 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in the Michigan State win, while Bird finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds.
4) Chris Webber’s timeout
While Chris Webber has enjoyed a sterling career in the NBA – and rave reviews as a broadcaster – he will likely never escape the infamy of his botched timeout call in the 1993 championship game. Trailing 73-71 against North Carolina, Webber gobbled up a rebound and, dribbling up the court, tried to call a timeout near the Michigan bench with 11 seconds to go. Unfortunately, Michigan was out of timeouts. A technical foul was called, clinching the national title for the Tar Heels.
3) The shot
Known simply as “the shot,” Christian Laettner’s iconic fade-away jumper to beat Kentucky in the 1992 East Regional final is one of the most well-known and endearing March Madness moments. Down 103-102 with 2.1 seconds left in overtime, Duke’s Grant Hill threw a Hail Mary pass three-quarters the length of the court. Laettner caught it inside the free-throw circle. The rest is history.
2) History is made, 1966
On March 19, 1966, college basketball changed forever when the all-black starting lineup of the Bob Haskins-coached Texas Western beat the all-white Kentucky Wildcats to win the NCAA title, marking the first time an all-black lineup won the national title.
1) North Carolina State wins 1983 championship game
An underdog beats a powerhouse: with the score tied at 52 and only seconds remaining, guard Dereck Wittenburg secured the ball and launched an air ball from about 30 feet, connecting with Lorenzo Charles for the miracle put-back dunk as time expired to bring N.C. State over the University of Houston Cougars. N.C. State coach Jim Valvano’s stunned and joyous celebration was one for the ages.