The 50 Most Badass Moments in March Madness History

Round: Sweet 16
Game: Baylor vs. Xavier
Year: 2012
Watch It Here

Not every amazing play has to decide a championship, or even a game. This crazy alley-oop dunk from Baylor's Quincy Acy last year is proof of just how much the game has evolved during the 75 years of the NCAA Tournament, taking the game from being played strictly below the rim and moving it up into the atmosphere. It would have been an entirely fruitless exercise to try to explain to Adolph Rupp or John Wooden 40 years ago how or why a play like this would work. The modern game is one with more highlight reel level plays, and will surely continue to evolve in this year's tournament and beyond.

Round: Sweet 16
Game: Kansas St. vs. Xavier
Year: 2010
Watch It Here

Another signature Gus Johnson moment. Listening to his voice rise along with the winding clock is truly one of the great things to witness as a fan. Here, as Kansas State and Xavier's Sweet 16 matchup reached the end of the first overtime, Xavier's Jordan Crawford pulled up from way downtown in an attempt to tie the game. Gus' reaction as the shot goes in really can't be described in words. It's just purely visceral, unfiltered noise. It is an untamed, wild, and thoroughly delighted bellow. It perfectly represents the experience of watching a game called by this maestro of the microphone.

Round: Second
Game: Boston College vs. North Carolina
Year: 1994
Watch It Here

After winning the 1993 national title and bringing in heralded freshmen Rasheed Wallace and Jerry Stackhouse, North Carolina was expected to repeat as national champion. Their second-round matchup against ninth-seeded Boston College was not supposed to be a problem for them. Only it was. BC hung tough with tremendous defense on Wallace, limiting him to just 10 points. After making a second-half comeback after trailing by eight at halftime, the Tar Heels' rally fell short as Wallace's three pointer hit the front of the iron, lifting the Eagles to an incredible and improbably victory.

Round: Sweet 16
Game: Indiana vs. Duke
Year: 2002
Watch It Here

The villainous Blue Devils could never be called a national darling, so when Indiana began mounting a comeback after falling behind by as many as 17 against the top-seeded and defending national champion Duke squad, the crowd was firmly in their corner. The Hoosiers almost threw their comeback away when Duke point guard Jay Williams was fouled as he made a three with 4.2 seconds left, but he missed the free throw and a put-back attempt was off the mark as well, allowing Indiana to survive and advance to the Elite Eight.

Round: First
Game: Notre Dame vs. Ohio
Year: 1970
Watch It Here

While the tournament is rarely about individual records, in this one case we can make an exception. Notre Dame's Austin Carr absolutely lit up Ohio in this 1970 first round contest, scoring 61 points without the benefit of a three point arc. He hit a remarkable 25 shots from the field, sinking 11 of his 14 free throws as well. Carr would go on to score 52 and 45 in Notre Dame's next two games, but it was not enough to carry his Irish squad any further in the tournament.

Round: Second
Game: UAB vs. Kentucky
Year: 2004
Watch It Here

Many believe that twins have some kind of weird ESP connection that makes them more effective teammates than any other kind of combination. There's a reason the Sedin twins dominate the NHL and the Morris twins were so special a couple years ago at Kansas, after all. This play absolutely boosts that theory's legitimacy, as there's really no other possible way to explain how this pass worked. The Taylors chipped in with a combined 20 points off the bench as their ninth-seeded Alabama-Birmingham team shocked top-seeded Kentucky by one in this second-round clash.

Round: Elite Eight
Game: Louisville vs. West Virginia
Year: 2005
Watch It Here

Trailing by 13 at halftime and as many as 20, it looked like Louisville was going to have their Final Four dreams dashed by the hot-shooting West Virginia Mountaineers. However, led by Larry O'Bannon and Taquan Dean, the Cardinals stormed all the way back to force overtime, and eventually a win and a trip to St. Louis. The effort didn't come without a price, though, as Illinois soundly beat the exhausted Louisville squad by 15 points in their next game.

Round: Second, Sweet 16
Game: Memphis vs. UAB; Memphis vs. Boston College
Year: 1985

Nicknamed "The Little General," Memphis St. point guard Andre Turner was his team's leader on the floor. On two different occasions in the 1985 NCAA Tournament, he kept the Tigers' season alive as they reached the Final Four before ultimately falling to eventual national champion Villanova. It looked like they wouldn't get out of the second round before Turner hit a jumper to give Memphis a one-point overtime win against Alabama-Birmingham, then they looked done again before he saved them with another clutch shot in the Sweet 16 against Boston College.

Round: Second
Game: Duke vs. Cal
Year: 1993
Watch It Here

Before he became one of the most prolific point guards in NBA history, Jason Kidd led his Cal squad to a huge win over Duke in the 1993 tournament. Facing long odds against the two-time defending champs, the freshman Kidd scored 11 points and dished out 14 assists to guide the Bears to an upset victory. It was especially sweet for Cal because their coach, Todd Bozeman, was just 29 years old at the time and had only been in charge for 11 games prior to taking on the legendary Coach K.

Round: Second
Game: Xavier vs. Ohio State
Year: 2007
Watch It Here

Gus Johnson is, quite simply, the greatest March Madness broadcaster of all time. He may not be the most professional, per se, but he captures the incredible excitement of the late-game heroics with a raw emotion other broadcasters never show. For better or for worse (often for better), it feels like you're watching the game alongside someone whose life depends on the outcome. When Ohio State's Ron Lewis hit a late three to send the Buckeyes' second round game with Xavier to overtime, Gus' maniacal "Ha! Ha!" perfectly encapsulated the all-consuming nature of these games. As Gus so eloquently puts it, "this is March Madness!"

Round: Elite Eight
Game: Stanford vs. URI
Year: 1998
Watch It Here

Before he was a man known strictly for his horrific dance moves, Mark Madsen was a solid forward for a surprising Stanford squad in the 1998 Tournament. Playing against Cuttino Mobley and his underdog Rhode Island Rams, Madsen propelled his team into the Final Four with a huge slam plus the foul to cap a rally that brought his team back from a 71-65 deficit with 59.3 seconds to play. The Cardinals held on from there, punching their ticket to San Antonio where they lost in overtime to Kentucky in the national semifinals.

Round: First
Game: Princeton vs. UCLA
Date: 1996
Watch It Here

After an incredible run to the title the previous year, defending champion UCLA entered the 1996 Tournament as a four-seed that seemed destined for another miraculous run. The Ivy Leaguers had other ideas, though, as Princeton played a drag-down, methodical style of play that limited the potent Bruins' offense to just 41 points. Trailing by one with only seconds remaining, the 13th-seeded Tigers executed a perfect backdoor pass to give them a stunning upset win and end UCLA's title defense very early.

Round: Second
Game: Davidson vs. Georgetown
Year: 2008
Watch It Here

It's rare in the modern game for a single player to carry an entire team, but that's exactly what the diminutive Stephen Curry did with Davidson in the 2008 Tournament. After leading his team to a First round upset over Gonzaga, Curry buried Georgetown with five three pointers and 30 overall, propelling his 10th-seeded team into the Sweet 16 where they would take down Wisconsin. Curry's heroics also spawned one of Jim Nance's cheesiest lines in recent memory, which—while admittedly not that hard to do—is still an accomplishment nevertheless.

Round: First
Game: Hampton vs. Iowa St.
Year: 2001
Watch It Here

There's a reason so few 15-seeds beat two-seeds. They come from smaller schools lacking in basketball tradition, playing in small conferences that do little to prepare them for the physical battles with major conference foes. Nobody gave the Hampton Pirates a chance in 2001, but they hung tough with an Iowa State team that had multiple future NBA players in their lineup. An incredibly gutsy pass by Hampton's Marseilles Brown and conversion by Tarvis Williams got the Pirates a one point lead with 6.9 seconds to go, but it took a missed layup at the buzzer by Iowa State's Jamaal Tinsley to create the signature moment of Hampton's David Johnson toting his coach Steve Merfeld all over the gym in celebration.

Round: First
Game: Georgetown vs. Princeton
Year: 1989
Watch It Here

While it almost certainly will happen someday, a 16-seed has never beaten a one-seed. This game was about as close as it has come to happening, as the Hoyas led by Alonzo Mourning struggled to put Princeton away throughout this tight contest. The Tigers took a shocking eight point lead into halftime, but Georgetown rallied back in the second to take a one point lead with 15 seconds left and Princeton with the ball. It looked like they were about to get a clean look from the top of the key, but Mourning came in with a late block to keep the Hoyas in front. An obvious foul on Princeton's last shot of the game went uncalled, leaving the crowd irate and allowing Georgetown to finally exhale.

Round: Final Four
Game: Duke vs. UNLV
Year: 1991
Watch It Here

We know that a lot of people hate Duke. By "a lot," we mean probably 90% of college basketball fans. However, there's no denying how clutch Christian Laettner was in his college career. After sending UConn home with a buzzer beater the year before, this time it was UNLV's turn as the Duke forward hit two free throws to put Duke ahead with 12.7 seconds left in their Final Four matchup. UNLV missed a game-winning attempt, sending them back to Vegas with their first loss of the season and Duke on to the National Title game.

Round: Second
Game: Georgia Tech vs. USC
Year: 1992
Watch It Here

After his legendary coaching career had ended, Al McGuire vaulted back onto the national scene as a tremendous color commentator for CBS' college basketball coverage. With merely 0.8 seconds to play in a Second round battle between Georgia Tech and USC, the Yellow Jackets' James Forrest somehow managed to catch the inbounds pass and bury a game-winning three, prompting a wonderful series of nonsensical shouts from the giddy McGuire. He punctuated it by proclaiming "holy mackerel!," the first use of the phrase by anyone in decades.

Round: First
Game: Norfolk St. vs. Missouri; Lehigh vs. Duke
Year: 2012
Watch It Here

Going into last year's Tournament, only four No. 15 seeds had ever won a game. Then, in a matter of hours, that list grew to six. First, Norfolk State won their first ever NCAA tournament game as they pounded the undersized Missouri squad on the glass and held on late for a stunning upset. As if that weren't enough, a couple hours later Lehigh took on perennial title-favorite Duke and owned the Blue Devils right from the opening tip as they earned a shockingly easy five-point win.

Round: Final Four
Game: North Carolina St. vs. UCLA
Year: 1974
Watch It Here

The 1974 Final Four saw UCLA gunning for an eighth consecutive National Title, a streak never before (or never again) equaled in college basketball. However, North Carolina State star David Thompson was not going to kowtow to Bill Walton and the Bruins, as the star scored 28 points to go with 10 rebounds as the Wolfpack ended UCLA's famous streak. NC State would then go on to ride that momentum to a National Championship, as they topped Marquette in the Finals two days later.

Round: Championship Game
Game: Kansas vs. Memphis
Year: 2008
Watch It Here

Kansas has been involved in a number of classic Tournament games, and the storied program added another big moment to the list in 2008. After Memphis freshman Derrick Rose missed his first free throw and gave Kansas a chance to tie it with one shot, point guard Mario Chalmers buried a three with Rose in his face to send the game to overtime and give the Jayhawks only their third made three pointer of the night. They would then outlast Memphis in overtime, bringing a National Title back to Lawrence for the first time in 20 years.

Round: Championship Game
Game: Texas Western vs. Kentucky
Year: 1966
Watch It Here

While few have actually seen the movie Glory Road, this is the game it centers around. Texas Western, sporting the first starting lineup comprised entirely of African-Americans in the history of college basketball, took on perennial all-white Kentucky in a closely-contested game. The Miners ultimately came out on top, besting the powerful Wildcats with a balanced attack that saw three of their players score 15 or more points. The game also paved the way for further integration into the sport, which still suffered from the same racial biases afflicting all American athletics at the time.

Round: Championship Game
Game: Michigan vs. Seton Hall
Year: 1989
Watch It Here

Michigan and Seton Hall engaged in a classic battle for the 1989 National Championship, with Wolverines forward Glen Rice putting on a spectacular shooting display. However, with three seconds left in overtime and Michigan down by one, it was his teammate Rumeal Robinson who was at the free throw line with a chance to win the Championship. The problem, of course, was the Robinson was an atrocious free throw shooter who converted only 64% of his attempts during the season. The guard was icy calm, though, and hit both shots to give Michigan the title.

Round: First
Game: Vermont vs. Syracuse
Year: 2005
Watch It Here

Despite losing top player Carmelo Anthony off of their National Title-winning squad from the year before, the Syracuse Orange were still favored to go far in the 2005 NCAA Tournament. The Catamounts had other plans, though, as their dynamic duo of Taylor Coppenrath and TJ Sorrentine stunned 'Cuse with an array of timely long-range shots. Sorrentine's 28-footer punctuated a stunning upset that nearly gave Gus Johnson a coronary, sending the defending champions home early.

Round: Championship Game
Game: Syracuse vs. Kansas
Year: 2003
Watch It Here

The 2003 Syracuse-Kansas National Title game certainly lived up to the hype, as multiple future NBA players (including Carmelo Anthony) all delivered for their team. With 'Cuse leading by three and time winding down, Kansas looked like they had a clean look to tie the game; however, the wiry Hakim Warrick flew at the ball and swatted away Kansas' last hope for sending the game to overtime. The play delivered Syracuse and legendary coach Jim Boeheim the first (and only) national championship in the storied program's history.

Round: Sweet 16
Game: UConn vs. Clemson
Year: 1990
Watch It Here

No matter how many times you watch this clip, it almost doesn't seem possible that UConn could even get this shot off. The degree of difficulty of executing a full court baseball pass is so high that even getting it to your intended target could be considered a win. The fact that Tate George was not only able to take the pass, but turn around and bury a jumper over a defender, all in less than one second, is pretty much impossible. UConn's buzzer-beater karma would run out in the next round, though, as Christian Laettner would send the Huskies back to Storrs with a miracle shot of his own.

Round: Final Four
Game: VCU vs. USC, Purdue, Georgetown, Florida State and Kansas
Year: 2010
Watch It Here

The only reason VCU was even in the 2010 NCAA Tournament was because they happened to win the tiny Colonial Athletic Conference. Even then, they had to win a game just for the right to make the field of 64, facing off against a USC squad that cut its teeth in a much more traditional power conference. However, riding a wave of hot three-point shooting, VCU knocked off USC and kept right on going all the way to the Final Four. Along the way, they took down a 6-seed, a 3-seed and a 1-seed. So much for not "deserving" to be there.

Round: Sweet 16
Game: UCLA vs. Gonzaga
Year: 2006
Watch It Here

This game appeared all but over as Gonzaga held a commanding 17-point lead during the first half and a nine-point lead with just over three minutes to play; however, a remarkable scoring charge by UCLA coupled with some sloppy turnovers by the Zags allowed the Bruins to score the game's final 11 points and move on to the Elite Eight. This stunning turn of events caused Gonzaga star Adam Morrison to erupt into tears before the game was even over, perhaps the first sign that his NBA career was not going to go well.

Round: Championship Game
Game: Marquette vs. North Carolina
Year: 1977
Watch It Here

Every coach wants to go out on top, but few actually do. Like Bob Knight, they often end up playing out the string of their legendary career in some obscure location, chasing every last dollar they can. Al McGuire was not that kind of guy; he walked away from the game after winning a National Title at the tender age of 48, leaving behind an incredible legacy and undoubtedly walking away from a ton of money. You have to respect a man who said he retired simply because he had accomplished exactly what he set out to do, and nothing else mattered.

Round: Sweet 16
Game: BYU vs. Notre Dame
Year: 1981
Watch It Here

Danny Ainge was the best player on BYU's 1980-81 squad, so you'd think that with eight seconds remaining in their Sweet 16 matchup and nursing a one point lead, Notre Dame would make sure to cover the fleet-footed guard. Unfortunately for the Irish, they didn't. Ainge took the inbounds pass, raced up the court between several defenders, and converted at the rim as the Notre Dame players looked on, simply stunned. While they'd go on to get blown out in the next round by Ralph Sampson and Virginia, BYU had scored a signature victory for a school that wouldn't return to the Sweet 16 until 2011.

Round: Final Four
Game: George Mason vs. Michigan St., North Carolina, Wichita St., UConn, Florida
Year: 2006
Watch It Here

11 seeds generally are not expected to do much in the NCAA Tournament; they often come from mid-major conferences and make easy fodder for the high-powered, highly-touted traditional powers. 2006 was not that kind of year, though. Playing out of the little-known Colonial Athletic Association, the George Mason Patriots stormed through the Tournament, including wins over No. 3 seed North Carolina and No. 1 seed UConn as they reached the Final Four. They ended up losing there to eventual National Champion Florida, and didn't even make the Tournament the following year.

Round: Elite Eight
Game: Illinois vs. Arizona
Year: 2005
Watch It Here

Illinois looked dead and buried with four minutes to go in this game; they were trailing a very good Arizona squad by 15 points, and their heads were hanging. Then, out of nowhere, Deron Williams and Luther Head caught fire, unleashing a 20-5 run and forcing overtime after Arizona started to wilt under the pressure. They carried that momentum into overtime, stunning the Wildcats by one point in what for Arizona became the ultimate "one that got away."

Round: First
Game: Valparaiso vs. Ole Miss
Year: 1998
Watch It Here

Normally, the coach's son is the most disliked player on the team. He gets the ball way more than he should, is on the floor way too much and rarely gets any criticism from the man in charge. However, in the case of Bryce Drew and Valparaiso, perhaps that special treatment was warranted. Drew's miracle buzzer-beater capped a 22-point night for the senior guard as he vaulted his 13th-seeded Crusaders into the Second round. They'd even keep the magic going for one more game before getting nipped by Cuttino Mobley and Rhode Island in the Sweet 16.

Round: Championship Game
Game: Indiana vs. Michigan
Date: 1976
Watch It Here

For a lot of reasons, perfect seasons are nearly impossible to accomplish in college sports. There are just so many variables in play, and even one off night against a decent team can be enough to send even the best teams to a loss. In 1976, the Indiana Hoosiers were perfect. They stormed through the regular season at 27-0, then promptly cleaned house in the Tournament en route to the National Title. They won their five tournament games by a combined margin of 66 points, and are the last team to finish an entire season undefeated.

Round: Championship Game
Game: UCLA vs. Memphis St.
Year: 1973
Watch It Here

Throughout its history, the National Championship game has altered a lot of careers. One of those players is Bill Walton, one of the most skilled big men of all time who in this game unleashed perhaps the single greatest individual effort in NCAA Tournament history. His 21-of-22 shooting performance from the floor capped a perfect 30-0 season for UCLA and delivered his team and legendary coach John Wooden their seventh consecutive national title. We can, however, say that Walton wasn't quite perfect; he only hit two of his five free throw attempts.

Round: Championship Game
Game: Indiana St. vs. Michigan St.
Year: 1979
Watch It Here

The rivalry that reshaped the NBA got started in earnest in the 1979 National Title game, as Magic's Michigan State squad took on Bird's upstart Indiana State Sycamores. While it was clear how much this game meant to both players, Bird's lack of a supporting cast prevented Indiana State from making this much of a contest. Michigan State remained in control throughout much of the game and won handily, but the game's real legacy is the decades-long rivalry it started between its two marquee players.

Round: Sweet 16
Game: Gonzaga vs. Florida
Year: 1999
Watch It Here

Prior to the 1999 NCAA Tournament, Gonzaga was known for little else other than being where John Stockton went to school. However, after upset wins over 7th-seeded Minnesota and 2nd-seeded Stanford, the Bulldogs had captured the nation's attention heading into this Sweet 16 matchup with Florida. Gonzaga star Casey Calvary's floater with just over four seconds left not only propelled his team into the Elite Eight, but also gave us our first signature Gus Johnson moment.

Round: Elite Eight
Game: Duke vs. UConn
Year: 1990
Watch It Here

Many of Christian Laettner's heroics are forgotten, simply because he was so clutch so often. Two years before his big moment against Kentucky, the then-sophomore showed his chops late in games as he ended UConn's season and sent Duke to the Final Four with a leaner from the elbow. It capped a crazy-efficient game from the forward, who scored 23 points on 7 of 8 shooting from the floor.

Round: Sweet 16
Game: UConn vs. Washington
Year: 1998
Watch It Here

The mad scramble at the end of the Washington-UConn Sweet 16 clash is so fast it's almost too hard to follow, with UConn getting three different good looks at ending the game. 11th-seeded Washington had an upset on their mind after topping Xavier in the First round and fellow-underdog Richmond in the Second, but Cinderella ran out of time as Rip Hamilton followed up his own miss with a fadeaway to win it. The fact that Hamilton even got this shot on target is kind of remarkable, considering he released it with his body almost parallel to the ground.

Round: First
Game: Richmond vs. Syracuse
Year: 1991
Watch It Here

Prior to 1991, no 15-seed had ever beaten a 2-seed since the Tournament field expanded to 64 teams. So there was certainly no reason to think that this Richmond-Syracuse matchup was going to produce anything but a blowout win for the Orangemen. However, despite a strong performance from first team All-American Billy Owens, the 'Cuse underestimated the Spiders and fell behind by eight points going into halftime. While they were able to narrow the gap, Syracuse was unable to regroup as Richmond held on for an historic four point victory.

Round: First
Game: Loyola Marymount vs. New Mexico State
Year: 1990
Watch It Here

The story of Hank Gathers is one of the most tragic in the history of the sport. A remarkable athlete with incredible promise, Gathers dropped dead with a heart condition in the middle of a game during the 1989-90 season. Bo Kimble, Gathers' close friend and co-star on that run and gun Loyola Marymount squad, wanted to pay tribute to his fallen friend when they reached the NCAA Tournament. Kimble elected to take his first free throw of the game left-handed as a tribute to the southpaw Gathers, and fittingly he never missed a single one as 11th-seeded Loyola went on a miracle run to the Elite Eight.

Round: Second
Game: St. Joseph's vs. Depaul
Year: 1981
Watch It Here

Another No. 1 seed who had ridden a fantastic regular season to a First round bye, DePaul took on little-known St. Joseph's in what looked like an easy game for the Blue Demons. St. Joe's hung tough, though, keeping the scoring low and giving themselves a chance to win late. Trailing by one, they corralled a missed free throw and raced up the court, working the ball over to the wing before John Smith emerged wide open under the hoop. He converted the layup to give St. Joe's a shocking win, and after that moment it became clear that any team, regardless of record or pedigree, could be beaten in this Tournament.

Round: Second
Game: Kansas St. vs. Oregon St.
Year: 1981
Watch It Here

After U.S. Reed propelled Arkansas to a miracle win, it was Rolando Blackman's turn to give the nation a shock as he produced his own heroics for Kansas St. Against top seeded Oregon St., with the game tied and time winding down, Blackman buried a baseline jumper to send the Beavers home. It was a rough finish to a promising year; after starting out 25-0, Oregon State dropped their last PAC-10 tournament game to Arizona State, then after being given a First round bye in the NCAA Tournament they lost this game. They would soon have company, though, in their fellowship of miserable No. 1 seeds.

Round: Second
Game: Arkansas vs. Louisville
Year: 1981
Watch It Here

March 14, 1981 will forever be known as the day the NCAA Tournament became officially known as March Madness. The first domino to fall in this series of events was an incredible finish to the Second round matchup between Louisville and Arkansas. After the Cardinals took a one-point lead with four seconds to go, Arkansas forward U.S. Reed uncorked a halfcourt shot that somehow went in to give the Razorbacks a miracle victory. It was merely the first in a wild series of events that would transpire over the next couple hours.

Round: Championship Game
Game: Indiana vs. Syracuse
Year: 1987
Watch It Here

Every kid growing up in Indiana who plays basketball envisions hitting a Championship-winning shot for the Hoosiers. Keith Smart got to live that dream in 1987, as his baseline jumper over the outstretched arm of Syracuse defender Howard Triche with three seconds to play gave Indiana a National Title and made Smart a legend in Hoosier basketball lore. Smart had been clutch all night long, as he scored 21 points to go along with five rebounds and six assists, making his the Most Outstanding Player of the '87 Final Four.

Round: Championship Game
Game: North Carolina vs. Georgetown
Date: 1982
Watch It Here

While the indelible image from the 1982 National Championship game is freshman guard Michael Jordan announcing his arrival with the first of many clutch jumpers, it was a play that happened immediately after that which sealed the title for UNC. Since Jordan hit the shot with 13 seconds to go, Georgetown had plenty of time to set up a play to try to win the game. However, point guard Fred Brown inexplicably threw the ball to James Worthy, eventually giving the Tar Heels the win. So wherever you are, Fred Brown, know that it was thanks to you that the legend of Air Jordan began.

Round: Sweet 16
Game: Mississippi St. vs. Loyola (Ill.)
Year: 1963
Watch It Here

It seems like it's lending false gravity to a sporting event when you call it "important," but this 1963 matchup of Mississippi St. and Loyola (Ill.) was just that. The Mississippi St. squad defied an order of the Mississippi governor, leaving the state to play against a team made up primarily of African-American players. This show of unity and togetherness through sports was an important lesson for a nation still battling against segregation, and served as a touchstone moment for college basketball as more programs began to embrace racial integration.

Round: Second
Game: UCLA vs. Missouri
Year: 1995
Watch It Here

UCLA barely made it out of the Second round in 1995, relying on senior guard Tyus Edney to bail them out with this miraculous coast-to-coast drive against 8th-seeded Missouri. As a 1-seed, the Bruins appeared on the cusp of becoming victims of the Tournament's first huge upset until Edney did his best Barry Sanders impression, slashing in between defenders and laying the ball in as time expired. The momentum generated by this thrilling win propelled UCLA all the way to the National Championship game, where they overcame an injury to Edney to win the historic program's first title in 20 years.

Round: Championship Game
Game: Villanova vs. Georgetown
Year:1985
Watch It Here

Georgetown was a juggernaut, and Villanova was an 8th-seeded Cinderella who should have just been happy to be there. The 1985 National Title game was supposed to be nothing more than a coronation for a great Hoyas team led by future NBA star Patrick Ewing. The Wildcats never got that memo, though, as they shot a ridiculous 78.6% from the floor and played lockdown defense to keep the score low and shock the nation with a 66-64 win. A team with no stars, Villanova's starting five played 192 of a possible 200 combined minutes, scoring all the team's points despite nobody taking more than seven shots.

Round: Elite Eight
Game: Duke vs. Kentucky
Year: 1992
Watch It Here

This is perhaps the signature moment in March Madness history. It combines everything we love about the Tournament: the huge stage (a trip to the Final Four), the impossible play (full-court heave followed by turnaround jumper), and the wild celebration (Tyrone Hill crying, Duke players pig piling). A simply incredible play that, over time, has only faded because we have seen it played so many times that we've become numb to it. But make no mistake, the combination Grant Hill's insanely accurate pass and Laettner's blind shot attempt is one of the most incredible plays ever to occur in Tournament play.

Round: Championship Game
Game: North Carolina St. vs. Houston
Year: 1983
Watch It Here

The 1982-83 NC State team is perhaps the epitome of the Cinderella story. A plucky 6th-seed, the Wolfpack were up against a seemingly insurmountable opponent in Houston, a juggernaut that had won 30 games during the season and featured future NBA Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. A brutal offensive game (both teams shot under 40% from the floor) looked like it was headed for overtime as Dereck Whittenburg's desperation three—NOT A THREE, 3-POINT LINE DIDN'T EXIST THEN—fell well short of the rim; however, a heads up play by NC State forward Lorenzo Charles gave his team a National Title and March Madness one of the most famous moments in its history.