{"id":5219,"date":"2025-07-18T10:26:07","date_gmt":"2025-07-18T10:26:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/5219\/"},"modified":"2025-07-18T10:26:07","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T10:26:07","slug":"ranking-the-25-best-mens-college-basketball-games-of-the-2000s-chalmers-3-6-ots-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/5219\/","title":{"rendered":"Ranking the 25 best men\u2019s college basketball games of the 2000s: Chalmers\u2019 3, 6 OTs and more"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editor\u2019s note:\u00a0All week,\u00a0The Athletic\u00a0is looking back at the best of the first 25 years of the 2000s in men\u2019s college basketball. Also read the\u00a0top 25 players,<\/a>\u00a0top 25 coaches,<\/a>\u00a0top 25 teams<\/a> and top 25 non-title teams<\/a>, and submit your own picks<\/a>.<\/p>\n

By Brendan Marks, CJ Moore and Lindsay Schnell<\/p>\n

There are, on average, over 5,800 college basketball games every season. Multiply that by 25, and we\u2019re talking about more than 145,000 contests in the last 25 seasons.<\/p>\n

And we\u2019re expected to pick the best 25? Right.<\/p>\n

It is an impossible exercise, but one that proved easier than it initially seemed. The breakdown explains why. Of the 26 games we settled on \u2014 two are a package deal, as you\u2019ll see \u2014 20 occurred in the NCAA Tournament, and eight were national championship games. And while there are plenty of blue bloods featured, we also have several Cinderellas, like Davidson, George Mason, and Fairleigh Dickinson. Nine of our entries went into overtime (or double overtime \u2026 or six overtimes), and 16 were decided by a single basket. Unsurprisingly, buzzer-beaters abound, although we tried to be balanced in weighing great games against great finishes.<\/p>\n

Enjoy the stroll down memory lane:<\/p>\n

25. Fairleigh Dickinson 63, Purdue 58<\/p>\n

NCAA Tournament first round (March 17, 2023)<\/p>\n

The last game to make our cut is a historic, 16-over-1 upset that has only happened twice in NCAA Tournament history? Talk about a stacked list. Unlike the first time a No. 16 seed beat a No. 1 \u2014 when UMBC throttled Virginia in 2018 \u2014 this game was neck-and-neck for 40 minutes.<\/p>\n

FDU was the shortest team in Division I, with two sub-5-foot-10 starters. Purdue trotted out 7-foot-4 Wooden Award winner Zach Edey, a walking double-double. That Goliath-esque mismatch should have doomed the Knights, but their defensive strategy \u2014 quite literally surrounding the Big Maple, almost like little kids piling on a fun uncle in the pool \u2014 proved remarkably efficient, holding Edey scoreless the last nine minutes of the game. Couple that with FDU\u2019s full-court press, which it maintained the entire game, and non-Edey Boilermakers shot just 28.6 percent while also turning it over 14 times. Sean Moore\u2019s 3 with just over a minute left pushed Fairleigh Dickinson\u2019s lead to five, and his subsequent block on Braden Smith sealed one of the biggest shockers in college hoops history. \u2014 Marks<\/p>\n

(16) FDU UPSETS (1) PURDUE \ud83d\ude31\ud83d\ude31\ud83d\ude31<\/p>\n

MARCH. KEEPS. ON. GIVING. #MarchMadness<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/4T0K3n13Er<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 18, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n

24. Wisconsin 71, Kentucky 64<\/p>\n

Final Four (April 4, 2015)<\/p>\n

How did Kentucky \u2014 with its sterling 38-0 record, 10 former top-50 recruits, four future NBA lottery picks and the nation\u2019s best defense \u2014 not even make the national title game? Because it ran into the nation\u2019s No. 1 offense, led by Wooden Award winner Frank Kaminsky. UK fell behind by eight early in the second half before ripping off a 16-4 run and taking a four-point lead with under five minutes to play. But a Wisconsin team running on fumes mustered the few precious plays it needed to win: Nigel Hayes\u2019 offensive rebound and putback with 2:35 left that tied things at 60; Sam Dekker\u2019s 3 that put the Badgers up for good; and finally, Kaminsky drawing a foul \u2014 and making both free throws \u2014 with 24.5 seconds left, which gave the Badgers all the margin they needed. \u2014 Marks<\/p>\n

23. San Diego State 72, FAU 71<\/p>\n

Final Four (April 1, 2023)<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more surprising: That Lamont Butler hit a pull-up jumper at the buzzer to send San Diego State to the national championship game, or that Butler explained his mostly muted reaction by saying, \u201cI didn\u2019t really know how big it was.\u201d<\/p>\n

For clarification, it was quite big. It capped the tournament\u2019s first all-mid-major semifinal since 2011 (VCU-Butler) and an unbelievable comeback, as SDSU trailed by as many as 14 in the second half. The Aztecs got back into it with gritty defense and timely offensive rebounding, but at the end it was all Butler. SDSU didn\u2019t call a timeout to draw something up; Aztecs coach Brian Dutcher joked later he was out of plays. According to the Associated Press, Butler\u2019s shot was the fifth buzzer-beater in Final Four history but the only one hit by a team trailing at the time of the shot. \u2014 Schnell<\/p>\n

LEGENDARY buzzer-beater \ud83e\udd2f#MFinalFour<\/a> @Aztec_MBB<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/msNfmuVNCg<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 2, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n

22. Virginia 85, Texas Tech 77 (OT)<\/p>\n

National championship (April 8, 2019)<\/p>\n

A year after becoming a trivia answer \u2014 and a punchline \u2014 following the biggest upset in March Madness history, Virginia responded with a gritty win in the national title game against Texas Tech. The Cavs let a 10-point lead turn into a three-point deficit with 22 seconds to play, but De\u2019Andre Hunter stepped up, hitting a game-tying 3 to send the game to overtime.<\/p>\n

Hunter finished with a career-high 27 points, particularly impressive given that he didn\u2019t score a field goal for the first 18 minutes of the game, and UVA won its first national championship. \u2014 Schnell<\/p>\n

21. West Virginia 111, Wake Forest 105 (2OT)<\/p>\n

NCAA Tournament second round (March 19, 2005)<\/p>\n

This was an introduction for many to John Beilein and his beautiful two-guard offense against Skip Prosser in what turned out to be his final NCAA Tournament game. It was also the last college game for Chris Paul, who scored 10 of his 22 points in the first overtime to force a second. Paul\u2019s backcourt mate Taron Downey kept burying huge shots, including game-tying 3s in both the final minute of regulation and the first overtime, but the Demon Deacons couldn\u2019t keep up after Paul fouled out.<\/p>\n

Mike Gansey, with the classic T-shirt-under-the-jersey look, scored 19 of his 29 points in the two overtimes to help Beilein reach his first Sweet 16. \u2014 Moore<\/p>\n

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West Virginia guard Mike Gansey and coach John Beilein rejoice after the win over Wake Forest. (Lisa Blumenfeld \/ Getty Images)20. Kansas 72, North Carolina 69<\/p>\n

National championship (April 4, 2022)<\/p>\n

North Carolina was the No. 8 seed that wasn\u2019t supposed to be there. Kansas was back in the title game for the first time in 10 years with a team that hadn\u2019t been one of Bill Self\u2019s best.<\/p>\n

The Tar Heels were dominant, building a 15-point halftime lead. Those Jayhawks had made a habit of digging holes and fighting back, and Self, who lost his father that season, had always kept his cool. His dad always told him to never sweat the big stuff, and Self told his players at halftime to stay calm, emphasize a mantra they\u2019d adopted that year (\u201cmake the other team play bad\u201d) and quit playing soft.<\/p>\n

The game was tied nine minutes and seven seconds into the second half, and from there the teams traded blows until the final 90 seconds, when David McCormack scored twice from the post while UNC went scoreless on its final three trip, including the last one, when KU\u2019s players told Self they wanted to guard instead of fouling while ahead by three. KU got the stop and pulled off the greatest comeback in championship game history. \u2014 Moore<\/p>\n

19. Duke 61, Butler 59<\/p>\n

National championship (April 5, 2010)<\/p>\n

Since this game, three other national championships have been decided by a single basket. But this was the first such ending in 21 seasons. Aesthetically, this wasn\u2019t the prettiest basketball game \u2014 both teams shot under 45 percent, and they combined for 20 turnovers \u2014 but it had all the other elements of a classic: storied Duke, led by Mike Krzyzewski and his three national titles, against upstart Butler and 33-year-old coach Brad Stevens.<\/p>\n

Neither team led by more than six, setting up one of the most replayed endings in championship game history. Down one, Gordon Hayward missed a baseline jumper that would\u2019ve given Butler the lead with seconds left. Instead, Brian Zoubek made the first of two subsequent free throws \u2014 and then intentionally missed the second upon Krzyzewski\u2019s orders. That gave Hayward juuuust enough time to dribble to midcourt, where he unleashed a heave that clanked off the backboard and rim. It remains one of sports\u2019 biggest what-if misses. \u2014 Marks<\/p>\n

1 unforgettable thing from every #MarchMadness<\/a> since 2000\u2026<\/p>\n

including @gordonhayward<\/a>‘s Hail Mary that wouldn’t fall.
\ud83d\udc49 https:\/\/t.co\/OuysQ6uEdD<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/twYU8aLqr2<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 5, 2019<\/a><\/p>\n

18. Florida 65, Houston 63<\/p>\n

National championship (April 7, 2025)<\/p>\n

Houston fans are not going to want to relive this. The Cougars led by 12 with just over 16 minutes to play. They had held Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr. in check and the Gators were out of sorts offensively.<\/p>\n

But Florida slowly chipped away and took its first lead of the second half with 46 seconds left. On Houston\u2019s final possession, Clayton made a brilliant defensive play, forcing Houston\u2019s Emanuel Sharp to pause in the middle of his shooting motion. Worried about traveling, Sharp dropped the ball and watched it bounce, and the Gators pounced. Florida captured its first title in 18 years. \u2014 Schnell<\/p>\n

17. North Carolina 75, Illinois 70<\/p>\n

National championship (April 4, 2005)<\/p>\n

The NCAA Tournament does not always reward us with the two best teams in the championship, but it\u2019s sure nice when things work out like that. In terms of net rating, Illinois and UNC were five points better than any other team that season but only 0.09 points apart from one another.<\/p>\n

Illinois fell behind by as many as 15 early in the second half \u2014 just as it had in the Elite Eight against Arizona, before coming back to win in overtime \u2014 and once again had to rally. Luther Head\u2019s 3-pointer with just under three minutes left knotted the score at 70-all, setting up a tremendous finish.<\/p>\n

Marvin Williams, the national freshman of the year, tipped in a missed Rashad McCants jumper with 90 seconds left to put UNC up two, and Raymond Felton stole the ball from Head a minute later to prevent a tying basket. Head \u2014 who scored a team-high 21 points, but on 21 shots \u2014 still got off a potential game-tying 3 with 15 seconds left, but his miss found Felton\u2019s hands and effectively ended the game. After 15 years of coming up short at Kansas, Roy Williams earned his first national championship in just his second season back at his alma mater. \u2014 Marks<\/p>\n

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Marvin Williams dunks the ball in the second half of UNC\u2019s win over Illinois. (Ryan McKee \/ Getty Images, pool)16. Kansas 109, Oklahoma 106 (3OT)<\/p>\n

Regular season (Jan. 4, 2016)<\/p>\n

This was the rare No. 1 vs. No. 1, with Kansas atop the Associated Press poll and Oklahoma at No. 1 in the coaches\u2019 poll. Every minute lived up to the hype. In the final two overtimes, neither team led by more than four, and they swapped leads five times in third OT, with KU finishing on a 5-0 run, surviving one last Buddy Hield double-clutch shot at the buzzer that would have forced a fourth OT.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not often that ESPN brings a losing player onto the floor for a postgame interview, but it happened when Hield returned to talk to Scott Van Pelt on \u201cSportsCenter.\u201d Hield tied the record for the most points by a visiting player against KU with 46, and the lingering KU fans gave him a standing ovation. \u2014 Moore<\/p>\n

#TBT<\/a>: With @buddyhield<\/a> making his NBA debut last night & @OU_Football<\/a> hosting Kansas Saturday, let’s look back to Buddy’s 46 points vs KU. pic.twitter.com\/4YKmj6PbpT<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_MBBall) October 27, 2016<\/a><\/p>\n

15. Davidson 82, Gonzaga 76<\/p>\n

NCAA Tournament first round (March 21, 2008)<\/p>\n

Long before he became the best shooter in NBA history, Steph Curry was a baby-faced, skinny sharpshooter for the Davidson Wildcats. He scored 30 points in the second half to lift 10th-seeded Davidson over seventh-seeded Gonzaga in Raleigh, N.C., in the round of 64 for Davidson\u2019s first NCAA Tournament win in 39 years.<\/p>\n

Curry went 8-of-10 from long distance that day, finishing with 40 points, three rebounds, two assists and five steals. Afterward Gonzaga coach Mark Few said his team did \u201ceverything\u201d to try to slow Curry: \u201cWe had our man defense where we don\u2019t leave him, we had a triangle and two, we tried zone \u2026\u201d \u2014 Schnell<\/p>\n

#OTD<\/a> 13 years ago, @StephenCurry30<\/a> dropped 40 PTS on Gonzaga in a first round upset for @DavidsonMBB<\/a> \ud83d\udd25<\/p>\n

Forever legendary. #MarchMadness<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/rwapyHczii<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 21, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n

14. Kentucky 78, Wichita State 76<\/p>\n

NCAA Tournament second round (March 23, 2014)<\/p>\n

Wichita State, 35-0 at the time, was coming off a Final Four and trying to become the first team since Indiana in 1976 to finish a perfect season. For its historic regular season, it was rewarded with Kentucky as its No. 8 seed.<\/p>\n

The Cats had underachieved but had one of the most talented rosters in the country and would go on to make the title game. Both played like elite teams, a classic back-and-forth game with neither team leading by more than five over the final 18 minutes. Wichita State nearly had a storybook ending, but Fred VanVleet\u2019s 3 at the buzzer missed to the right. UK coach John Calipari declared afterward that the winner should have gone to the Final Four. \u2014 Moore<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Aaron Harrison celebrates after Kentucky ended Wichita State\u2019s undefeated season. (Andy Lyons \/ Getty Images)13. Gonzaga 93, UCLA 90 (OT)<\/p>\n

Final Four (April 3, 2021)<\/p>\n

You likely remember this game because of the 37-foot how-did-he-make-that?! game winner from Gonzaga freshman Jalen Suggs, who banked in the buzzer-beater to advance to the national championship, preserving the Zags\u2019 perfect season for one more game. But it was hardly Suggs\u2019 only highlight: His full speed, perfectly placed bounce pass in transition to Drew Timme with two minutes to play in regulation was a thing of beauty.<\/p>\n

As good as this game was \u2014 15 ties, 19 lead changes, 58 percent combined shooting \u2014 it\u2019s wild to imagine what it would have been like had it been played in front of a real, rabid March Madness crowd. This was the best game of the COVID-19-adjusted tournament that was played across Indiana, with only 8,131 in attendance for the Final Four. \u2014 Schnell<\/p>\n

12. Virginia 80, Purdue 75<\/p>\n

Elite Eight (March 30, 2019)<\/p>\n

To reach the Final Four a year after it was knocked out by a No. 16 seed, the Cavaliers had to outlast an epic performance from Purdue star Carsen Edwards, who drained 10 3s and finished with 42 points for the third-seeded Boilermakers.<\/p>\n

The Cavs needed a chaotic buzzer-beater from Mamadi Diakite to force overtime. They also got a heroic return from Kyle Guy, who rolled his ankle in the first half but returned in the second, nailing crucial back-to-back 3s and finishing with 25 points.<\/p>\n

The win had a special parallel, too. It got UVA coach Tony Bennett to his first Final Four, 19 years after his dad, Dick Bennett, went there with Wisconsin \u2026 who also beat Purdue in the regional final. \u2014 Schnell<\/p>\n

WE’RE HEADING TO OT! \ud83d\ude31#MarchMADNESS<\/a> | #Elite8<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/pmX7SHt35Z<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 31, 2019<\/a><\/p>\n

11. Kansas 87, Missouri 86 (OT)<\/p>\n

Regular season (Feb. 25, 2012)<\/p>\n

This was the final Border War before Missouri left the Big 12 for the SEC. Considering the circumstances, it was one of the most anticipated games in the history of the rivalry, and it lived up to the billing. With a chance to tie KU atop the Big 12, Mizzou played a near-perfect game for 23 minutes, building a 19-point lead. But the Jayhawks rallied and forced overtime when Thomas Robinson blocked Phil Pressey\u2019s layup at the buzzer. \u201cI think I had my eyes closed,\u201d Robinson said that day of the controversial play, which Mizzou fans will forever argue was a foul. Allen Fieldhouse has never been louder.<\/p>\n

Tyshawn Taylor made the game-winning free throws in OT, redeeming himself after he\u2019d missed two free throws in the final minute of an earlier loss to Missouri in Columbia. Self showed how much the win meant with a full-body celebratory fist pump that still lives on in Kansas\u2019 pregame hype video. \u2014 Moore<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Thomas Robinson celebrate Kansas\u2019 Border War win over Missouri in 2012. (Jamie Squire \/ Getty Images)10. Indiana 73, Kentucky 72<\/p>\n

Regular season (Dec. 10, 2011)<\/p>\n

The eventual champion Wildcats were so stacked that going undefeated didn\u2019t seem out of the realm of possibility. Indiana was fighting to become relevant again under Tom Crean. This was the Hoosiers\u2019 chance to show they were back, and they executed to near-perfection for 31 minutes, building a 10-point lead. Then the Cats started getting to the paint and took the lead with two minutes left.<\/p>\n

Kentucky had a chance to seal the game at the line, but IU intentionally fouled Anthony Davis, who missed the front end of a one-and-one, and Doron Lamb made just one of two free throws to give IU the ball down two. That set up the Wat Shot, a Christian Watford buzzer-beating 3 that led to an Assembly Hall court storm. Kentucky would only lose one more game that season and got redemption against Indiana in the Sweet 16 on its way to a title. \u2014 Moore<\/p>\n

\ud835\ude1e\ud835\ude22\ud835\ude35\ud835\ude27\ud835\ude30\ud835\ude33\ud835\ude25, \ud835\ude27\ud835\ude30\ud835\ude33 \ud835\ude35\ud835\ude29\ud835\ude26 \ud835\ude38\ud835\ude2a\ud835\ude2f\u2026 \ud83d\udde3\ufe0f#OTD<\/a> in 2011, Christian Watford beat the buzzer to send @IndianaMBB<\/a> past No. 1 Kentucky. \ud83d\ude4c#WatShot<\/a> x @Cwat205<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/JHXaMGoCcn<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Big Ten Men’s Basketball (@B1GMBBall) December 10, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Syracuse 127, UConn 117 (6OT)<\/p>\n

Big East tournament (March 12, 2009)<\/p>\n

This is the ultimate \u201cwhere were you when \u2026\u201d game, and I can tell you where I was: Watching from the Oregon State media room in the basement of Gill Coliseum, wondering if the game was ever going to end and what the Big East was going to do if either team ran out of subs (between the two squads, eight players fouled out). It\u2019s hard to pick the wildest part: That the game went so long (70 minutes!) or that Syracuse won despite not leading during any of the previous five overtimes. Everyone was exhausted.<\/p>\n

Connecticut guard A.J. Price later said, \u201cWe were taking shots of B-12, energy drink(s) \u2026 I remember our trainer, after the second overtime, was like, \u2018Everybody has to take it. Everybody needs the B-12 right now.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

A Big East tournament quarterfinal, this matchup was particularly intriguing not only because of the NBA talent \u2014 future lottery picks Jonny Flynn, Kemba Walker and Hasheem Thabeet \u2014 but the bitter rivalry between then-Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim and then-UConn coach Jim Calhoun. \u2014 Schnell<\/p>\n

On This Date: 10 years ago, Syracuse defeated UConn after 6 OVERTIME PERIODS \ud83d\udd25 pic.twitter.com\/RPRKqLBzaP<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 12, 2019<\/a><\/p>\n

8a. Kentucky 103, North Carolina 100
8b. North Carolina 75, Kentucky 73<\/p>\n

Regular season (Dec. 17, 2016)
Elite Eight (March 26, 2017)<\/p>\n

Sure, technically we\u2019re cheating by including two games, but they\u2019re a package deal. First, in one of the more thrilling (and high-scoring) nonconference meetings of the last decade, the Cats outlasted the Tar Heels in Las Vegas courtesy of Malik Monk\u2019s 47 points, the last of which came via a game-winning 3 with 16.7 seconds left.<\/p>\n

An Elite Eight rematch between the two contenders felt inevitable after the bracket was released. Like in December, it appeared Monk would be the hero, draining a game-tying 3 with 7.2 seconds remaining \u2014 but Roy Williams famously opted not to call timeout, allowing the Tar Heels to quickly inbound the ball to Theo Pinson. Pinson sprinted down the floor in just enough time to dump the ball off to walk-on Luke Maye for one final shot, which he sank with 0.3 seconds left, sending UNC to a second consecutive Final Four. \u2014 Marks<\/p>\n

“MAYE FOR THE WIN! \u2026 An incredible shot.”<\/p>\n

The Luke Maye shot that sent @UNC_Basketball<\/a> to the Final Four in 2017. They would go on to win the natty that year. pic.twitter.com\/W6G3yAMoLM<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 CBS Sports College Basketball \ud83c\udfc0 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 16, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Syracuse 81, Kansas 78<\/p>\n

National championship (April 7, 2003)<\/p>\n

Kansas fans will forever be haunted by free throws and the long arm of Hakim Warrick, who blocked Michael Lee\u2019s 3-point attempt to send the game to overtime in one of the greatest defensive plays in the history of the tournament.<\/p>\n

Syracuse controlled the first half of this game. All eyes were on Carmelo Anthony, but Gerry McNamara was the freshman who burned the Jayhawks early, burying big 3 after big 3. Anthony still got his, scoring 20 points.<\/p>\n

Kansas came back behind dominant performances by Nick Collison (19 points and 21 rebounds) and Jeff Graves (16 points and 16 rebounds), but both bigs had nightmarish nights at the line, combining to make just 5 of 17 free throws and giving the Cuse its first national championship. \u2014 Moore<\/p>\n

6. George Mason 86, UConn 84 (OT)<\/p>\n

Elite Eight (March 26, 2006)<\/p>\n

George Mason\u2019s run to the 2006 Final Four epitomizes why the NCAA Tournament is the best postseason in sports, and this game was the exclamation point. With five future NBA players on its roster, including Rudy Gay, UConn was the No. 1 seed in the field and one of the season-long front-runners. But George Mason never folded, even after it trailed by 12 late in the first half. Instead, the Patriots hit six straight 3s midway through the second half to flip the game on its head, going from down nine to up two.<\/p>\n

UConn eventually found itself down four with under 10 seconds left in regulation, before cutting it to two via a Marcus Williams layup with 7.9 seconds left. George Mason missed its next two free throws, giving Huskies wing Denham Brown enough time to get off a game-tying reverse layup \u2026 which bounced three times on the rim before falling in.<\/p>\n

George Mason made five of its six shots in overtime, but its poor free-throw shooting \u2014 including two misses with 6.1 seconds left \u2014 left the window open for UConn one last time. Brown\u2019s stepback 3 at the horn would\u2019ve won it for the Huskies, but it went long, and George Mason became the lowest-seeded team since LSU in 1986 to make the Final Four. \u2014 Marks<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Coach Jim Larranaga cuts down the nets after George Mason\u2019s Elite Eight win over UConn. (Win McNamee \/ Getty Images)5. North Carolina 81, Duke 77<\/p>\n

Final Four (April 2, 2022)<\/p>\n

You want stakes? How\u2019s this: North Carolina and Duke, the biggest rivals in college basketball, meeting for the first time ever in the NCAA Tournament, in the Final Four, with a trip to the national championship on the line \u2014 oh, and Mike Krzyzewski\u2019s career hanging in the balance.<\/p>\n

The two teams couldn\u2019t have taken more opposite paths to that point, either. Duke, with future No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero and three other first-round NBA picks, was a season-long favorite to cut down the nets. UNC struggled all season under first-year coach Hubert Davis and only firmly cemented its March Madness berth by upsetting the Blue Devils in Krzyzewski\u2019s final home game. But the Tar Heels caught a comet over the last eight weeks of the season, and behind Brady Manek and Caleb Love\u2019s sharpshooting, stormed to the Final Four for the rematch of a lifetime.<\/p>\n

There were 18 lead changes \u2014 including five in the final three minutes. But what everyone will remember most? Caleb Love\u2019s game-deciding 3-pointer over Mark Williams with 25 seconds left. Other than Michael Jordan\u2019s game-winning jumper in the title game against Georgetown, Love\u2019s shot is perhaps the most dramatic and important in UNC hoops history. \u2014 Marks<\/p>\n

Two years ago today, Caleb Love hit the dagger for @UNC_Basketball<\/a> as the Tar Heels defeated Duke in Coach K’s final game to advance to the National Championship \ud83d\udc4f#MarchMadness<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/X2kSAEsyyk<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 2, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Illinois 90, Arizona 89 (OT)<\/p>\n

Elite Eight (March 26, 2005)<\/p>\n

The Illini, 35-1 at the time, had had not trailed by more than nine points all year. With four minutes left in the Elite Eight, they found themselves down 15. They had one of the best guard trios this century \u2014 Deron Williams, Dee Brown and Luther Head \u2014 and were ahead of their time, relying heavily on 3s. Knowing where the game has gone, it\u2019s funny to listen back to the broadcast criticize the approach.<\/p>\n

\u201cIllinois has relied way too much on the 3 in this game. Half of the Illini\u2019s shots have been beyond the arc \u2014 26 of their 52 shots have been 3s. That is not a balanced offense,\u201d Jay Bilas said late in the game, finishing his statement just as Head canned another 3.<\/p>\n

Head and Williams buried two more 3s in the final minute during an 8-0 run that took just 15 seconds to tie the game and send it to overtime. The 3-happy Illini made two more in overtime and finished 16-of-35 from deep, their willingness to keep firing helping pull off one of the greatest comebacks in NCAA Tournament history. \u2014 Moore<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfa5 \ud835\ude4f\ud835\ude5d\ud835\ude5a \ud835\ude3e\ud835\ude64\ud835\ude62\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude57\ud835\ude56\ud835\ude58\ud835\ude60<\/p>\n

March 26, 2005 \u2013 Illinois vs. Arizona #Illini<\/a> | #EveryDayGuys<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/sf4V5hUO7d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Illinois Men’s Basketball (@IlliniMBB) December 10, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Villanova 77, North Carolina 74<\/p>\n

National championship (April 4, 2016)<\/p>\n

\u201cGives it to Jenkins, for the championship\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA #NationalChampionship<\/a> \u2026 BUZZER-BEATER!\u201d \ud83d\udde3#OTD<\/a>, Kris Jenkins (@Smoove2you_<\/a>) handed @NovaMBB<\/a> its second National Championship in an absolute THRILLER vs. UNC! \ud83c\udfc6 #MarchMadness<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/9trRX4WX58<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 4, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n

The first buzzer-beating, game-winning shot in a national championship since Lorenzo Charles\u2019 putback in 1983, Kris Jenkins\u2019 3 at the horn lives in basketball immortality. Never mind the rest of this fantastic game, which featured nine ties, nine lead changes, and North Carolina desperately surging back from down 10 points late in the second half.<\/p>\n

The final 90 seconds alone induced palpitations. With UNC trailing by six, Marcus Paige drained a corner 3 to cut the deficit to three, and All-American Brice Johnson banked one off the glass on the Tar Heels\u2019 next possession to bring the game within one. But Villanova kept answering and still led by three with under 10 seconds left. Paige, desperate to get off a look, heaved up a double-clutch 3 in traffic and sunk it with 4.7 seconds left to seemingly send the national title to overtime.<\/p>\n

Jenkins made sure it didn\u2019t, though \u2014 and delivered the perfect ending to one of the three best games of the last 25 years. \u2014 Brendan Marks<\/p>\n

2. Duke 98, Maryland 96 (OT)<\/p>\n

Regular season (January 27, 2001)<\/p>\n

Maryland was up 90-80 with 60 seconds to play at home. The Terps student section started chanting \u201coverrated!\u201d at Duke guard Jay Williams, who struggled much of the night. He did not take it well.<\/p>\n

\u201cI say this with the utmost respect, but their fans were assholes \u2026 I was ready to fight those fans,\u201d Williams told The Athletic<\/a> in 2020. \u201cI didn\u2019t like them, but I very much embraced that environment. I don\u2019t know why I heard the fans at that moment \u2026 For the first time, hearing that got me angry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Williams hit a layup to cut the lead to single digits, which prompted ESPN broadcaster Mike Patrick to say of Duke\u2019s situation, \u201cThey need a miracle.\u201d<\/p>\n

They got one. Williams grabbed a steal and buried a 3 to cut the deficit to five. Maryland missed two free throws and Williams responded with another 3 \u2014 eight points for him in 20 seconds. After another Duke steal and missed 3, Nate James was fouled on an offensive tip-in attempt and hit two free throws to tie it. Maryland missed a shot at the buzzer, sending the game to overtime.<\/p>\n

Shane Battier, the 2001 national player of the year, dominated the extra period and Duke escaped with a stunning comeback \u2014 that I still have recorded on a VHS tape if anyone can\u2019t get YouTube to work. \u2014 Schnell<\/p>\n

1. Kansas 75, Memphis 68 (OT)<\/p>\n

National championship (April 7, 2008)<\/p>\n

This was one of the most memorable Final Fours ever, with four No. 1 seeds, including the next year\u2019s champion (North Carolina), Memphis and John Calipari with maybe the best guard he\u2019s coached in Derrick Rose, UCLA with a loaded roster that included Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook and a Kansas team that returned everyone but Julian Wright from a top-seeded team the previous year.<\/p>\n

Memphis started to pull away late, in part thanks to Rose\u2019s shot-clock-beating banked shot that Jim Nantz declared \u201cthe shot of the tournament.\u201d The shot, initially ruled a 3, felt like the dagger that put the Tigers up 56-49 with 4:06 to play. Had Rose\u2019s right foot been inches back or had the Tigers made one more free throw in the final 75 seconds \u2014 they went 1-of-5 \u2014 then Mario Chalmers would have never had the opportunity to hit one of the most iconic shots in tournament history, a moon ball 3 that completed a nine-point comeback in just two minutes.<\/p>\n

Chalmers\u2019 iconic shot came on a play called \u201cChop.\u201d Weeks earlier, Chalmers had passed to Brandon Rush on the same play call in KU\u2019s last loss that season \u2014 at Oklahoma State \u2014 and Self told Chalmers never to pass it again. Chalmers listened, buried the real shot of the tournament, and Kansas owned overtime.<\/p>\n

Because of the finish, it\u2019s in the conversation for the greatest title game of all time, and it\u2019s our pick as the best of this century. \u2014 Moore<\/p>\n

12 years ago today, Mario Chalmers hit this shot to force OT \ud83d\udd25 <\/p>\n

Kansas went on to beat Derrick Rose’s Memphis team and claim the 2008 title. pic.twitter.com\/QCx2a2mzGr<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 7, 2020<\/a><\/p>\n

Honorable mention<\/p>\n

Marquette 83, Kentucky 69 (March 29, 2003)
\nGonzaga 105, Michigan State 102 in 3OT (Nov. 22, 2005)
\nTexas A&M 92, Northern Iowa 88 (March 20, 2016)
\nFlorida 84, Wisconsin 83 (March 24, 2017)
\nDuke 74, North Carolina 73 (March 15, 2019)
\nVirginia 63, Auburn 62 (April 6, 2019)
\nNorth Carolina 93, Baylor 86 in OT (March 19, 2022)
\nHouston 70, Duke 67 (April 5, 2025)<\/p>\n

(Illustration: Eamonn Dalton \/ The Athletic; Ronald Martinez \/ Getty Images; Craig Jones \/ Getty Images; Sporting News \/ ZUMA Press)<\/p>\n