26) Matt Howard, Butler over Old Dominion, First Round, 2011

One year after a miraculous 2010 NCAA Tournament run all the way to the title game, Butler kick started another improbable and thrilling March with a first round buzzer beater. It came courtesy of Howard, a senior forward and local high school legend who took over as the team’s leading scorer and rebounder in ’10-’11 after Gordon Hayward departed for the NBA. Entering the tournament as a #8 seed, the Bulldogs were locked in a tough, defensive first round battle against Old Dominion. With the score tied 58-58, Butler’s senior guard Shawn Vanzant drove to the basket in the waning seconds but had the ball slip out of his hands up into the air. Center Andrew Smith tried to tip it up and into the basket and missed but Howard came flying in from the top of the key to grab the ball and lay it in, releasing at just 0.1 seconds remaining. The shot seemed to propel Butler back into NCAA Tournament glory, as they won ensuing games over #1 seed Pittsburgh, #4 seed Wisconsin, and #2 seed Florida to return to the Final Four. Though Howard never reached the NBA, he did have a relatively successful career in Europe, playing for teams in Greece, Germany, France, and Israel. 

25) Kenton Paulino, Texas over West Virginia, Regional Semifinals, 2006

A couple months after their football counterparts won the BCS title, Texas basketball made its own mark in the 2006 NCAA Tournament. Led by All-American P.J. Tucker and future NBA All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge, they entered the tournament as a #2 seed. But it was an unsung senior shooting guard in Paulino who played the hero come March. In a Regional Semifinals match-up against #6 seed West Virginia, the Longhorns, led by 26 points and 13 rebounds from Aldridge, opened up a 12-point lead but had it slip away through the second half, culminating in Kevin Pittsnogle tying the game at 71-71 with a three-pointer with five seconds left. Lacking a timeout, freshman point guard A.J. Abrams was forced to hustle the ball up the length of the court, where he found Paulino in the corner in the game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer. Prior to that play, he was shooting just 1-of-6 from three-point range in the game and finished with just eight points. His collegiate career would last just one more game, as Texas lost to LSU in the Regional Final. Paulino had stints in the G-League and in Turkey before retiring as a player to return to Austin as an assistant coach.

24) Danero Thomas, Murray State over Vanderbilt, First Round, 2010

Murray State has been one of the most successful mid-major programs of the modern era but they were mired in a 10-game NCAA Tournament game losing streak heading into the 2010 edition. That was snapped in dramatic fashion by Thomas, who sank a mid-range, pull-up jumper at the buzzer that gave the Racers a first round upset over #4 seed Vanderbilt. It was an especially gratifying win in light of Murray State finishing the ’09-’10 season with a 30-4 record but getting relegated to a #13 seed. They took out their disappointment on the Commodores, who held a 65-64 lead with four seconds left thanks to clutch free throw from Jermaine Beal. Racers coach Billy Kennedy drew up the final play for his top scorer, Isacc Miles but the junior guard called an audible when he was double teamed. He pitched a hand-off pass to Thomas, a senior guard, who took two dribbles before pulling up for the game winner, setting off a raucous celebration. Murray State almost matched the feat in round two against #5 seed Butler but a last second pass from Miles was deflected. Thomas eventually embarked on a lengthy pro career in Iceland, where he’s become such a huge star that the country eventually granted him citizenship in order to participate with the national team. 

23) Drew Nicholas, Maryland over UNC Wilmington, First Round, 2003

Though they were the defending champions, Maryland was a popular office bracket pool first round upset pick in the 2003 NCAA Tournament against #11 seed UNC Wilmington. Sure enough, the Terrapins were in trouble late, trailing 73-72 with five seconds left following a pair of free throws from Wilmington’s Aaron Coombs. Senior guards Nicholas and Steve Blake were the obvious choices for the final shot for Maryland, as they were the definitive top offensive threats on a team that lost its top four scorers from the prior season. In the timeout huddle, coach Gary Williams crafted a play for Blake but he was double-teamed trying to receive the inbounds pass. Instead it was Nicholas who received the ball, dribbled it up the court, and heaved up an unsteady prayer from the corner that somehow fell in at the buzzer for the win. In fact, Nicholas was so off-balance when he took the shot that he stumbled into the Maryland bench, where his teammates caught up with him to celebrate. Maryland’s title defense soon after ended with a Regional Semifinals loss to Michigan State. Nicholas went un-drafted that summer and played in various European leagues for a decade before retiring to become an NBA scout.

22) Rick Fox, North Carolina over Oklahoma, Second Round, 1990

A streak of nine straight appearances in at least the Sweet 16 seemed in jeopardy for North Carolina in 1990, when they entered the tournament as a #8 seed. It was a rare rebuilding year for Dean Smith’s squad but it set the stage for one of the most exciting plays and upsets in program history. Their second round opponent was Oklahoma, which was not only the top seed in the Midwest Region but the #1 team in the country. The Tar Heels managed to keep it tight the entire way and trailed 77-76 with 10 seconds left when junior point guard King Rice was fouled attempting to retake the lead. He made his first throw to tie it up but missed the second. The rebound bounced off a Sooner and out of bounds, setting up a final play for North Carolina. Fox caught the ball on the right wing, drove baseline, and banked in a lay-up just as time expired. North Carolina was blown out in the next round by Arkansas but the streak was still alive and wouldn’t be broken until 1994. Fox eventually spent 13 seasons in the NBA, earning three championships with the Lakers.

21) Korie Lucious, Michigan State over Maryland, Second Round, 2010

There was an additional sense of urgency in this #4 vs. #5 seed match-up in the 2010 NCAA Tournament, as both teams had watched their region’s top seed, Kansas, get upset by Northern Iowa the night before. Michigan State had reached the Final Four a year prior but struggled in the ’09-’10 season with injuries and suspensions. They had another stroke of bad luck in this game, when star guard Kalin Lucas tore his Achilles’ late in the first half. The Spartans held a 16-point advantage at that point but Maryland chipped away from there. They were spurred by Greivis Vaszquez, who scored 11 points in the final two minutes, including a jumper with seven seconds left that gave the Terrapins an 83-82 lead. Though they still had a timeout, Michigan State’s Draymond Green opted to push the ball up the floor to try to catch Maryland off guard and it paid off. A backup sophomore point guard who averaged just 5.6 points per game during the season, Lucious was only the floor at the end due to Lucas’ injury but he saved the Spartans’ season. Green hit Lucious at the top of the key, where he side-stepped to avoid a defender and launched the game winning three pointer at the buzzer. With an 85-83 victory, the Spartans advanced and sure enough did eventually reach their second consecutive Final Four. Lucious was later suspended for the ’10-’11 year for “conduct detrimental to the team” (reportedly marijuana use) and transferred to Iowa State. He later played professionally in Poland, Cyprus, and Macedonia.

20) Jordan Poole, Michigan over Houston, Second Round, 2018

Was this the ugliest buzzer beater in NCAA Tournament history? With his legs splayed outwards and his balance carrying him to the floor, Poole hit an improbable deep three-pointer to give Michigan a second round win. It was an appropriately unattractive end to a grisly offensive game, with the Wolverines victorious despite shooting just 36% from the field. They were helped out by Houston’s Devin Davis missing a pair of free throws with 3.9 seconds that could have iced the game. This allowed Michigan to inbound the ball from the backcourt with 3.9 seconds left, trailing 63-61. Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman took the entry pass, dribbled just past half court, then tossed it to the freshman Poole, who stunningly had nailed a strikingly similar buzzer beater one year prior for his Indiana high school. The Wolverines soon after advanced all the way to the Final Four as a #3 seed, losing to Villanova in the National Final. Poole is currently playing for the Warriors and has gathered a reputation at the next level for further buzzer beater heroics, especially on half court three-pointers.

19) Mike Miller, Florida over Butler, First Round, 2000
18) Don Reid, Georgetown over Weber State, Second Round, 1995

While we usually think of buzzer beaters as a thrilling cap to an improbable tournament upset, these are two notable examples of Goliaths just holding off a David’s spoiler bid. Miller’s game-winning teardrop for Florida in 2000 is still a highlight package mainstay, in large part due to what happened next. After staving off the upset from Butler, #5 seed Florida pulled their own stunners over Illinois, Duke, and Oklahoma State to reach the Final Four. What’s often forgotten is what preceded Miller’s off-balance runner. With 8.1 seconds remaining in overtime and Butler holding a 68-67 lead, the normally reliable Lavall Jordan missed two consecutive free throws to set up Florida’s game winning opportunity. Five years prior it was Georgetown, as a #6 seed, trying to beat back #14 seed Weber State in the second round. Freshman Allen Iverson missed 15 of the 21 shots he took in the game, including an airball heaved up with one second left and the game tied 51-51. But similar to the infamous ending of the 1983 N.C. State national championship win, Reid was perfectly positioned under the basket to catch the miss and toss it in at the buzzer. A senior forward who had averaged just 7.4 points per game that season, Reid improbably scored the only basket from the field for Georgetown in the game’s final 10 minutes. It was such an unlikely play that normally demure head coach John Thompson even allowed himself a brief, exuberant victory dance to celebrate.

17) Christian Laettner, Duke over Connecticut, Regional Finals, 1990

Sort of an appetizer to Laettner’s more famous game winner in 1992, this one also capped an epic Regional Final. Coach K himself summed it up perfectly as neither team being better but his team winning because they had the ball last. Bobby Hurley almost ended it with his own buzzer beater in regulation for Duke, who was the #3 seed in the East Region, but had his lay-up attempt blocked with less than a second remaining, sending the teams to overtime tied at 72-72. UConn was the top seed and their star Tate George, who was no stranger to dramatic shots, had two chances to ice the game in overtime. First, he just missed a three-pointer with 10 seconds left that would have given Connecticut a four-point lead. Then, with 2.6 seconds left, he almost stole a Hurley pass but had the ball glance off his hands and out of bounds. Coach Krzyzewski called timeout and drew a play called “Special,” which his players then executed to near perfection. Laettner, then a sophomore, inbounded the ball to Brian Davis, who handed it back immediately to Laettner, who rose and drained the game winner. The Blue Devils fans in attendance stormed the court at East Rutherford, celebrating the team advancing to the Final Four for the third of what would eventually be five consecutive appearances.

16) Ty Rogers, Western Kentucky over Drake, First Round, 2008

As opposed to many of the games on this list, which were otherwise forgettable save for the final play, this one was a classic from start to finish. Drake was the #5 seed and looking to make the best of its first tournament appearance in 37 years, but #12 seed Western Kentucky led for most of the game. Drake stormed back in the second half, erasing a 16-point deficit with a high octane shooting performance. In fact, the teams combined to break the NCAA Tournament records for three-point attempts (70) and three-point field goals (30). It was the last of those such shots that garnered headlines, coming from Rogers, a senior guard who had grown up in Kentucky dreaming of playing for the Hilltoppers. Though Jonathan Cox’s free throws gave Drake just a one-point lead with six seconds left in overtime, their head coach, Keno Davis, sagely advised his players to hound Western Kentucky at the three-point line. He was right, as Tyrone Brazelton dribbled to a spot in the corner for a pull-up three and found it well covered, but it ultimately didn’t matter. Brazelton dropped the ball off to Rogers, who hit an improbable long range bomb from just inside the out-of-bounds marker, over three closing defenders, giving Western Kentucky the 101-99 victory.

15) Scottie Reynolds, Villanova over Pittsburgh, Regional Finals, 2009
14) Danny Ainge, BYU over Notre Dame, Regional Semifinals, 1981
13) Tyus Edney, UCLA over Missouri, Second Round, 1995

When you close your eyes and think of the term “buzzer beater” you likely conjure up images of desperation three-pointers or pull-up jumpers. But three of the greatest examples were actually lay-ups. For Reynolds, his shot ended what was almost instantaneously labelled as the “Game of the Century.” His Villanova team was tied with their conference rivals and top seed Pittsburgh at 76-76 with 5.5 seconds remaining in the Regional Final. They were forced to inbound from their own end but ran a perfectly executed full court play, with Reynolds taking a pitch near half-court, driving straight to the basket, and lofting a floating jumper in at the buzzer for the victory. Analysts called it his “Tyus Edney moment” the same way Edney’s was instantly reminiscent of Ainge. In the 1981 tournament, Ainge’s BYU team was trailing Notre Dame 50-49 with 7.7 seconds left in their Regional Semifinals match-up. Unlike Reynolds, who basically had to beat four defenders, Ainge drove all the way up the court almost undeterred to lay in the game winner. 14 years later, Edney not only accomplished the same feat but did it in a concise 4.8 seconds. Unlike Ainge and Reynolds, Edney was saving the day for the favored team, as his top seeded UCLA was trying to stave off a second round upset bid from #8 seed Missouri. The pint-sized speedster took the ball in the back court and raced coast-to-coast to put it in at the buzzer, setting off a bedlam celebration. While Reynolds’ Villanova and Ainge’s BYU both lost in the next round after their buzzer beaters, UCLA was propelled by Edney all the way to the national championship in 1995.

12) Tate George, Connecticut over Clemson, Regional Semifinals, 1990

Even before this incredible basket from George, Connecticut’s ’89-’90 campaign had been deemed “The Dream Season.” The Huskies were back in the tournament after a 10-year absence and held the top seed in the East Region. But the dream was on the verge of becoming a nightmare in the Regional Semifinals, where #5 seed Clemson erased a 19-point second half deficit to take a 70-69 lead with one second remaining. Coach Jim Calhoun wisely handed the ball to NFL quarterback prospect Scott Burrell, who tossed (over the outstretched arms of the 6’11” Elden Campbell) a perfect full-court lob to George, who turned a fired up a jumper over a double team. George would later claim he didn’t even watch the ball go in but was tipped off to the result by the jubilant reaction of teammates, coaches, cheerleaders, and the mascot. It was a little bit of everything that makes buzzer beaters so exciting, from the stakes to the improbability to the iconic reactions to the controversy (it’s unlikely he actually had time to catch, turn, and shoot in one second). Years later, when George was on trial for fraud as the result of running a Ponzi scheme, he told reporters that he needed “another big shot” to stay out of jail (it didn’t work out this time).

11) Richard Hamilton, Connecticut over Washington, Conference Semifinals, 1998

Eight years after Tate George’s miracle, Hamilton put his own stamp on Connecticut basketball history. Once again, UConn was the highly favored team and found themselves blowing a second half lead against a plucky underdog. 11th-seeded Washington took its first and only lead of the game with 30 seconds remaining, when a Donald Watts three-pointer put them ahead 74-73. Connecticut made the decision to hold the ball and drain down the clock, reducing the game to one possession to take it all. Khalid El-Amin, the soon-to-be hero of the 1999 NCAA Tournament, drove to the basket and drew a triple team. He tossed it to center Jake Voskuhl, whose short jumper sluggishly rolled around the edge of the rim before falling off. The ensuing rebound was tipped to Hamilton, who missed an open short range jumper that was improbably tipped again right back to him. His second attempt was a desperation heave over Washington’s seven-footer Patrick Femerling, but this one somehow went in. Though Washington has returned to the Sweet 16 three more times since this loss, they still have a drought of 68 years and counting without reaching the Elite Eight.

10) Paul Jesperon, Northern Iowa over Texas, First Round, 2016

Northern Iowa coach Ben Jacobsen had to be kicking himself for not using his final timeout with 2.7 seconds left and their first round game against Texas tied at 72-72. After Texas’ Isaiah Taylor had a jumper to even the score, Jacobsen opted to let his veteran team inbound from their own end immediately to try to catch the Longhorns off guard but was likely shaking his head as he watched the resulting play. Jesperon, a senior guard who transferred from Virginia, received the inbounds pass, took a couple lazy dribbles to half court, and then fired a prayer towards the basket with a full second still left on the clock. Somehow this prayer was answered, off the backboard no less, and Jacobsen found himself in an unlikely celebration with his players. The element of surprise did seem to work to some extent, as the Texas players, perhaps wary of fouling, played Jesperon loose, giving him an open look, albeit from 50 feet out. Northern Iowa soon found itself on the wrong end of an NCAA Tournament all-time highlight in the second round, when they blew the biggest final minute lead in tournament history to lose to Texas A&M. Similar to Michigan’s Jordan Poole, Jesperon also had a high school buzzer beater in his resume, an incredible full court shot hit during his prep days in Washington that was featured on the SportsCenter Top 10.

9) Jerome Whitehead, Marquette over UNC Charlotte, National Semifinals, 1977

With its incredible chain of events, controversy, and grainy footage, this is the Zapruder Film of buzzer beaters. Both teams involved were surprise entrants in the Final Four. Charlotte had stunned the tournament’s top overall seed Michigan in the Regional Final. Meanwhile, Marquette had just squeaked into the tourney as an at-large but were inspired by the retirement announcement of their legendary coach Al McGuire to make a shocking run through their region. The game was tied 49-49 with three seconds left after Charlotte’s Cedric Maxwell, a future Celtics NBA Finals MVP, hit a short jumper. McGuire called timeout and supposedly walked onto the court to check the height of the scoreboard. He returned to the huddle and told his junior guard Butch Lee that he could loft the ball all the way down the court to Whitehead without interference. Lee did as instructed, hurling it just over the reach of the defender covering the inbound pass and seemingly just over the fingertips of Charlotte’s Bo Ellis down the court at the key. The ball then bounced in and out of Maxwell’s hands and glanced directly to Whitehead, who turned, dribbled, and put up a dunk that was partially blocked by Maxwell. The shot bounced off the backboard, hung on the rim for what seemed like an eternity, then rolled in to give Marquette an incredible victory. Or did it? Officials initially declared it a basket then spent some time at the scorers table discussing before making it official. Watching the replay, it looks like the correct call if you start the clock when Maxwell touched the ball but if Ellis had gotten his fingers on it, the clock would have started earlier and the game would have gone to overtime. Marquette capped off their storybook run with an upset win over North Carolina to close out McGuire’s career with a championship. Whitehead went on to a decent NBA career after being drafted by the San Diego Clippers. Charlotte has not advanced past the second round of the tournament since this fateful loss.

8) James Forrest, Georgia Tech over USC, Second Round, 1992

“Holy mackerel!” That was the call from Al McGuire, a man who knew a thing or two about thrilling March Madness endings, when James Forrest sank a three-pointer in the final 0.8 seconds to give Georgia Tech a shocking upset of USC. A dispute would ensue over whether the catch-and-shoot game winner was technically possible in 0.8 seconds but it wasn’t the only controversy in the game. After Georgia Tech’s Jon Barry hit a jumper to tie things up at 76-76 with 53 seconds remaining, the operator mistakenly disabled the 45-second shot clock. This allowed USC to run the clock down to 3.4 seconds (the shot clock should have expired at eight seconds) when junior guard Rodney Chatman hit a short jumper to take a 78-76 lead. Georgia Tech inbounded it to Barry at half court but Chatman was there to deflect it out of bounds with the clock now showing 0.8 seconds. The USC players, coaches, and fans would not only later lament that Forrest’s ensuing shot was technically impossible but also that a five second violation should have been called on Geiger, who took his time inbounding it to set up Forrest. Their arguments were ultimately in vain, as the NBA had recently established that 0.3 seconds is technically enough time to catch-and-shoot and replays seemed to show the ball leaving his hands with 0.1 still on the clock. It was, incredibly, the first three-pointer that the freshman Forrest had made all season and ultimately the last, as he didn’t attempt one in their Regional Semifinals loss to Memphis.

7) Rolando Blackman, Kansas State over Oregon State, Second Round, 1981
6) John Smith, St. Joseph’s over DePaul, Second Round, 1981
5) U.S. Reed, Arkansas over Louisville, Second Round, 1981

On March 14, 1981, three buzzer beaters happened live on TV on the same Saturday afternoon, eliminating the top two teams in the country and the defending champs, and March Madness as we know it was truly born. Smith’s came first in the early afternoon games. St. Joseph’s was a #9 seed looking to upend top seeded DePaul, which was led by Naismith Award winner Mark Aguirre. DePaul led 48-47 with just seconds left when the normally reliable Skip Dillard had just missed a free throw, setting up a final, manic play where the Hawks frantically advanced the ball up court. They got it to their star player, Bryan Warrick, who appeared to be pulling up for a contested jumper but instead found a wide open Smith underneath the basket. Smith laid the ball inn for an easy basket just as the buzzer sounded. It was a stunning end to the season for DePaul, who had finished #1 in the final AP poll (a shell-shocked Aguirre reportedly grabbed the game ball after Smith’s basket and walked out of the arena and straight back to the team hotel). Things only got crazier later in the day as Oregon State, the #2 overall team in the final AP poll, were also upset on a buzzer beater and fans watching the game at home almost missed the finish. That’s because NBC, the broadcaster at the time, broke their typical protocol of sticking with games start-to-finish to break into coverage of Arkansas vs. Louisville. Fans were transported to Austin, Texas, where Marv Albert had the call as Reed weaved his way through the back court then heaved up a 50-foot shot that somehow to give Arkansas a 74-73 victory over the defending champion Cardinals. NBC quickly transported viewers back to Los Angeles, right on time to witness Kansas State’s Blackman nail a baseline jumper to secure a stunning 50-48 upset of Oregon State.

4) Kris Jenkins, Villanova over North Carolina, National Final, 2016

One of just two shots on this list that clinched a national championship, this is the more conventional one but also loses points slightly for breaking a tie rather than erasing a deficit. Villanova had the ball with 4.7 seconds left and a tie game, 74-74, against North Carolina. Though Jenkins and Josh Hart were the leading scorers for the Wildcats, the final play was drawn up for clutch-shooting senior guard Ryan Arcidiacono to take the potential game winner. Jenkins inbounded to Arcidiacono, who dribbled up past the half court line and was double teamed at the three-point marker. He smartly dumped it behind him to Jenkins, who used the natural screen to rise up and nail the championship winner, letting the ball go with just 0.5 seconds left on the clock. It was an especially tough ending for North Carolina’s Marcus Paige, who had hit an incredible off-balance jumper just seconds earlier to tie the game, in what would ultimately become just a footnote. Jenkins went un-drafted in 2017 and had a brief pro career spread across the G-League and a German club. 

3) Bryce Drew, Valparaiso over Mississippi, First Round, 1998

Over 20 years later, this shot is still a centerpiece of CBS highlight packages, and for good reason. It was a moment that captured the essence of March Madness in numerous ways. An inspiring underdog. A stunning upset. A legit buzzer beater on a clever play call that’s been emulated countless times in driveways and practice gyms since. At the center of it was Drew, an Indiana Mr. Basketball who could have matriculated at any Big 10 school but instead opted to play for his dad, Homer, at Valparaiso. The Crusaders entered the 1998 NCAA Tournament as a #13 seed and faced Mississippi in a first round match-up of teams both looking for their first tournament win in program history. The Rebels led 69-67 with 4.9 seconds when All-American Ansu Sesay, a 79% free throw shooter, headed to the line with a chance to ice the game. Instead, he missed both attempts and the rebound was tipped out of bounds, with possession (controversially) awarded to Valparaiso. When Drew huddled up the players to call a final play, they all knew what the call would be. It was called “Pacer,” named after the pro team from which it originated and a crucial element was a perfect inbounds pass to initiate it. Luckily, the Crusaders had Jamie Sykes, a senior point guard who was set to report to Diamondbacks training camp that spring as a center fielder. He put it right on the money to Bill Jenkins, who immediately handed it off to a streaking Drew, who drained the three-pointer like it was routine and then dove to the floor to get mobbed by his exuberant teammates. Sesay was shown on camera walking around aimlessly in disbelief, the epitome of “agony of defeat.” Valpo upset Florida State in the second round before their magical run finally ended in a Regional Semifinals loss to Rhode Island. Drew was a first round draft pick of the Rockets and enjoyed a six-year NBA career before eventually joining his father as an assistant at Valparaiso. When Homer retired in 2011, Bryce appropriately took his place as head coach.

2) Christian Laettner, Duke over Kentucky, Regional Finals, 1992

It’s nicknamed simply “The Shot” and for good reason. It’s the most memorable moment of the consensus greatest tournament game in modern history. Duke was an unstoppable force in the ’91-’92 season, losing just two games by a combined six points. Led by Laettner, Bobby Hurley, and Grant Hill, the 1992 NCAA Tournament seemed like a coronation for the Blue Devils, with each game’s outcome basically a foregone conclusion on their way to the school’s first national title. Meanwhile, the once dominant Kentucky program was just returning from the brink. After a nearly unthinkable three straight seasons without a tournament appearance due to NCAA sanctions, new coach Rick Pitino had the Wildcats back in the dance and slowly returning to national prominence. The team was a special one, centered around Pitino’s first star recruit, Jamal Mashburn, but anchored by a group of seniors that had been the last recruiting class of the beleaguered Eddie Sutton. Mashburn fouled out during the game and Laettner arguably should have been ejected for stepping on Kentucky’s Aminu Timberlake. But the Duke star was out there to deliver the real stomach kick in overtime, a shot that cemented his legacy and still haunts Kentucky fans, even after they won back-to-back championships just a few years later.

1) Lorenzo Charles, N.C. State over Houston, National Final, 1983

Call it a lucky shot. Call it being in the right place at the right time. But there’s denying Charles gave us the most famous, albeit unorthodox, alley-oop in college basketball history. Of course, coach Jim Valvano, always a fan of platitudes, would likely have reminded you that luck is just preparation meeting opportunity. There’s no doubt Valvano had N.C. State fully prepared for the 1983 NCAA Tournament, which they entered as a long shot but kept advancing with close wins over Pepperdine, UNLV, and Virginia. Waiting in the National Final was the ultimate test in Houston, with their famed “Phi Slamma Jamma” lineup highlighted by Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. Just keeping the game close would have been a pyrrhic victory for the Wolfpack but instead it was a set up for the improbable final play. With the score tied 52-52 and 43 seconds left, N.C. State played keep-away with the ball to run the clock down. Houston used its length and athleticism to almost force a turnover multiple times, including when the ball came to Derrick Whittenburg with five seconds left. The senior guard was able to recover the ball and heave up a desperation three-pointer which came up short of even reaching the rim. But there was Charles, camped out under the basket and not getting properly boxed out by Olajuwon, allowing him to grab the ball and dunk it in for the most miraculous of finishes. This was followed by the iconic image of Valvano, running across the court in glee, searching for someone to hug in jubilation. It became an even more inspiring image over the years as Valvano publicly battled cancer up until his 1993 death. In another tragic denouement in 2011, Charles passed away at age 47 in a bus crash and was interred at Oakwood Cemetery in Raleigh, buried about as close to coach Valvano as he stood in contrast to Whittenburg when that three-point shot was lofted.