March Madness—Top 10 Wildest Moments the Dance Has Ever Seen
College basketball fans are treated to one of the most chaotic, high-stakes tournaments in all of sports every March. As 68 teams vie for the chance to etch their names into the history books; and win their school a national championship. Today, we’re going to look at times when March Madness lived up to its name; ranking the top 10 wildest moments the dance has ever seen.
Honorable mentions go to the St Peter’s team of 2022. And of course, the Loyola Chicago team of 2018. Both who had multiple moments in their Cinderella runs.
Bring the Madness!
10. Jordan Poole Buzzer Beater vs Houston
Here we have one of the most iconic buzzer beaters of the 2010s. In a hotly contested second round matchup between 3 seed Michigan and the 6 seed University of Houston. The Cougars seem to have the game all but wrapped up; 63-61 with 3.6 seconds remaining. With a desperation heave up court, the ball eventually falls to freshman guard Jordan Poole. Poole then throws up a heavily contested shot as he awkwardly fell backward.
The ball hangs in the air for an ETERNITY. However, as the buzzer sounds milliseconds before the net rippled; reality hits… the Wolverines sneak through by the skin of their teeth! The raw emotion on display from both teams in the wake of the shot perfectly embodies the drama of the tournament.
9. Dunk City-FGCU 2013
Florida Gulf Coast went on an INCREDIBLE run in 2013. Entering the tournament as a 15 seed, downing 2 seed Georgetown in their opener; AND San Diego State shortly thereafter. What made this team so great was their play style. Nicknamed “Dunk City,” the Eagles soared with their high-flying, high energy play. Posting ridiculous dunks and alley-oops on a routine basis, with a degree of showmanship that embodies the spirit of March Madness.
It was carefree basketball that entertained the masses, and led to some huge wins along the way. If we had to pick just one moment, it would be Brett Comer’s alley oop to Chase Fieler in the last 2 minutes of the game against Georgetown. Can’t think of a better way to extend the lead in a landmark win for your program than that.
Top Wild Moments of March Madness
8. RJ Hunter Game Winner vs Baylor
Let’s take a trip back to the first round of the 2015. Where the 14 seed Georgia State Panthers matched up with the 3 seed Baylor Bears in Jacksonville. Baylor had a three point lead at halftime. And looked to see out the win with under 15 seconds left, up 56-54.
But Kenny Cherry’s missed free throw was swiftly rebounded by the Panthers. And they took full advantage. The Panthers bolted down the court, and got the ball in the hands of RJ Hunter, their talisman. Hunter KNOCKED down a HUGE three to go ahead with less than 3 seconds on the clock!
Not only is this moment iconic for the late upset. But Georgia State’s coach, none other than Ron Hunter; RJ’s father, was perched atop a stool on the sideline. Why? Well, because he had injured his achilles celebrating a win earlier on in the season. After RJ’s dagger, Ron falls off the stool in celebration. An absolute wild moment of unfettered joy, and a worthy inclusion in our list.
7. Northern Iowa Collapse vs Texas A&M
Okay everyone, picture this. Imagine being an 11 seed. And you are coasting to your second victory of March Madness with a 12 point lead over a 3 seed.
Well, Northern Iowa was in this EXACT position with 44 seconds to go against Texas A&M back in 2016. However, the second Aggies guard Alex Caruso picks the ball up in his own backcourt; it all comes crashing down. By the time the clock ticked down to 21 seconds, A&M had halved the deficit; with the Panthers unable to handle the pressure, committing multiple turnovers.
Just as Northern Iowa thought they have some breathing room with a quick dunk to restore a 5 point lead with less than 20 seconds left. An all too recent history repeated itself. The A&M brought it to 71-71, forcing double overtime where they eventually emerged victorious! An unbelievable implosion from Northern Iowa that will be difficult to top.
March Madness— Top 10 Wildest Moments the Dance Has Ever Seen
6. Chris Webber’s Imaginary Timeout 1993
Michigan’s “Fab Five” are one of the most legendary college recruiting classes of all time. They steered the program to back to back national championship games in their first two seasons there. While they lost the first of those handily, the 1993 edition came down to the wire.
Down 73-71, Chris Webber rebounds a missed Tar heel free throw. A positive. However, moments later travels after securing the ball. Not good. Violations during crunch time always spell disaster.
Webber then charges down the court and attempts to call a timeout in front of the Wolverine sideline after North Carolina swarms him. Michigan, however, has no timeouts remaining. Which means they were assessed a technical foul; allowing the Tar Heels to put the game out of reach in a blunder of epic proportions.
5. Christian Laettner makes “The Shot”
Staying in the 1990s let’s get to our fifth wildest March Madness moment. A single shot that came to define one of the greatest games of all time. And as a result, an entire era of Duke basketball.
Just a year after winning their first national championship; the Blue Devils face off against the Kentucky Wildcats in the Elite Eight. They are out to prove their ranking as the very best team in the country. The game is fiercely contested for four quarters, eventually leading to overtime. Where Kentucky manages a 103-102 lead with 2 and a half seconds left.
Grant Hill then heaves the ball to the edge of the key, where Christian Laettner hit a gorgeous turnaround shot to steal the win for blue devils. Laettner was a perfect 10/10 from the field that day. Playing a crucial role in one of the most event matched games of all time. Duke and Coach K went on to win a second consecutive National Championship, cementing their place in College basketball legend.
Top Moments During the Big Dance
4. Jalen Suggs Buzzer Beater on UCLA
Back to the 21st century now, with another painstakingly close game between the undefeated Gonzaga; and 11 seed UCLA in 2021’s final four. The Bulldogs are heavily favored. But the Bruins provide their fair share of upsets in the tournament leading up to that point.
This game is a nail-biter. The two teams couldn’t be separated in regulation, sending the game to overtime. While the first period of overtime looks set to end in a 90-90 stalemate. Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs receives an inbound pass with 3 seconds remaining.
He pulls up from the logo, the ball smacks in off the backboard as time expires, and the Bulldogs seal their place in the national championship game! For the competitiveness of the game, and the stage at which it was pulled off, this was a no-brainer for our top five.
3. UMBC vs Virginia 2018
Our third spot is occupied by arguably the biggest upset in March Madness History. When the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; downed the first seed University of Virginia back in 2018. In this season the Cavaliers are widely regarded as the best team in the nation. And the Retrievers are a mere 16 seed. However, they show great fight by keeping the game remarkably close through the first half.
But they would go on to SHOCK the nation in the second period of play. Suddenly… they start to pull away! With no adequate response from Virginia, UMBC carves out a 74-54 win. The program’s FIRST March Madness win in its history. Becoming the first 16 seed to ever beat the 1 seed in tournament history.
What’s more, is that this is the only game of the season in which Virginia conceded 70+ points. 53 of which come in the second half. A game immortalized as the ultimate upset and fully deserving of a spot in the top 3. Honorable mention to Farleigh Dickerson beating Purdue in 2023.
Sports Feen Countdown: March Madness Top 10 Wildest Moments the Dance Has Ever Seen
2. Villanova’s 2016 Buzzer Beater
Nevertheless, the most epic buzzer beater of the last 10 years comes in the national championship game in 2016. The stage is set in a chaotic sequence toward the end of the face-off between North Carolina and Villanova. The Tar Heels ties the game at 74 a piece.
The Wildcats inbound the ball with less than 5 seconds left. Ryan Arcidiacono brings Villanova down the court; teeing up forward Kris Jenkins for a 3 pointer with just a second on the clock. Jenkins drains the three!
Confetti rained down in one of the most iconic college basketball moments of all time. This was the first national championship to be won by a buzzer-beating three pointer. And it ranks as the second wild and intense moment in March Madness History.
Our Top Moment
1. NC State 1983
Taking our top spot is another national championship winning buzzer beater! This time, it’s NC State’s in 1983. They rank above Villanova on our list because the wolfpack were significant underdogs against Hakeem Olajuwan; and Clyde Drexler’s University of Houston team.
Plenty is said about the cinderella run from NC State in ‘83. However, the manner in which Dereck Whittenburg’s air ball drops perfectly behind Olajuwan; AND is perfectly jammed into the hoop by Lorenzo Charles. MAN! It is the most remarkable way to cap off one of the most inspiring stories in all of sports. An easy pick at number one for the sheer determination on display to grab the go ahead score on the biggest of stages.
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