Less than three weeks remain before my personal Christmas, selection Sunday. In honor of the fast approaching NCAA basketball tournament, I thought I would undertake a project I've wanted to do for a while: ranking my favorite tournament games of all time. I've been watching the tournament for 20 years now, ever since the 1993 version which contains one of the top games of this list. It's always been my favorite sports postseason and thus the most important sporting event of the year for me. Part of the beauty of the tournament is that (almost) everyone starts out on level ground, needing to win six games to raise the trophy. That equality is reflected in the makeup of this list. Some games feature the best teams duking it out to the wire, while others have significant Cinderellas making their mark on the proceedings. Whatever the matchup, the NCAA tournament has an aura of excitement about it that isn't matched anywhere else.*
*OK, the 100 meter dash at the Olympics is probably more exciting. But that's it.
Since I am a person who has other obligations than watching basketball, I unfortunately haven't been able to see every single game of the last two decades. That means some games that aren't on the list didn't make it for this reason. I could try to objectively count down the best games, but ESPN just did that, and that would be boring. I'd rather infuse the list with my own personal likes and experiences to make it a little more interesting. Thus, Creighton dramatic buzzer beating win over Florida in 2002 and Illinois' ridiculous comeback against Arizona in 2005 didn't make the list because I didn't see them. That said, if you like basketball, I don't think you'll be disappointed by what did make the list.
#26: 2009 First Round: 9 Siena 74, 8 Ohio State 72 (2OT)
The 8-9 game is always a tricky proposition. On one hand, it should in theory be the most even matchup of the first two days. On the other hand, there is generally an absence of the Cinderella potential that makes the early days of the tournament great. Thus, the 8-9 game is often one of the least memorable. Of course, when a guy who averages 9 points a game hits a three to send the game to double OT and then another three to win, I think that deserves at least a passing mention. Ronald Moore's insane night starts this list in a great way.
#25: 2010 Second Round: 5 Michigan State 85, 4 Maryland 83
Even though Michigan State would go on to the Final Four in 2010, neither of these teams were particularly amazing that year. Also, 4-5 games tend to not be the most memorable games because they miss out on both the best teams and the Cinderellas. In spite of all that, this game makes the list because there were a ridiculous 4 lead-changing buckets in the final minute. Grevis Vazquez and Draymond Green exchanged go-ahead shots before the events in the video. What makes this even better was that there were no timeouts between the final three shots. In all my time of watching the tournament, I don't think there's ever been a crazier final minute.
#24: 2005 Elite Eight: 5 Michigan State 94, 2 Kentucky 88 (2OT)
The best Elite Eight ever gets only one representative on this list (because I was home for Easter and had to, you know, see people), but it's a doozy. While the previous entry on the list wins for best finishing sequence, this game wins for best final possession (in regulation). Kentucky missed their first two three point attempts, but Patrick Sparks was finally able to tie it at the end. Not only did his shot hang on the rim for several bounces, but it also took the refs almost 10 minutes to confirm the call. Once it was finally upheld, the teams would play another 10 minutes before Michigan State finally booked their trip to the Final Four.
#23: 1999 First Round: 14 Weber State 76, 3 UNC 74
There have been a lot of stars born in the NCAA tournament, but none have been as spectacular and as fleeting at the same time as Weber State's Harold "The Show" Arceneaux. He managed 36 points in a first round upset of the Tar Heels, and then pushed Florida to the limit with 32 more. He then left to go pro, but never played a minute in the NBA (although I did create him in NBA Live '98 on the Genesis, so there's that). The beauty of the tournament though is that we'll always have that amazing weekend when "The Show" owned the sports world.
#22: 2010 Sweet Sixteen: 2 Kansas State 101, 6 Xavier 96 (2OT)
The shame of Gus Johnson's move to FOX is that he will probably never again announce another NCAA tournament game. While I enjoy Gus announcing anything, his main strenghth is being able to slowly ramp up his excitement to reflect the increasing tension of a game. Football and soccer and whatever else he is going to announce just aren't the same. There's a couple of other Gus Johnson entries on this list, but this one might be the most ridiculous. Of course when you have a guard matchup as good as Holloway/Crawford vs. Pullen/Clemente, things are bound to be crazy. This game immediately followed Butler's upset of Syracuse, making it perhaps the best pair of Sweet Sixteen games in the same region ever.
#21: 2002 Sweet Sixteen: 5 Indiana 74, 1 Duke 73
Jay (then Jason) Williams' basketball career had a very strange trajectory. He was arguably the best guard in the nation when he won the title his Junior year at Duke. Then he suffered this tough early exit in this game the next year when he couldn't hit his free throws. His promising NBA career was then cut short by a motorcycle accident. Luckily, he has gone on to become a solid color man and analyst with ESPN. He remains one of my favorite college players ever.
#20: 2012 Third Round: 1 Michigan State 65, 9 Saint Louis 61
For the last couple of weeks, I've been tempted to write a post celebrating the awesomeness of this year's Billiken squad. Their ability to fight through the loss of Rick Majerus and still play his brand of basketball has been a spectacular tribute to their coach. What blows my mind though, is that last year's St. Louis team was even better. With senior forward Brian Conklin in tow, St. Louis was able to hang with Sparty all the way to the end in a fantastically tense affair. 1 vs. 8/9 games are often my favorite tournament battles, so this will not be the final such matchup on this list.
#19: 2005 Final: 1 North Carolina 75, 1 Illinois 70
Title games can often be anti-climactic mismatches. This one was obviously not; instead, it was probably the best pair of teams to square off in the last two decades. No fewer than six players from this game were selected in the first round of that year's draft, with all but Marvin Williams having had great and lengthy collegiate careers. Illinois missed a few chances late to turn this into a all-time classic, but it was still a thoroughly enjoyable battle for the title.
#18: 2007 Sweet Sixteen: 1 Kansas 61, 4 Southern Illinois 58
There have been a lot of great Missouri Valley teams over the last decade, but the 2007 Salukis were probably the best. Guard Jamaal Tatum and Forward Randal Falker formed a fantastic inside-outside combo on offense, while the whole team defended like crazy. Unfortunately they came up just short against a very good Kansas team, but the game was still a thrilling close one all the way to the final possesion.
#17: 2010 Elite Eight: 2 West Virginia 73, 1 Kentucky 66
This game is a little different from the others on the list in that it's notable not for its quality but for its weirdness. Kentucky, a good offensive team who was favored, missed its first twenty shots from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, West Virginia made only three point shots in the first half in spite of the fact that long range shooting wasn't their forte. Once they figured out how score two-point baskets as well they started to pull away and pulled the fairly shocking upset over John Wall and friends to make the Final Four.
#16: 2012 Second Round: 15 Norfolk State 86, 2 Missouri 84
There have been a lot of upsets in the tournament over the years...and then there is the upset. A 15 seed has triumphed over a two seed six times, but never had the gulf between the teams been as large as this game. Norfolk State entered the game outside of the top 200 in Pomeroy's rankings and probably should have been a 16 seed. Meanwhile, Missouri had been strongly considered for a one seed with its veteran backcourt. Luckily, for us non-Tiger basketball fans, Kyle O'Quinn treated us to a show with his 26 points and 14 boards, becoming the best out of nowhere star since "The Show" himself. Fun note: This was the craziest sporting event to take place in Omaha since my friends and I invented the game of Bat Darts.
#15: 2009 Elite Eight: 3 Villanova 78, 1 Pittsburgh 76
Pittsburgh has had a bit of a tortured existence over the past decade and change. They've been consistently excellent, but have never had the tournament breakthrough that they probably deserve. They came the closest to the Final Four in 2009 with Dejuan Blair, but the amazing last minute lay-up (well, it was sort of a lay-up) by Scottie Reynolds sealed their fate as runner-up yet again. Games like this make me happy that Bill Raftery exists.
#14: 2004 Final Four: 2 UConn 79, 1 Duke 78
On one hand, this game was a fantastic battle between the two best teams of the year that also featured a comeback from 8 down in the final minutes by eventual champion UConn. On the other hand, this is the game that won me my first and only bracket pool. Whichever hand you're looking at, this is one of the best college games I've ever seen. It actually featured more future pros than the UNC-Illinois game that I raved about earlier.
#13: 1997 Final: 4 Arizona 84, 1 Kentucky 79 (OT)
Arizona's miracle run to the title in 1997 is one of the most unique accomplishments in tourney history, as they defeated three one seeds along the way. The title game against Kentucky was the most exciting of all. Kentucky pushed the game into overtime with a pair of late threes, but Miles Simon and friends hit 10 free throws in the extra time to ice the title for the Wildcats. I was disappointed that Arizona edged out the upstart Providence Friars in the Elite Eight, but was still happy to see them win Lute Olson's first and only title.
#12: 2006 First Round: 14 Northwestern State 64, 3 Iowa 63
This is, in my opinion, the most underrated upset in tournament history. Sure, Jermaine Wallace's fadeaway three at the buzzer is amazing. However, what really sets this one apart (aside from the wacky court) is that Iowa was leading by so much and blew it. The majority of crazy upsets in March tend to feautre the underdog building an early lead or at least playing even the whole way. Northwestern State trailed by 17 in the second half only to furiously rally for the win. Iowa wasn't the strongest 3 seed ever, but this was still a tremendous upset. It's also my favorite game that I've ever watched alone at my in-laws house, so there's that.
#11: 2006 Sweet Sixteen: 2 UCLA 73, 3 Gonzaga 71
It's a little unfair to remember this game only for Adam Morrison breaking down at midcourt after UCLA came back to advance, as it was a fantastic clash of two great west coast teams. My personal memory of this game comes from sitting in the "Burger King room" at Lafun watching the final minutes with Ad and a bunch of other random people. Rooting interests were clearly split between people who had picked UCLA and people who had picked Gonzaga, as a different half the room leapt to their feet every time something amazing happened. I know Gus Johnson announced this game, but I think this experience was even more thrilling than hearing him scream.
#10: 1996 First Round: 13 Princeton 43, 4 UCLA 41 (the one score I didn't have to look up)
This is the final game on my list that doesn't involve a one seed. A one seed has never lost in the first round, so by the power of deduction, it would appear that I have ranked this as the best first-round upset I've seen. Bryce Drew's game winning three against Ole Miss gets a lot of love for being the prototypical Cinderella, but I personally prefer Gabe Lewullis's backdoor cut and layup because of its simplicity.
#9: 2011 Third Round: 8 Butler 71, 1 Pittsburgh 70
I love 1 vs. 8/9 games because of the high potential for massive upsets. 1 seeds are often presumed to have free passes through the first weekend of the tournament, so contests like this can be extra-special. This game is especially memorable for the final sequence where Butler looked to have hit the game winner only to have dueling fouls decide the game. However, it was already well on its way to being a classic before the end. Butler wasn't quite as good as the previous year's runner-up squad, but they were able to play the same brand of basketball, and thus took down one of the best teams in that year's tournament.
#8: 2007 Second Round: 1 Ohio State 78, 9 Xavier 71 (OT)
Another first weekend matchup with a 1 seed makes the list. Xavier came tantalizingly close to knocking off the eventual runner-up before Ohio State made a late push to win (it was a literal push by Greg Oden that went uncalled that helped the get the ball back for the tying three). In a career of memorable calls, Gus Johnson's excitement when Ron Lewis sent the game to overtime might be his finest work.
#7: 2006 Elite Eight: 11 George Mason 86, 1 UConn 84 (OT)
Before Butler and VCU made their marks on the Final Four, it was George Mason that first captured America's heart. The Patriots had a bunch of spectacular wins to get to the regional final, but none was as impressive as their defeat of 2006's most talented team, the UConn Huskies. No fewer than 6 of their main rotation would go on to play in the NBA (although Rudy Gay was the only stud from that group). Until I watched the linked highlight, I had forgotten how UConn had to fight just to get the game to overtime, which makes it an even more amazing game than I remember.
#6: 2008 Final: 1 Kansas 75, Memphis 68 (OT)
The third straight overtime game on this list is here primarily because of what might be the best shot in tournament history. Mario Chalmers' heave with two seconds remaining completed a Kansas comeback from 9 down in the final two minutes of the game. It's unfortunate for Memphis that the main reason for their loss was their poor free throw shooting, and that basic failure is part of why this game isn't even higher on the list. I didn't realize this at the time (probably because of my Kansas hate), but this Jayhawk squad might be the best team of the efficiency era. Their final .9859 rating on Pomeroy's site is the highest rating by any team in the last 11 years. The next closest team is the 2005 UNC title team with a .9797 rating, although this year's Florida squad could surpass them if they recover from their injuries in time for the tourney.
#5: 2008 Elite Eight: 1 Kansas 59, 10 Davidson 57
To get to that memorable title game, Kansas had to dispatch what was probably my favorite Cinderella of all time. Sure, Stephen Curry was the main reason for the Wildcats' success, as he was probably the greatest breakout star the tournament has ever seen. However, Davidson was far more than a one man show. Jason Richards was among the national leaders with over 8 assists per game, and Andrew Lovedale was able to add some toughness in the paint along with some scoring. Davidson did their best to push the Jayhawks to the limit, but in the end, fell one basket short of crashing what instead became the most loaded Final Four in history.
#4: 2001 Final Four: 1 Duke 95, 3 Maryland 84
This game earns its high mark for several reasons. First of all, the 2001 Duke squad is the best team I can remember watching, although there are several others that were just as good in my estimation. Secondly, we got to witness one of the greatest comebacks in tournament history (Duke was down 22 at one point), and it happened in the Final Four, no less. Finally, these teams had taken their rivalry to new heights that season and were meeting for the fourth time. Duke had already come back from a large deficit at Maryland that season, and had also won a dramatic game over Maryland in the ACC tournament. Maryland had their own success, as they had won at Duke on Shane Battier's senior night, but they still entered the contest as the decided underdog. Maryland would have to wait another year for their "one shining moment," but they managed to give the eventual champions all they could handle.
#3: 1993 Final: 1 North Carolina 77, 1 Michigan 71
My first taste of the tournament, really of all sports in general, came in the 1993 NCAA tournament. In the weeks leading up to it, I had taken a liking to the Tar Heels, for some reason long forgotten. I do remember liking Eric Montross a lot, which is quite weird in retrospect. Because of this newfound allegiance, I was estatic when the Heels got past Cincinnati and into the Final Four, where they would meet Michigan in the final. Seeing as I was 8, I don't remember knowing anything about the hype of the "Fab Five," so I went into this game a pretty blank slate in many ways. As you probably know if you follow basketball at all, Chris Webber sealed Michigan's fate when he called a timeout the team didn't have in the final second (after getting away with traveling, no less). North Carolina wasn't as talented as Michigan, but they played well together and were coached by one of the best of all time, Dean Smith. This isn't the best title game of my life, though. That distinction would instead have to go to...
#2: 2010 Final: 1 Duke 61, 5 Butler 59
There was a lot of consternation about Duke winning this title. Part of that was because everyone other than Duke fans wanted to see Butler finish their run with a win. However, there was also a large swath of people who claimed that this wasn't one of the best Duke units ever, and that the committee showed them favoritism with a great draw. I would argue strongly against both of those premeses. First, while this Duke team didn't have the star wattage of past (or future) teams, it was a fantastic team that finished the season on top of the Pomeroy rankings. Their strong .9763 rating cleared the field by almost a full percentage point. Second, Duke had to dispatch Baylor to advance to the Final Four, which might have very well been the second or third best team in the tournament that year. Duke was a very worthy champion.
Of course, the reason for this game appearing at #2 isn't Duke. It's this high because Butler came thisclose to winning an amazingly improbable title. The fact that Duke was a great team makes this game significantly more special than the 2011 final, when a hot UConn team won the title in spite of being just very good. I could go on and on about how special Butler's run was that year, but I'll let former basketball writer Kyle Whelliston take it from here as his work best summed up the joy and pain of following smaller-level basketball.
#1: 2010 Second Round: 9 Northern Iowa 69, 1 Kansas 67
Part of the joy of being a Creighton fan is that I also get to be a Missouri Valley fan by extension. The Mo Valley is special in that it is most decidely not a major conference, but is also a very strong and consistent conference. Since Tulsa left in 1996 the same 10 teams have been in the conference the whole time, and every single one has won the regular season crown at least once. The combination of solid play, dedicated fanbases, and long-running tradition make the Missouri Valley my favorite conference on Earth.
Thus, when Northern Iowa got rewarded for their great season with a terrible draw (they played also-underseeded UNLV in the 8/9 game), I was a little frustrated. Just a season earlier, Drake had taken pretty much the same formula (an amazing group of upperclassmen who only lost a handful of games) and received a 5 seed. Since Northern Iowa could actually play defense and thus was probably better than 2009 Drake, I was a little surprised that they ended up seeded so far lower. Luckily for us Valley fans, it all worked out. When Ali Farokhmanesh sank his clutch three, Northern Iowa sealed my favorite tournament upset of all time.
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