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NCAA Basketball: A Look Back At The Most Iconic Plays in Men's NCAA Tournament
Every NCAA basketball tournament gives us the opportunity to relive some of the competition's finest moments through highlight reels.
Many of the tournament's most famous plays have occurred at the final second, with championship-winning shots typically being among the most memorable.
While most of these moments generated sheer exhilaration and excitement on the court and even outside of the court as many fans engage in NBA futures games, a few plays gained notoriety for the humiliation they inflicted. Other times were tragically memorable due to their circumstances. Whichever criterion these plays meet, they will long be a part of Men's NCAA Tournament history.
The following are the legendary moments in the NCAA Tournament's history:
1. The 1983 Championship-Lorenzo Charles' Game-Winner
Lorenzo Charles earned his spot in NCAA tournament history with his game-winning shot in the 1983 national championship.
He leaped to haul a short shot from Dereck Whittenburg and slammed the game-winning basket just before the buzzer rang to defeat top-seeded Houston and claim the national championship.
Charles' game-winning shot capped one of the greatest shocks in NCAA tournament history, denying Houston's storied Phi Slamma Jamma club championship.
2. 1977 Whitehead
Many Marquette supporters regard this field goal as the best of all time. The moment happened during Marquette's 1977 National Semifinal game against UNC-Charlotte.
Marquette advanced to the title game - thanks to a tipped three-quarter court shot by Jerome Whitehead in the waning seconds of the game.
3. Keith Wise Hands - Indiana 1987
Indiana advanced to the 1987 national championship against Syracuse, a year after falling in the first round to No. 14 seed Cleveland State.
Keith Smart got the ball on the wing and won the title with a jumper on the last Indiana possession.
Smart was one of three Hoosiers players to score 20 points or more in the triumph, which came against a Syracuse squad led by Derrick Coleman, Rony Seikaly, and Sherman Douglas, all of whom went on to play in the NBA.
4. The 2016 Villanova's Title at the Buzzer- Kris Jenkins Wins
With 1.6 seconds remaining in the game and the score knotted at 74, Villanova player Kris Jenkins got a pass from Ryan Arcidiacono and hit the game-winning three-pointer against North Carolina.
He had his shot in less than a second, and the rest is history.
Jenkins' game-winning shot sparked an on-court celebration as the Wildcats won their first title since 1985.
5. Chris Webber - Calls Timeout When There Are No Timeouts Left
A year after Laettner's shot sparked Duke's incredible run, one of the most spectacular NCAA tournament failures happened.
Chris Webber of Michigan called timeout with 11 seconds remaining on the clock after being cornered in the court by two North Carolina defenders.
Webber's issue was that the Wolverines were out of timeouts, which resulted in a technical foul issued by the referees.
North Carolina won the 1993 national championship game by a six-point margin due to Webber's error.
Webber was also lucky not to be penalized for traveling when he first picked up the ball, which may have been marginally less humiliating than the blunder for which he was subsequently punished.
6. Christian Laettner's Shot In 1992 Against Kentucky
Christian Laettner gathered in a three-quarter-court pass with 2.1 seconds remaining in overtime in the 1992 East Region final, took one dribble, and made the game-winning shot to advance Duke to the Final Four.
"The Shot" is seen as one of the most memorable games in NCAA tournament history, in which Duke defeated Kentucky 104-103 in overtime.
While Laettner's shot is the most iconic moment from the 1992 March Madness, it was far from the Blue Devils' last pivotal play, as they went on to defeat Indiana and Michigan to win the championship.
7. The Game-Winning Shot by Michael Jordan
After winning the 1982 national championship with North Carolina, Michael Jordan became an NBA star with the Chicago Bulls.
With 14 seconds of the game remaining against Georgetown, he hit the game-winning shot to give the Tar Heels the title.
James Worthy caught a pass at the top of the key seconds after Jordan's jumper and secured the win.
Hakeem Olajuwon came off the bench to help the Tar Heels beat Georgetown (63-62) in the semifinal (national).
