Top 10 NCAA Tournament Games

My friends, welcome to the greatest week of the year! Don’t get me wrong, March through mid-April is elite due to college basketball. However, the first weekend is pure wonder as we have four days straight of basketball. In case anyone is wondering, I asked off work months ago to ensure I will be celebrating accordingly this week. Starting on Tuesday, yes I will watch at least some of the play-in games, through Sunday, I will be watching basketball and doing nothing else. It is called true bliss, and I hope everyone has the chance to do the same. There is nothing else a basketball fan is supposed to be doing during this weekend. To get prepared for these games I wanted to list the Top 10 NCAA tournament games since 2000 for you all to enjoy.

A couple of disclaimers before we get started here. First off, these games are not ranked in any order. Each game was incredible in their own way and ranking them would be too difficult. Finally, these are only NCAA Tournament games. As much as I would have loved to include Kemba’s step back against Pitt in the Big East tournament, it didn’t meet the qualifications I was looking for. With all that being said, it was a blast to relive and re-watch highlights from these incredible games. Please enjoy!

UMBC vs. Virginia (2018)

This may not have been the biggest nail biter in tournament history, but it was a historic game. The NCAA tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. It took over 30 years for a sixteen seed to beat a one seed. In 2018 it finally happened due to the University of Maryland- Baltimore County Retrievers pulling off the greatest upset in tournament history. This Virginia team was 31-2 and won games due to their suffocating defense. Surprisingly the overlooked Retrievers UMBC came in as huge underdogs but played like a veteran team that expected to win. In the end this game wasn’t even close at the Retrievers won 74-54. UMBC went from an unknown team, to a team that will go down in March Madness History.

Georgia State vs. Baylor (2015)

Another first round game that was not supposed to be as close or iconic as it ended up being was Georgia State vs Baylor in 2015. Baylor was a high powered 3 seed and Georgia State was a 14 seed. Here is another game that was close throughout, but Baylor was slowly starting to pull away. The Bears led 56-44 with just under three minutes left in the game. Those, however, were the last points Baylor would score. Georgia State came roaring back into the game after being on their last breathe. Missed free throws and shots by Baylor, to go along with Georgia State’s RJ Hunter catching fire take this game down to the last seconds. The Panthers get the ball off a missed free throw with 15 seconds left. To the shock of us watching, they didn’t take it to the rim while they were down just two, and instead RJ Hunter shook his defender and fired a three to take the lead. As the ball went through, his coach and father, Ron Hunter fell out of his chair in excitement as the Panthers pull ahead. Baylor’s cold streak continued as they missed the final shot to avoid the Panthers upset bid. This game ended with Georgia State upsetting Baylor 57-56. The Baylor collapse, upset by Georgia State, iconic RJ Hunter three, and Ron Hunter falling out of his chair are engraved in my mind and is what makes this game so memorable.

Texas A&M vs. Northern Iowa (2016)

Here we have a second round game that often gets overlooked when talking about great March Madness games. This game not only features one of the most insane comebacks of all time, but it also introduced us to NBA sweetheart Alex Caruso. Texas A&M was the three seed and won their first game handily against Green Bay. Northern Iowa, on the other hand, upset Texas with a half court heave at the buzzer. The Aggies were favored but found themselves down 69-57 with just 44 seconds remaining. Before we knew it, we were staring at 71-71 that was heading to overtime. Caruso and Daniel House led the Aggies back into this game. This amazing comeback overshadows the fact that this game went into two overtimes! The Panthers and Aggies were trading blows that ended in 92-88 Texas A&M win. This game might be missing a major upset, a blue blood team, and a buzzer beater, but you won’t find many better games out there. I encourage everyone to go back and watch the highlights of this game.

Kansas vs. Duke (2018)

Devonte Graham, Grayson Allen, Marvin Bagley, Malik Newman, and Wendell Carter Jr. are just a few of the stars in this Elite Eight matchup. If this game had one thing, it was offensive firepower. A true blue blood matchup and a game that doesn’t get the flowers that it truly deserves. Kansas was the one seed and the Duke Blue Devils were the two seed. This game was close the entire way through and we experienced lead change after lead change. Then the Jayhawks find themselves down 72-69 with under a minute to go. To be honest, I expected Kansas to take a quick two and foul, but of course it’s March and madness ensues. I should’ve known to expect the unexpected. Svi Myhailiuk found himself in an awkward position, spins, and then nails a three pointer to tie up the game. A crazy shot especially when you take into account the Kansas sharpshooter was 2-8 from beyond the arc before that shot. Duke holds the ball for the final shot that ends up being a leaning jumper from controversial star Grayson Allen. The ball hits off the backboard, seem to hang in slow motion, and then rattles out. This miss seems to take the air out of Duke’s sails and they are unable to recover in overtime. The Jayhawks end up winning 85-81 and advance to the Final Four. It ends the career of collegiate villain Grayson Allen in heartbreaking/ deserved fashion depending on your opinion of Allen. The Jayhawks were led in scoring by Malik Newman, who had 32 points and made himself a hero in Lawrence, Kansas forever.

Gonzaga vs. UCLA (2021)

A Cinderella blue blood program vs. an undefeated mid major is not something that is often said. However, that was the case in 2021 when the eleven seeded UCLA Bruins squared off against the undefeated number one overall seed Gonzaga Bulldogs. The Bruins went on a deep tournament run that led them to a Final Four showdown against the Zags. The Bulldogs were led by Drew Timme, Cory Kispert, and Freshman Jalen Suggs. I don’t think a team can ever over look an opponent this deep in the NCAA Tournament. With that being said, it was assumed that 31-0 Gonzaga would beat UCLA without having to sweat it out. That clearly wasn’t the case or it wouldn’t have been included on this list. UCLA with Jaime Jacquez and Johnny Juzang came to play and ended the first half down just one point. The second half ended tied 81-81 after some sloppy play led into overtime. With just three seconds left Bruins star Johnny Juzang hit a layup to tie the game at 90. We were heading to double overtime! Or were we? Jalen Suggs gets the ball inbounded to him and weaves his way up the court. He stops a few steps after he crosses half court and fires. The ball then hangs in the air for what seems like an eternity. The ball hits the backboard and then goes through the net. The bank was open that day for Mr. Suggs. If you were a Gonzaga fan it was heaven and if you wanted to see the Zags lose it was heartbreak. Baylor may have ruined the undefeated season in the title game, but Jalen Suggs will live forever in March Madness lore.

Wisconsin vs. Kentucky (2015)

Now let me take you to the Final Four in 2015. Here we see America sweetheart and Wisconsin take on the 38-0 Kentucky Wildcats. This Kentucky team featured Karl Anthony Towns and was so deep that future NBA star Devin Booker came off the bench. On the other hand, the Badgers were led by a man known simply as Frank the Tank. Frank Kaminsky was an All-American and displayed his skill throughout the entire season for the badgers. To make a long story short, the Wisconsin Badgers were our heroes and the Kentucky Wildcats were the villains. This game was tight the whole way through. With just under two minutes left, Kaminsky’s running mate, Sam Dekker, drills a huge three to put the Badgers up 63-60. Unfortunately, that was the last made bucket of the game as it became a bit of a free throw fest. Nonetheless, it was still exciting until the very end. Frank the Tank led all scorers with his 20 point double-double as Wisconsin played spoiler to Kentucky’s undefeated season. The final score ended up being 71-64 and ensured that the 1975-1976 Indiana Hoosiers were the last unbeaten team in college basketball.

Syracuse vs. Kansas (2003)

Now we’ve made it to the greatest championship games of this century. First, we have the 2003 championship where the Kirk Hinrich, Nick Collison Jayhawks squared off against rising star Carmelo Anthony and the Orange. The Syracuse Orange got off to a blistering start scoring 53 points in the first half and taking a 11 point lead into the locker room. Their offense slowed down in the second half as the Jayhawks quickly closed the gap and made this title game a contest. As the game neared the end, Kansas had cut the lead to three points and had the ball. The Jayhawks fired a three that was blocked by Syracuse’s Hakim Warrick as time expired. The game ended with a score of Syracuse 81 Kansas 78. The Jayhawks shot 12-30 from the charity stripe and exemplified why the free throw line is so important come march. Despite the horrible shooting, Syracuse deserves all the credit. Guard Gerry McNamara hit six threes and Carmelo led all scorers with 20 points. In addition to that, Hakim Warrick became one of the least appreciated March heroes in recent memory with his game-saving block.

Duke vs. Butler (2010)

This game exemplifies what March Madness is all about! A blue blood program in Duke taking on Butler who was on once of the greatest Cinderella runs this tournament has ever seen. Duke was a number 1 seed and the Bulldogs entered the tournament as a 5 seed. A 5 seed making a run isn’t inconceivable, but Butler being a mid major makes it even more improbable. This game was a low scoring brawl and like most of the games on this list, were close throughout the entire game. Down the stretch, Matt Howard from Butler hit two layups to cut Duke’s lead to one with under a minute left. Then Duke splits a pair of free throws with just three seconds left. Gordon Hayward grabs the miss and heaves a half court shot for the win. The shot is right on line, it looks like the Cinderella story is complete. Then as time expires, the clock strikes midnight for our Cinderella as the shot hits the backboard, then the rim, and bounces out. Final score is Duke 61 and Butler 59. I still watch that shot today and I don’t understand how it didn’t go in. Gordon Hayward experienced heartbreak in its truest form as the Blue Devils win another title.

Kansas vs. Memphis (2008)

In this National Championship, two one seeds square off as the Kansas Jayhawks take on the Memphis Tigers. This tournament was truly elite as we saw all four one seed reach the final four and we were introduced to Steph Curry while he was at Davidson. This game had a lot of big time performances. For Memphis, future number 1 pick and NBA star, Derrick Rose had 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists while Chris Douglas-Roberts led all scorers with 22 points. For the Jayhawks Darrell Arthur had 20 points and 10 rebounds and Mario Chalmers added in 18 of his own. Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the game was close through the first thirty minutes and then the Tigers begin to pull away which gave them a 60-51 lead with two minutes left to play. The Jayhawks go on a run and end up closing the game to 63-60 due to some great offense and missed Memphis free throws. The Jayhawks have the ball with 10 seconds left. They run a dribble handoff where the point guard slips but manages to get it to Mario Chalmers. Chalmers take a dribble, pulls up from the top of the key, and hits nothing but nylon. This game head to overtime and the overtime period is all Jayhawks as Bill Self get his first championship. The Jayhawks win 75-68 and John Calipari soon leaves Memphis for Kentucky. Like others on this list, that shot gave Mario Chalmers immortality and made his name unanimous with March Madness.

Villanova vs. North Carolina (2016)

Now this was one of the craziest games these eyes have ever witnessed. A true showdown between a one seed and a two seed for the national championship. I remember watching this at Buffalo Wild Wings and almost missing the final few minutes. Thank goodness I didn’t miss a second. Another game that was close for awhile but then Nova goes up 67-57 with under five minutes to play. The Tarheels come climbing back into the game as Marcus Paige starts to heat up. Then with 13 seconds left, North Carolina gets the ball down three. They get the ball to the red-hot Paige who contorts in mid air to get open for a game-tying, deep three pointer with just four seconds left. All signs are pointing towards this game going in to overtime. After a timeout, Ryan Arcidiacono brings the ball up the court, drops the ball off behind him to the trail man, Kris Jenkins, a few feet behind the three point arc. Jenkins rises, fires, and bang. He drills the game winning three as time expires and etches his name in tournament history. An elite play design that I now see teams running when they need a three late in game. One of the wildest games I’ve ever seen and the Jenkins shot overshadows the insane three made by Marcus Paige. A legendary game that still gives me chills every time I see the highlights.

Those ten games will forever live in March Madness history/ infamy. Each game provides a unique moment, power dynamic, comeback, star player, etc. Which is the glory of the tournament, there is joy and heartbreak on each side of every tournament game. That is why we watch. We will see future NBA stars come into there own and see college kids become legends by making clutch plays. I just hope we’ll see some games that can be added to a list like this in years down the road. Like I said earlier, enjoy the tournament this year my friends. Once the final seconds tick away and the championship net gets cut down, we will have to wait until next March for tournament time to come around again.