Goz’s Top 10 NCAA Tournament Buzzer Beaters
The NCAA tournament officially tipped off yesterday as the First Four battled in Dayton for the right to play in the Round of 64. Most fans consider the NCAA tournament to officially begin Thursday. Now that the round of 64 is less than twenty four hours away, I ranked the top ten NCAA tournament buzzer beaters of all time. Remember for this list for it be considered a "buzzer beater" the game needed to end on that shot. (That disqualifies Northwestern State vs Iowa in 2006, Xavier vs Ohio State in 2007, and others) What's your favorite? Let us know below
#10 Tyus Edney 1995 Second Round UCLA vs Missouri
Coast to Coast! The speed of Tyus Edney helped UCLA take down Missouri on this buzzer beater. The Bruins would go on to win four more games and win the 1995 national championship
#9 Mike Miller 2000 First Round Florida vs Butler
What many people may forget about this one is that Florida went on to the national championship this season before losing to "The Flintstones" and Michigan State. Another favorite for me as this may be the first time I was able to convince my parents to let me out of school early to watch the tournament.
#8 Scottie Reynolds 2009 Regional Final Villanova vs Pittsburgh
The best player on your team makes a buzzer beater to beat your rival to go to the Final Four?! This was a fun for me for a few reasons. 1) My then 76 year old grandma had filled out one of still the best overall brackets I have ever seen. She picks her hometown Panthers every year but I remember how sad she was when they lost. 2) I watched this at a college party and may have been the only one at that time noticing how amazing this play was. This game may not even count technically because the game may have added time later. I don't remember because of the alcohol on this night
#7 Paul Jesperson 2016 First Round Northern Iowa vs Texas
It seems silly now but some fans were calling this shot the great buzzer beater in NCAA tournament history last year. This is no doubt amazing and will live on in Northern Iowa history
#6 Danero Thomas 2010 First Round Murray State vs Vanderbilt
Maybe not one of the most well known buzzer beaters but one of my personal favorites. I remember few people besides my self had this Murray State upset in their bracket that year. I was home for spring break from college for this one and still remember running around my grandma's house after the shot had gone in.
#5 Drew Nicholas 2003 First Round Maryland vs UNC Wilmington
I was in a bar in East Lansing, Michigan watching the finish to this classic game. My friends and I had traveled to visit my friend's brother who was playing for Michigan State football at the time. The place erupted for this buzzer beater. Plus of all the buzzer beaters on this list, this may be the highest when it comes to level of difficulty
#4 Bryce Drew 1998 First Round Valparaiso vs Ole Miss
A Cinderella 13 seed down by two in the first round. The coach draws up a play FOR HIS OWN SON. His son catches It and nails the game winner. This is one buzzer beater fans should never forget.
#3 Christian Laettner 1992 Regional Final Duke vs Kentucky
This always feels like the "perfect" buzzer beater. The impossible needs to happen. A perfect pass, a perfect catch, a dribble and the finish. Just like this shot, Laettner was perfect from the field in the match up against Kentucky.
#2 Lorenzo Charles 1983 National Championship NC State vs Houston
It was a tight battle for the #1 spot. This is a buzzer beater to win the national championship in a huge upset victory for NC State over Houston. Dereck Whittenburg still claims to this day it was a pass to Lorenzo Charles and not a shot.
#1 Kris Jenkins 2016 National Championship Villanova vs North Carolina
A buzzer beater to win a national championship! You can't beat it! Time will make Jenkins' shot last year go down as the greatest in tournament history.
What do you make of the list? Let us know below