Game 10: Illinois 90 Arizona 89, 2005 Elite 8
Illinois had a magical season but it appeared over as Arizona enjoyed a 75-60 lead with 4 minutes left. But the Illini charged all the way back, tying the game with :39 seconds left on a Deron Williams 3. Illinois took control in overtime, leading 90-84. But this time Arizona mounted a comeback and had the ball with a chance to win but Williams hounded the Wildcats Hassan Adams into a tough shot and the Illini returned to the Final 4 for the 1st time since 1989.
Game 9: Hampton 58 Iowa State 57, 2001 1st Round
Hampton surged to a 31-255 halftime lead but that evaporated in the 1st 3 minutes of the second half as the Cyclones took a 46-35 lead. But the Pirates would get back to within 1 late. They had a chance to take the lead in the final minute but missed a shot and Iowa State coralled the rebound with :39 left but instead of milking the clock, Jamaal Tinsley went for layup and missed with :21 left. Hampto capitalized as Senior Tarvis Williams made a hook shot to give them the lead with 6.9 seconds left. Tinsley missed at the buzzer and the Pirates had pulled off the 15-2 upset.
Game 8: Indiana 69 Kansas 68, 1953 National Title Game
Indiana All-American guard Bobby Leonard made two freethrows with :27 left to provide the final margin and the Hossiers didn't give the Jayhawks any good looks and a buzzer beaterfel harmlessly away, denying the Jayhawks back-to-back titles.
Game 7: North Carolina 54 Kansas 53, 1957 National Title Game
The national title game was played in Kansas City, giving the Jayhawks a de facto home game. With Wilt Chmaberlain, the Jayhawks were 12-point favorites despite the Tar Heels 31-0 record. In the 3rd overtime, Carolina's Joe Quigg calmly sank 2 freethrows with 6 seconds left to give UNC a 54-53 lead. Quigg also denied a pass to Chamberlain at the end and the Tar Heels had won the title and capped a perfect season.
Game 6: Indiana 74 Syracuse 73, 1987 National Title Game
Derrick Coleman had a wonderful game for a freshman, grabbing 19 boards against the Hoosiers but he missed the front end of a one-and-one with :28 left and then Keith Smart broke the hearts of the Orange faithful.
Game 5: Kansas 75 Memphis 68, 2008 National Title Game
Memphis lead 60-51 with 2:12 left but the Jayhawks had gotten it to 62-60 with :26 left. After a Chris Douglas-Roberts miss, the Jayhawks Sherron Collins drove the to the bucket in an attempt to tie but super frosh Derrick Rose swatted it away to Douglas-Roberts who was fouled. He missedthe first FT but Robert Dozier got the board and swung it to Rose who was fouled. Rose also missed and KU this time got the board. Collins wildly dribbled up the court nearly falling down before shoveling the ball to Mario Chalmers who would hit a game tying 3 with 3.6 seconds left. KU dominated ovt. and won Bill Self a title.
Game 4: Utah 42 Dartmouth 40, 1944 National Title Game
Dartmouth's Dick McGuire sent the game into overtime with a buzzer beating jump shot. Inovertime, Herb Wilkinson of the Utes outdid McGuire by hitting a long range jumper at the buzzer to give the Utes their title.
Game 3: Duke 104 Kentucky 103, 1992 Elite 8
10-10, 10-10, one chest "lovetap", the greatest game ever, perhaps. (Yes, this hsould be at the top of all lists for best games ever).
Game 2: NC State 54 Houston 52, 1982 National Title Game
Phi Slamma Jamma was no match for the Valvano mojo. The Wolfpack culminated their unlikely run with one of the most unlikely finishes in college basketball history scoring on a putback dunk off a missed, hurried, no chance 30'. And forever, all NCAA tournament montages will include Jim Valvano's frantic charge to find someone to hug.
Game 1: Loyola(Chicago) 60 Cincinnati 58, 1963 National Title Game
Cincinnati was the two-time defending champion. Loyola was a pioneer, starting 4 African-American players when it was considered taboo to start more than 2. Earlier in the tournament, Loyola defeated Mississippi State who had to sneak out of Mississippi just to play the game as the Governor attempted to invoke an injunction to keep them from playing a team that started four African-Americans. Loyola would play and win that game (In a sidenote, MSU Captain, Joe Dan Gold would personally walk over and shake the hands of the Loyola players despite the rancor back in Mississippi). In this game, Jerry Harkness buried a jumper to send the game to overtime. The Ramblers had been down by as many as 12 with 10 minutes left. In overtime, Harkness made a pass to Lee Hunter who missed a difficult shot but Loyola's Vic Rouse, a polio survivor was there for the buzzer beating tip-in.
Will 2013 have any worthy of inclusion?
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