| It's that time of year again and across the USA | | | | missed his first attempt, then with his second he |
| March Madness is erupting on basketball courts, | | | | tripped backwards and fell while sinking a |
| sports bars, living room couches and just about | | | | jaw-dropping 15-footer which cemented the win. |
| anywhere else you can plug in a television. Heading | | | | Now nicknamed 'Rip,' and playing with the Detroit |
| into its 69th year, the NCAA Final Four has seen | | | | Pistons, Richard was the 1999 NBA Lottery pick |
| its share of memorable moments. Never a | | | | of the Washington Wizards. He won the 2004 |
| disappointment the wealth of glorious victories, | | | | NBA Championship with the Pistons and was the |
| incredible upsets and nail-biting finales have | | | | team's leading scorer. |
| ensured this annual tournament as one of | | | | 5. Tyus Edney: UCLA vs. Missouri - 1995 |
| America's most beloved. To celebrate and | | | | UCLA was trailing by 1 with just 4.8 seconds left |
| prepare for the 2008 NCAA Final Four in San | | | | on the clock. Edney took an inbound pass, sped |
| Antonio, we present the top ten bench-clearing | | | | coast-to-coast and dribbled behind his back before |
| buzzer-beaters in March Madness history. | | | | tossing up a layup off the glass to beat the |
| 10. Mike Miller: Florida vs. Butler - 2000 | | | | Tigers at the buzzer, giving the Bruins a 75-74 |
| Number 10 on the NCAA Top Buzzer Beaters list | | | | win over Missouri in a second-rounder. Later in the |
| goes to Mike Miller, then with the Florida Gators. | | | | tournament against UConn, Edney had another full |
| With mere seconds remaining in what had been a | | | | court run and drained a 25-foot 3-pointer en route |
| very close game, Miller hit a runner in the lane as | | | | to a 102-96 victory which led UCLA to win the |
| time expired. Guaranteeing the Gators win, Miller | | | | title. Drafted in 1995 in the second round by the |
| sank one right as the buzzer sounded and lifted | | | | Sacramento Kings, he has bounced around the |
| the Gators over Butler, 69-68, in overtime. The | | | | NBA and European professional leagues ever since. |
| first-round win sparked Florida to a 2000 NCAA | | | | 4. Bryce Drew: Valparaiso vs. Ole Miss- 1998 |
| Championship game appearance where they | | | | Straight out of a Hollywood sports flick, |
| eventually lost to Michigan State. This was the | | | | Valparaiso's head Coach, Homer Drew, watched in |
| beginning of Miller's evolution into a top NBA | | | | agony as his own son Bryce missed a potential |
| player. Miller, currently with the NBA's Memphis | | | | game-winning basket with just 4.5 seconds to |
| Grizzlies, has gained the reputation as one of the | | | | remaining. After a foul, Ole Miss ends up missing 2 |
| best in the league for his ability to hit the clutch | | | | free-throw attempts. With just a couple seconds |
| three-pointer. He was selected 5th overall in the | | | | left on the clock Valpo ran the hook-and-ladder |
| 2000 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic and nabbed | | | | and executed the last-second play to precision as |
| himself the 2001 Schick Rookie of the Year | | | | Bryce drilled a three-pointer at the horn for a |
| Award. Still going strong Miller earned himself the | | | | 70-69 first-round victory. Drew, arguably the best |
| NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award for the 2006 | | | | player in Valpo school history, was a first Round |
| NBA season. | | | | pick for the Houston Rockets in 1998. The first |
| 9. Drew Nicholas: Maryland vs. UNCW - 2003 | | | | ever first round pick from Valparaiso, Bryce |
| UNCW was close to the win until Nicholas, like a | | | | played 6 years in the NBA and 1 in Europe before |
| man possessed, kept Maryland's title-defense | | | | returning to his Alma mater to serve as his |
| dreams alive when he took an inbound pass | | | | father's assistant coach. |
| spanning the entire length of the court. Drew then | | | | 3. Lorenzo Charles: N.C. State vs. Houston - 1983 |
| weaved his way through multiple defenders | | | | Tied 52-52 against much favored Houston with |
| before swishing a running, fade-away | | | | time running down in the NCAA title game, point |
| three-pointer at the buzzer with 2 defenders still | | | | guard Derek Whittenburg heaved up a last ditch |
| draped all over him. The miracle basket gave the | | | | 30-footer from 3-point range. Lorenzo Charles |
| sixth-seeded Terrapins a 75-73 first-round win | | | | caught the air ball and dunked it at the buzzer, |
| over No.11 UNC Wilmington. Following the huge | | | | ally-oop style, and pandemonium erupted on the |
| win, Nicholas was selected in the 2003 USBL Draft | | | | court. A team that included NBA perennial |
| by the Texas Rim Rockers. Nicholas most | | | | All-Stars Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon and |
| recently played guard for Efes Pilsen SK in | | | | the rest of Phi Slama Jama had been defeated. |
| Turkey. He was released by the team for | | | | Charles later played for the NBA Atlanta Hawks, a |
| following security warnings from the American | | | | number of European teams and the USBL's |
| Embassy and refusing to travel to Serbia for a | | | | Raleigh Cougars. |
| Euroleague Top 16 game in Belgrade. | | | | 2. Keith Smart: Indiana vs. Syracuse - 1987 |
| 8. Danny Ainge: BYU vs. Notre Dame - 1981 | | | | With time running out Smart dribbled to the |
| It's difficult to pick the most memorable moment | | | | baseline and nailed a 12-footer that gave the |
| from Danny Ainge's long and amazing sports | | | | Hoosiers a 74-73 win over the Syracuse |
| career, but this game is definitely in the running. | | | | Orangemen. Smart, who scored 12 of his team's |
| Ainge went the entire length of the court and | | | | final 15 points that game, never made much of an |
| lofted in an unlikely finger roll at the buzzer to | | | | impact in the NBA where he played 2 games for |
| upset No. 2 Notre Dame and shock the packed | | | | the Spurs. He spent the rest of his career in the |
| house. After playing for the Blue Jays in the MLB, | | | | CBA for 6 seasons and also had stops in the |
| Ainge ended up drafted by the Boston Celtics | | | | World Basketball League and the Philippines. He is |
| who bought him out of his Blue Jays contract. | | | | currently an assistant coach with the Golden |
| With the Celtics, he quickly gained a reputation of | | | | State Warriors. |
| angering his opponents with his brash style. After | | | | 1. Christian Laettner: Duke vs. Kentucky - 1992 |
| winning the NBA title in 1984 and 1986, he went | | | | Who can forget this gem of a Final Four |
| on to play with the Kings, Trail Blazers, and Suns. | | | | moment? With just 2.1 seconds remaining in |
| During this period he twice lost to the Michael | | | | overtime Duke trailed Kentucky 103-102. Grant Hill |
| Jordan led Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals, once | | | | threw a beautiful pass the length of the court to |
| with Portland and the year following with the | | | | Christian Laettner who dribbled once, turned, and |
| Phoenix Suns. He is currently GM for the Boston | | | | hit a jumper as time expired for the 104-103 win. |
| Celtics. | | | | It was the end of a heart-breaking game for Rick |
| 7. Tate George: UConn vs. Clemson - 1990 | | | | Pitino's Wildcats who had managed to come back |
| Clemson practically had the champagne bottles | | | | from a double-digit deficit only to watch their |
| already popping after they scored a 3-pointer with | | | | dreams crash and burn due to one miracle shot. |
| just 1.6 seconds left in the game. That was until | | | | Laettner is considered one of the greatest college |
| Tate George brough a harsh end to their | | | | players of all time, largely due to his outstanding |
| premature party. George caught a full-court pass, | | | | play in 4 consecutive Final Fours. He went on to |
| landed, turned and then drilled a fall-away jumper | | | | play 13 seasons in the NBA beginning with the |
| to send the UConn Huskies to a 71-70 win over | | | | Minnesota Timberwolves as the 3rd pick in the |
| Clemson in the East Regional semi-finals. Clemson | | | | 1992 draft. |
| was left stunned and UConn fans went absolutely | | | | Hopefully this list of the Top 10 supremely |
| out of their minds. Tate George was drafted | | | | amazing game endings in the history of the NCAA |
| 22nd overall in 1990 by the New Jersey Nets. He | | | | Final Four has left you quivering in anticipation for |
| played 4 years in the NBA with the Milwaukee | | | | this year's tournament and already scrambling for |
| Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers. | | | | NCAA tickets to next year's big show. Regardless |
| 6. Richard Hamilton: UConn vs. Washington - 1998 | | | | of what happens in the future the incredible |
| Shortly after Washington finally managed to gain | | | | legacy of players like Tate George, Mike Miller, |
| the lead, Richard Hamilton sank a desperate wild | | | | Danny Ainge, Richard Hamilton, Christian Laettner |
| basket and gave UConn the win in a dramatic | | | | and other NCAA miracle makers will remain in the |
| fashion. The Huskies missed three put-back | | | | March Madness history books for all time. |
| attempts - the ball bounced out to Hamilton who | | | | |