March Madness: Top 5 Buzzer Beaters of All-Time

The the NCAA tournament just around the corner, let’s dip deep into the nostalgia and relive the best last-second shots in the history of March Madness.  There are sure to plenty of exciting moments in this season’s tournament, but for now let’s sit back and enjoy these blasts from the past.  Looking to bet on the NCAA basketball tournament this year?  Try BetUS for great bonuses and fast payouts during March Madness.

1. Christian Laettner: Duke vs Kentucky – 1992

What a classic Final Four moment? With just 2.1 seconds remaining in overtime Duke trailed Kentucky 103-102. Grant Hill threw a beautiful pass the length of the court to Christian Laettner who dribbled once, turned, and hit a jumper as time expired for the 104-103 win (Famously recreated by Chris Farely). It was the end of a heart-breaking game for Rick Pitino’s Wildcats who had managed to come back from a double-digit deficit only to watch their dreams die due to one miracle shot. Laettner is considered one of the greatest college players of all time, largely due to his outstanding play in 4 consecutive Final Fours. He went on to play 13 (quite pedestrian) seasons in the NBA beginning with the Minnesota Timberwolves as the 3rd pick in the 1992 draft.

2. Bryce Drew: Valparaiso vs. Ole Miss- 1998

Straight out of a Hollywood, Valparaiso’s head Coach, Homer Drew, watched in agony as his own son Bryce missed a potential game-winning basket with just 4.5 seconds to remaining. After a foul, Ole Miss ends up missing 2 free-throw attempts. With just a couple seconds left on the clock Valparaiso ran the hook-and-ladder and executed the last-second play to precision as Bryce drilled a three-pointer at the horn for a 70-69 first-round victory. Drew, arguably the best player in Valpo school history, was a first Round pick for the Houston Rockets in 1998. The first ever first round pick from Valparaiso, Bryce played 6 years in the NBA and 1 in Europe before returning to his Alma mater to serve as his father’s assistant coach.

3. Lorenzo Charles: NC State v Houston – 1983

Matched up against a Houston team that featured future NBA Hall of Famers Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon, NC State was the definitely the underdog. Tied at 52 points, NC State’s Derek Wittenberg shot up an airball, but it turned out to be a good thing, as his teammate Lorenzo Charles caught the airball and slammed back the miss. That famous dunk not only won the NC State Wolfpack the game, but also the 1985 National Championship.

4. Richard Hamilton: UCONN v Washington Huskies – 1998

In 1998, the number two-seed UCONN Huskies faced the pesky, 11-seed Washington Huskies squad in the Sweet 16. UCONN found themselves down by one point with 10 seconds left in the game. After Huskies star Richard Hamilton missed a layup, players from both teams fought for the rebound before it was tipped back to Richard’s hands with a few seconds left. Richard quickly took a fade away jump shot over a mob of Washington defenders and as the clock ticked to zero, the ball swished through the net and UCONN won 74-73.

5. Kenton Paulino: Texas vs. WVU – 2006

In the 11th hour at the Georgia Dome, WVU’s two star players, Mike Gansey and Kevin Pittsnogle, each nailed two three pointers with under 25 seconds left to finally tie a game in which they were down (at times by double digits) for most of the way. With 5 ticks left on the clock, Texas, loaded with future NBA players Daniel “Boobie” Gibson and LaMarcus Aldridge, had one last chance before OT. As Gibson sprinted up the court, he propelled the ball to Kenton Paulino, the team’s fourth option and unassuming hero, who was to the deep left side of the arc. With the seconds fading away, he hit the 3 that carried the Hook ‘em’ Horns riding into the Elite 8.