1939:
* The First Tournament: The inaugural NCAA Men's Basketball
Tournament was held in 1939, featuring just eight teams. The University of
Oregon won the first championship.
1966:
* Texas Western's Historic Win: In the 1966 NCAA Men's Basketball
Championship Game, Texas Western (now known as UTEP) defeated Kentucky to
become the first team to start five African-American players in a championship
game.
1979:
* Magic vs. Bird: In the 1979 NCAA Men's Basketball
Tournament, Magic Johnson and the Michigan State Spartans faced off against
Larry Bird and the Indiana State Sycamores in the championship game. Michigan
State won, launching a rivalry between the two future NBA stars.
1982:
* Michael Jordan's Game-Winning Shot: In the 1982 NCAA Men's
Basketball Championship Game, Michael Jordan hit a game-winning shot with 15
seconds remaining to give North Carolina the victory over Georgetown.
1990:
* The Runnin' Rebels: In 1990, the University of Nevada, Las
Vegas (UNLV) men's basketball team won the NCAA championship with one of the
most dominant performances in tournament history. They set a record for largest
margin of victory in a championship game, defeating Duke by 30 points.
1992:
* The Duke "Fab Five" Upset: In the 1992 NCAA Men's
Basketball Tournament, Duke, the defending champion and number one seed, faced
off against Michigan's "Fab Five" in the championship game. Duke won
a close game, 71-51, denying Michigan its first national title.
2006:
* George Mason's Cinderella Run: In the 2006 NCAA Men's
Basketball Tournament, George Mason, a small school from Virginia, made a
surprise run to the Final Four as an 11th seed. They defeated powerhouses like
Michigan State, North Carolina, and UConn along the way.
2016:
* The Villanova Buzzer-Beater: In the
2016 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Game, Villanova's Kris Jenkins hit a
three-point buzzer-beater to defeat North Carolina in one of the most dramatic
finishes in tournament history.
2017:
* The
South Carolina Upset: In the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, South
Carolina, a number 7 seed, upset Duke and made a surprise run to the Final
Four. It was the first Final Four appearance in school history.
The
Oregon Injuries: In the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, the Oregon Ducks
suffered a series of key injuries, including to leading scorer Chris Boucher,
but managed to make it to the Final Four before losing to North Carolina.
2018:
* The
UMBC Upset: In the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, the University of
Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), became the first 16 seed in tournament
history to defeat a 1 seed, upsetting Virginia in the first round.
The
Michigan Run: In the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, the University of
Michigan made a surprise run to the championship game as a 3 seed, winning
close games against Houston, Texas A&M, and Florida State along the way.
2019:
* The
Zion Williamson Show: In the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, Duke's Zion
Williamson, one of the most hyped college basketball players in recent memory,
led the Blue Devils to the Elite Eight before they were upset by Michigan
State.
The
Ja Morant Show: In the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, Murray State's Ja
Morant, a dynamic point guard and projected NBA lottery pick, led the Racers to
the first round before they were eliminated by Florida State.
2021:
* The Gonzaga Quest for Perfection: In the 2021 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, Gonzaga entered the Final Four with a perfect 30-0 record, but ultimately lost in the championship game to Baylor.
The Oral Roberts Cinderella Run: In the 2021 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, Oral Roberts, a small school from Oklahoma, made a surprise run to the Sweet 16 as a 15 seed, upsetting Ohio State and Florida along the way. Top of Form
0 Comments