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Top 5 Greatest Shots in March Madness History
Relive the Most Unforgettable Shots in March Madness History That Left Fans in Awe
Unreal Moments
A tradition fans always look forward to with March Madness is the end of the NCAA tournament when they prepare the package of the best highlights from that year’s tournament set to the song One Shining Moment. It is often filled with incredible shots that set the tone for that year’s journey to the championship.
It is hard to pick the five greatest shots in March Madness history when you have a solid 40-plus years to go through, but we think we have a good selection of great shots that beat the March Madness odds to stand the test of time.
Christian Laettner’s Fadeaway vs Kentucky (1992)
Love them or hate them, and we know it’s mostly hate, but the Duke Blue Devils are a significant part of college basketball, and their most iconic play is hands down one of the greatest shots ever.
While trying to repeat in 1992, Duke was challenged in the Elite Eight against Kentucky. Duke trailed 103-102 in overtime with 2.1 seconds left before Grant Hill threw a deep pass for Christian Laettner, who had the conscience of mind to take one dribble before hitting a fadeaway jumper to beat the buzzer and give Duke a stunning 104-103 win.
March 28, 1992: The Christian Laettner Shot.
Elite 8, Philadelphia, Duke 104 Kentucky 103 OT. pic.twitter.com/4dlSwPvU63
— This Day In Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips) March 28, 2021
Few remember Duke easily won the national championship game by 20 points that year because the Laettner shot was so instantly iconic.
Michael Jordan’s Game-Winner for North Carolina (1982)
Where did the legacy of Michael Jordan as basketball’s greatest clutch scorer really start? It was in the 1982 national championship game when he was a freshman at North Carolina. Down a point against a stout Georgetown defense led by Patrick Ewing, Jordan connected on this famous jump shot with 15 seconds left for a 63-62 win.
The first of many clutch shots for Michael Jordan, lifting @UNC_Basketball to the 1982 National Championship. pic.twitter.com/KasOzTjcAg
— ESPN (@espn) April 19, 2020
With the way the butterfly effect works, who knows if Jordan’s career is as wildly successful as it would have been had he missed that shot. But that was the beginning for him.
Keith Smart’s One Shining Moment (1987)
In the 1987 national championship game, Syracuse led Bobby Knight’s Indiana Hoosiers 73-72 but missed the front end of a one-and-one. The Hoosiers came down the court and got the ball to Keith Smart, who hit an excellent jump shot with four seconds left to take down Syracuse in a 74-73 win that served as Knight’s final championship.
36 years ago today 📆
“Keith Smart is the hero!”
Keith Smart won Indiana the 1987 National Championship over Cuse and Bobby Knight won his 3rd and last title
pic.twitter.com/68h13UPDM8— Mark Titus Show (@MarkTitusShow) March 30, 2023
Smart’s game-winning shot is also notable in that this was the first year where CBS played One Shining Moment at the conclusion of the game.
Mario Chalmers Saves Kansas (2008)
The March Madness odds were in the gutter for Kansas in 2008 as it trailed Memphis late in the national title game. But after Memphis kept the door open with missed free throws, Mario Chalmers saved the day with this incredible 3-point shot with 2.1 seconds left to force overtime.
Tomorrow will make it 1️⃣5️⃣ years since Mario Chalmers hit The Shot for KU. Kansas ended up beating Memphis in OT😯🎉 pic.twitter.com/l74JuMWzmF
— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) April 6, 2023
Kansas prevailed 75-68 in overtime. Chalmers would later score 20 points in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals (Heat vs. Spurs), another iconic basketball game with a title on the line.
Kris Jenkins’ Championship Winner for Villanova (2016)
In 2016, the 3-point shot was just starting to take over the NBA with the success of the Golden State Warriors. But if you want to see an all-time clutch 3 to win a March Madness championship game, you don’t have to look any further than Kris Jenkins of Villanova in the 2016 finale.
After North Carolina tied the game at 74, Jenkins called for the ball with time running out and sunk the winning 3 as time expired in a 77-74 walk-off victory for the ages for Villanova.
On this day in 2016:
Villanova’s Kris Jenkins hits a historic three to win the Wildcats the title over North Carolina😳👀#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/go0LEQsLZ5
— HotZoneSports (@Hot_Zone_Sports) April 4, 2024
