First it was Butler’s Matt Howard followed by Temple’s Juan Fernandez. Both had last-second heroics and provided unforgettable moments like these:
5. Tyus Edney’s charge » Top-seeded UCLA trailed Missouri by one point and had to go the length of the court in 4.8 seconds in 1995. No problem. Edney, the point guard, used a behind-the-back dribble at midcourt and then drove for a bank shot at the last second. The Bruins went on win their 11th championship.
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4. By George! » Clemson took a 70-69 lead on UConn with one second remaining in 1990. But the Huskies pulled off the miracle. Scott Burrell threw a fullcourt pass to Tate George, who hit a turnaround jumper at the buzzer in this Sweet 16 classic.
3. Happy Father’s Day » Of course it was the coach’s kid who came through with the clutch play in this 1998 first-round game. After Mississippi missed a free throw, Valparaiso had 2.5 seconds left to go the length of the court. The hook-and-lateral play resulted in a Bryce Drew 3-pointer.
2. Championship heroics » N.C. State’s Derek Wittenberg‘s airball in the title game against Houston led to the most famous rebound in NCAA history when teammate Lorenzo Charles dunked it, beating the heavily favored Cougars 54-52 in 1983.
1. Laettner » Perhaps the most famous play in NCAA tournament history. With 2.1 seconds left in overtime, Duke’s Grant Hill threw a perfect three-quarters court pass to Christian Laettner. He faked right and turned back left to swish a 15-footer and beat Kentucky 104-103 in overtime in a 1992 East Region final.
