Upsets, buzzer beaters and the dramatic fall of the overall No. 1 seed combined to make the first two rounds of the 2010 NCAA Tournament the most intense opening weekend ever. Whew, now that we can take a breath, what were the top five moments?
1. Farokhmanesh fires away » With 34 seconds left on the game clock, 30 on the shot clock and his team leading No. 1 Kansas by one point, Ali Farokhmanesh (Northern Iowa) swished an audacious 3-pointer. It was the haymaker that brought down a giant.
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2. Bombs away » In the most frantic finish this weekend, Michigan State’s Korie Lucious hit a top-of-the-key 23-footer to beat the buzzer and shock Maryland 85-83. The Terps had rallied from 16 points down in the final 12 minutes.
3. The first salvo » The shot that started the Madness on Thursday came from Murray State’s Danero Thomas. The senior guard’s 15-footer at the buzzer turned defeat into a 66-65 victory as the No. 13 Racers toppled No. 4 Vanderbilt.
4. Hail Mary’s » St. Mary’s guard Mickey McConnell took a 25-footer that caromed off the glass and in, giving the No. 10 Gaels the lead for good over No. 2 Villanova with 1:17 left in regulation.
5. Sw-Ish Smith » Wake Forest’s Ishmael Smith hit a pull-up 17-footer with 1.3 seconds left in OT, capping a rally from eight points down as the Demon Deacons nipped Texas.
