Top 25 March Madness heroes of all-time

Connecticut players are no stranger to being March Madness heroes, and pint-sized Shabazz Napier fits that mold. He is one of the biggest heroes in school history following the run he led the Huskies on in 2014.

While he was a strong regular season performer, winning the AAC Player of the Year award, he didn’t really break out as a household name until the NCAA Tournament began. Once the bright lights were shining, this kid was an absolute menace.

Coming out of the AAC, Connecticut was just a No. 7 seed and it looked like they had a relatively tough draw in the East, having to play Villanova in the second round. The Huskies took care of the Wildcats behind Napier’s 25 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals. They then drew Iowa State in the Sweet 16 and this was when everyone started to believe. The Huskies toppled the Cyclones on Napier’s 19 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Then, regional favorite, despite being the No. 4 seed, Michigan State awaited in the Elite Eight. The Spartans had plenty of talent, including Gary Harris, Adreian Payne, Denzel Valentine and more eventual NBA picks. The Huskies took care of the Spartans as Napier went off for 25 points again.

The Huskies then beat No. 1 Florida in the Final Four and No. 8 Kentucky in the national title game to beecome one of the lowest seeds to ever win the national title. Napier’s leadership and clutch shooting led the Huskies to the title, making this the second-most memorable point guard-led Connecticut title run in school history.