March Madness: 10 best moments from the 2019 NCAA Tournament

1. Virginia completes a tale of historic redemption

Just a year ago, the Virginia Cavaliers were the laughing stocks of college basketball. The Cavaliers became the first 1-seed ever to fall to a 16 when UMBC shot them out of the gym in a blowout loss.

That defeat hung over the Cavaliers all season long, with many doubting whether this year’s Virginia team could actually come up big when the moment mattered most. Virginia earned a top seed again in the NCAA Tournament and fell behind Gardner-Webb by double digits, but after that things started going the Cavaliers’ way.

It started with an easy win over Oklahoma in the Round of 32, sending the Cavaliers back to the Sweet 16. Virginia then knocked out red-hot Oregon and sweet shooting Carsen Edwards (thanks to a buzzer beater from Mamadi Diakite to force overtime) to get to the Final Four.

After surviving against Auburn due to a controversial finish, it should have become clear that destiny was on Virginia’s side. Despite a matchup against Texas Tech’s amazing defense, the Cavaliers weren’t going to be stopped, knocking down 11 three-pointers in the title game.

De’Andre Hunter starred for the Cavaliers in the championship, scoring 27 points (including 25 in the second half) and shutting down Texas Tech star Jarrett Culver to key the win. Just one year after becoming the biggest jokes in college basketball, Virginia can now cut down the nets and claim the title of national champions.