March Madness: 25 greatest buzzer-beaters in NCAA Tournament history

11. Mike Miller: No. 5 Florida vs. No. 12 Butler – 2000 Round of 64

We’ve heard about the curse that is the five seed for the NCAA Tournament with so many major upsets happening in the 5 vs. 12 games. There never seems to be a rhyme or reason to why the fifth seed is susceptible to the upset, but it happens almost every year.

Here, way back in the year 2000, the 5th seeded Florida Gators knew they had the talent to go on a run, but a run was almost ended before it even started. The Gators trailed Butler for most of the game but forced overtime on some Udonis Haslem free throws in the final seconds. That led to a dramatic overtime period and a shot that may be the best in Florida Gators history.

What makes this buzzer-beater great is just the look of it. It wasn’t a gorgeous three-point attempt or a layup down low after a missed shot. This is completely different from the other shots on the list. Mike Miller takes the pass outside the three-point line, runs into the paint, goes completely vertical on the shot and makes it. Like, he was parallel to the floor when the shot came off.

Miller still thinks about that shot, as we learned in this report from the Sun-Sentinel a few years ago. This “home run play” led to Florida making a run all the way to the NCAA Championship Game. They beat powerhouses Duke, North Carolina and Illinois on their way to the Championship Game loss to Michigan State. It all started with the first game when Mike Miller saved their season.