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

HOUSTON, TX - APRIL 04: Kris Jenkins #2 of the Villanova Wildcats takes a shot over Joel Berry II #2 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the NCAA College Basketball Tournament Championship game at NRG Stadium on April 04, 2016 in Houston, Texas. The Wildcats won 77-74. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

24 of 26

3. Christian Laettner: No. 1 Duke vs. No. 2 Kentucky – 1992 Final Four

It’s really hard to put the next three in order. One is considered the greatest game in the history of college basketball. The other two won a National Championship on a last-second shot. Since we’re looking at the buzzer-beaters somewhat in a vacuum, Laettner’s shot falls to No. 3 on our list.

Let’s just look at the ridiculousness that led to “The Shot”.

The game was close the entire time, and thanks to a missed shot at the end of the game, things went into overtime. Laettner put the team on his back, scoring six straight points to put Duke up 102-101. Sean Woods scored a one-handed runner over Laettner to give Kentucky a one-point lead with 2.1 seconds left in overtime.

This is where history took over. Grant Hill was ready to send an inbounds pass across the court. 79 feet later, the ball was in the hands of Laettner. He turned to the right, dribbled once and went up for the shot. It was a high arc from just beyond the foul line, and it ended up being nothing but net. A more perfect finish you will not find.

This may be the most famous buzzer-beater, but it’s not one on our list. This isn’t meant to take anything away from this moment. It’s perfect. However, this sent the Blue Devils to the Championship Game, the only buzzer-beater of its kind in the Final Four.

Home/March Madness