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) /

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18. James Forrest: No. 2 USC vs. No. 7 Georgia Tech – 1992 Round of 32

There are just so many great shots in NCAA Tournament history, but not many get discussed even 25 years later. This isn’t just any ole buzzer-beater. This is one that got a whole major city behind the basketball team. Georgia Tech beating USC with less than a second left is a moment that will never die.

Georgia Tech was the heavy underdog in this matchup, and they were down by two as they threw the ball in with 0.8 seconds left. James Forrest got the pass, and he sunk the biggest shot in Georgia Tech history.

The story behind the shot is just as good as the shot itself. Forrest wasn’t the first option to get the ball. That was Jon Barry, who for some reason ended up by midcourt. The second option was going to be Travis Best. Neither was open and without a final timeout, Matt Geiger had no choice but to throw to the bruiser James Forrest. It became a shot that will live on in Georgia lore.

This is the first mention on the list of the “catch-and-shoot” variety. Forrest had no time to think. There wasn’t a game plan in place. It was “pure chaos” as a look back on the play in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution describes it. That chaos turned into history in just 0.8 seconds.

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