15 classic March Madness games you need to watch on YouTube

9. Indiana vs. Syracuse – 1987 Final Four

Syracuse fans will absolutely shudder at this game’s presence on the list for one reason: Keith Smart. The junior guard delivered a dagger to the heart of the Orangemen (as they were called at the time), nailing the winning jumper to deny Jim Boeheim his first championship and give Bobby Knight his third.

Boeheim had already developed a reputation as a legendary coach, but he had yet to find a title winner to validate his resume. The 1987 edition of Syracuse was poised to do just that, with hot-shot freshman Derrick Coleman joining established stars like Sherman Douglas and Rony Seikaly to effortlessly lead the Orange through the tournament.

Indiana, on the other hand, was an established national powerhouse under Knight. It was not a vintage Hoosiers’ team and lacked a ton of future NBA talent, but Knight’s coaching magic turned this group into a massive threat out of the Big Ten.

Even though the Hoosiers entered the game as five-point favorites the contest was tight throughout. The Hoosiers led by one at the break and found themselves trailing in the final moments before Smart’s jumper gave them the win and broke hearts throughout upstate New York.

The win would prove to be Knight’s last title team with Indiana while Boeheim had to wait a while longer to get another shot at a title. That shot was epic and we will get to it on our countdown in due time.