Greatest NCAA Tournament Moments

The NCAA Tournament has been part of the annual culmination of the men’s college basketball season since 1939, growing from an 8-team competition to a 68-team bonanza. Several incredible moments come to define the tournament each year, as future NBA stars become known before they make any money for the game. Other legendary players and teams are able to cement their names in college basketball lore for the excellence they can show in this tournament. The madness of March Madness isn’t all about how much money people make from their brackets, even though that very phenomenon is becoming vastly popular around the country. Some players and teams are able to fulfill their basketball dreams, and reach the goals they want to reach before going pro, by making it to the Final Four, or even winning it all.
Cinderellas
The most recent Cinderella stories are still widely discussed for the magic they produced. In 2006, George Mason became only the 2nd 11th-seeded team to ever reach the Final four. Led by Jai Lewis and Tony Skinn, the Patriots defeated powers such as Michigan State, North Carolina, and top-seeded Connecticut before finally falling to the eventual champions, Florida. Florida would repeat as champions the next season behind future NBA players like Joakim Noah, Corey Brewer, and Al Horford.
In 2008, future NBA star Stephen Curry led 10th-seeded Davidson to the Elite Eight, where they lost by 2 points to the eventual champions, Kansas. Curry became the 4th player to ever score 30 or more points in each of his first three tournament games.
One of the most epic Cinderella stories was Villanova’s in 1985. The 8th-seeded Wildcats won the championship that year, shooting 78% from the field to shock future Knick legend Patrick Ewing and Georgetown.
Future NBA Superstars
Larry Bird and Magic Johnson will always be remembered for being two of the greatest NBA players of all time. They both won titles, dominated opponents, and had a fierce rivalry with one another. Their rivalry actually began when they were in college, in the 1979 NCAA Tournament Championship Game. Magic was able to lead his Michigan State Spartans over Bird’s undefeated Indiana State Sycamores in what still ranks as the highest rated college basketball game ever. Magic and Larry would meet countless times when Johnson’s Lakers took on Bird’s Celtics in games that usually had a lot at stake.


Beyond the Game
Of the many key moments in the civil rights history of black people, one of the most important sports breakthroughs came in 1966. Texas Western, now called UTEP, brought its all-black starting five against the all-white starting five of Kentucky in the national championship game. This marked the first time a team started five black players in a title game, and they were going up against the top-ranked Wildcats and their legendary coach, Adolph Rupp. Texas Western shocked the world by defeating Kentucky 72-65, opening the door for black college basketball players around the country. The magical story is documented in James Gartner’s movie, Glory Road.