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Butler Madness 2010 Regional Semifinals: Butler 63 - Syracuse 59. It’s impossible not to think of Butler basketball without thinking of the incredible 2010 and 2011 NCAA championship game appearances for the Bulldogs. Not surprisingly both moments are from that first run. Many people forget that Butler came into the NCAA Tournament in 2010 as a 5 seed. So victories over 12 seed UTEP and 13 seed Murray State should not have been a surprise. But in the Sweet Sixteen they were matched with the the 1 seeded Syracuse Orange who came in with a 30-4 record. This is where Butler’s magic ride was supposed to end but instead the Bulldogs pulled out a gutsy 4 point win and the rest is history. Some might argue that the victory over Michigan State in the Final Four was more memorable but Butler had proven themselves by that point, so I am sticking with my guns on this one.
Sadness 2010 NCAA National Championship: Duke 61 - Butler 59. Playing less than seven miles from their home court (Hinkle Fieldhouse), the Bulldogs were a classic underdog to perennial power and 1 seeded Duke. The Blue Devils came into the championship game sporting a 34-5 record after blowing away the #2 seed West Virginia in the national semifinal. Butler was not phased having already taken down a #1seed in the Sweet Sixteen, and after the Blue Devils led by 1 at halftime, the second half would turn into an instant classic. Down by 2 with 3.6 seconds left Butler’s dream season ended with a Gordon Haywood miracle three point shot that missed, but not before bouncing off the backboard and rim. Butler proved that they weren’t a one hit wonder by making another run to the NCAA title game the next year. However future Big East rival the UConn Huskies were on a miracle run of their own having finished the season on an 11 game winning streak culminating in a 53-41 victory over Butler in the 2011 championship game.
UConn
Madness 1999 NCAA National Championship: UConn 77 - Duke 74. It was tough for me to leave off the great Scott Burrell to Tate George pass and shot to beat Clemson with 1 second left in the 1990 Sweet Sixteen, but the 1999 season for UConn was the true benchmark for their future success. It was a trio of firsts for the UConn Huskies in 1999. They had their first ever Final Four appearance, played in their first ever title game, and brought home their first ever NCAA National Championship. Duke was steamrolling the opposition that year. They came into the championship game as the number one ranked team in the country with a 37-1 record, and a ridiculous 16-0 mark in the ACC. The Huskies however were starting a dynasty of their own. They came into the game vs Duke with a 33-2 record and had already beaten seven teams in the Top 25 during the regular season. Despite all of that Duke was a 9.5 favorite but UConn wasn’t going to be denied. The Huskies took a three point lead after two Khalid El-Amin free throws with 5 seconds left. Duke’s chances of sending the game into overtime were dashed when Trajan Langdon fell (Duke fans will stay tripped) before he could get off a shot resulting in a 77-74 victory for the Huskies. It was the first of four NCAA championships for UConn.
Sadness 1990 NCAA Regional Semifinals: Duke 79 - UConn 78. The buzzer beater giveth and taketh away. This was not an easy call but the 1990 loss to Duke just barely edges out the 2006 Elite Eight overtime loss to George Mason. The 1990 UConn Huskies was the team that most experts didn’t see coming. Jim Calhoun had taken over as head coach in 1987 and was slowly building the team into a contender. In 1988 the program won the NIT Championship and two years later they were cutting down the nets again at Madison Square Garden as Big East Champions. This was the first school to win the conference tournament not named St. John’s, Syracuse or Georgetown. The Huskies were rewarded as the #1 seed in the East but needed the aforementioned “Burrell to George” miracle to advance. With a trip to the Final Four on the line the Huskies faced the Duke Blue Devils (notice a trend here) who were trying to erase their own Final Four “March Sadness” of years past. With 2.6 seconds remaining and the Huskies up one Tate George almost provided another miracle finish as he nearly picked off a Duke pass which was instead deflected out of bounds. That set up the first of many memorable NCAA moments for Duke forward Christian Laettner, who would take a running jumper with no time left to stun the Huskies at the buzzer 79-78.
Creighton
Madness 2002 NCAA Tournament First Round: Creighton 83 - Florida 82. Prior to the 2002 season Creighton had a total of twelve NCAA Tournament appearances. However it wasn’t until Dana Altman became their head coach in 1995 that the Blue Jays became regular participants. In 1999 Creighton started a run of five straight trips to the NCAA Tournament under Altman. Despite talented teams Creighton fell in the first round in 2000 and 2001 before their first round matchup with SEC power Florida in 2002. The Gators were just two years removed from playing in the National Championship game and were led by four future NBA players including future NBA Champions Udonis Haslem and David Lee. But Creighton had a future NBA player of their own in Kyle Korver, and the game turned into a classic 5 vs 12 upset special. It wasn’t Korver however who was the story for Creighton that day, it was Terrell Taylor who came off the bench and proceeded to shoot 0-6 in the first half. But in the second half he connected on 8 of 10 three point shots to lead the Jays with 28 points which also matched his career high. The game went into double overtime, where the Blue Jays had to play without Korver who had fouled out with 16 points, and in the 2nd OT Taylor drilled a three point shot with less than a second left to stun the Gators 83-82.
Sadness 2014 NCAA Tournament Second Round: Baylor 85 - Creighton 55. 2014 saw the Creighton Blue Jays and their three time All-American and consensus National Player of the Year Doug McDermott in a new conference as they joined the Big East after the league reconfigured as a result of departures from football schools. The Blue Jays also had another long range bomber in Ethan Wragge and were coached by Doug’s father, Greg McDermott. Creighton’s inaugural year in the Big East was a memorable one. They finished the season with 27 wins, went 16-0 at home and finished 14-4 in conference play. They were a #3 seed in the West Region and advanced to Second Round after beating Louisiana-Lafayette by ten. Any hopes of a run to the Final Four were crushed by Baylor who dominated the Blue Jays from start to finish. McDermott was held to just 3 points in the first half and finished with 15, well below his season average of 27. Baylor led by 20 at halftime and Creighton never mounted a comeback finishing the season 27-8.
DePaul
Madness 1979 NCAA Tournament Regional Final: DePaul 95 - UCLA 91. Although John Wooden and his ten NCAA titles was no longer coaching the UCLA Bruins, they were still considered one of the favorites to win it all in 1979. They entered the NCAA Tournament as the #1 seed in the West Region with a 23-4 record. One of those 23 wins was a 108-85 destruction of DePaul very early in the season. The two teams would meet again with a trip to the Final Four on the line. It was apparent early on that this game would be different. DePaul jumped all over the Bruins in the first half and went into the locker room at halftime with a 17 point lead. In the second half DePaul had just enough left to withstand UCLA’s All American David Greenwood, who all but single handedly rallied the Bruins, scoring a career high 37 points in the game. UCLA did manage to cut the Blue Demons lead to just 2 but DePaul held on for 95-91 win sending them to their first Final Four since 1943.
Sadness 1979 NCAA Final Four: Indiana State 76 - DePaul 74. The 1979 NCAA Tournament is best remembered for the classic Larry Bird vs Magic Johnson title game, but the best game in the Final Four that year was the National Semifinal game between Bird’s undefeated Sycamores and the DePaul Blue Demons. Long time DePaul head coach and future Hall of Famer Ray Meyer was the sentimental favorite that year, seeking his first ever NCAA Championship. Meyer had been the coach at DePaul since the 1943 season, which was also the last time DePaul had been to the Final Four. Coming off a win against #1 seed UCLA in the Elite Eight, the Blue Demons were led by future NBA players Mark Aguirre and Terry Cummings. Indiana State led by as many as 11 in the second half as Larry Bird was on his way to game high 35 points before DePaul mounted a comeback and even took a 74-73 lead with 1:37 remaining. But it was Bird’s passing which was the difference in the game. With the Sycamores trailing by one all eyes were on Larry Bird to take a possible game winning shot but Bobby Heaton scored under the basket to give Indiana State a one point lead with 51 seconds left. DePaul called a timeout with 36 seconds left but decided to wait until for the last shot which Aguirre back rimmed and Indiana State grabbed the rebound with only 1 second left. A free throw by Indiana State’s Leroy Staley made it 76-74 which held up after a failed desperation heave by DePaul with a second remaining.
Georgetown
Madness 1984 NCAA National Championship: Georgetown 84 - Houston 75. This was an easy call. 1984 was the year that the Big East collected its first ever NCAA National Championship in basketball thanks to the Hoyas’ dominance all year long. Led by star center Patrick Ewing, Georgetown came into the NCAA Tournament with a 29-3 record having won the Big East Tournament. After an opening round scare by SMU (a 37-36 win), the Hoyas were never really challenged as they marched toward the championship game showdown with Houston (making their 2nd straight NCAA Championship game appearance) and their star center of their own Hakeem Olajuwon. But after Ewing picked up his second foul midway through the first half it was a pair of freshmen (Michael Graham and Reggie Williams) who led the way. Ewing came back to finish with 10 points, 9 rebounds, 4 block shots, and a 3 assists, as the Hoyas led the entire second half on their way to a 84-75 victory. Georgetown had won their first NCAA National Championship two years after falling short in the Championship game against North Carolina.
Sadness 1982 NCAA National Championship: North Carolina 63 - Georgetown 62. This was not an easy call. The 1985 loss to Villanova in the NCAA title game is considered by many one of the greatest upsets in NCAA history. Even though Georgetown came into that game as the defending National Champions, Villanova played Georgetown extremely tough in both of their regular season meetings (a two point overtime loss at home and a seven point defeat on the road). But the 1982 National Championship loss was more excruciating because of how the game ended. By now everyone knows the story. After a very tight back and forth game where both teams largest lead was only four, the Tar Heels took a one point lead after a Michael Jordan jump shot with 14 seconds remaining. Georgetown was holding for a final shot to win the game but guard Fred Brown inadvertently passed the ball to Tar Heels forward James Worthy mistaking him for teammate Eric Smith. The game was all but over. After a James Worth missed free throw Georgetown’s Eric “Sleepy” Floyd’s desperation shot from mid-court came up short and the Hoyas were denied their first National Championship.
Marquette
Madness 1977 NCAA National Championship: Marquette 67 - North Carolina 59. Just four games into the 1977 season Marquette head coach and future of Hall of Fame member Al McGuire announced he would be retiring at the end of the season. The Warriors (the team had not yet changed their name to Golden Eagles) wanted to send their coach out in style but lost their next two games and stumbled down the stretch losing four of their final eight games. Despite the late season struggles Marquette entered the NCAA Tournament with a 20-7 record and after wins over Cincinnati, Kansas State and Wake Forest, they were headed to the Final Four to take on the Cinderella team of that year’s tournament the 49ers of UNC-Charlotte. The Final Four game against UNCC is probably the most memorable of the their tournament wins that year considering that Marquette needed a last second tip by Jerome Whitehead to advance to the title game. In the finals Marquette faced perennial power North Carolina who were ranked fifth in the country and came into the game with a 28-4 record. Marquette led 39-27 at the half but the Tar Heels stormed out in the second half and took a 45-43 lead. UNC’s lead was short lived thanks to Marquette guard Butch Lee (19 points) and forward Bo Ellis (14 points and 9 rebounds). Lee would be named Most Outstanding Player and when the final buzzer sound Marquette had given their coach, who sat on the bench wiping away tears, his final victory and first National Championship.
Sadness 1974 NCAA National Championship: NC State 76 - Marquette 64. The only thing missing from Al McGuire’s resume in 1974 was a trip to the Final Four. McGuire’s teams had qualified for post season play seven times including an NIT Championship in 1970, a trip to the NCAA Elite Eight in 1969, and four Sweet Sixteen appearances. McGuire, a coach who always wore his emotions on his sleeve, would unfortunately be remembered for the wrong reasons when the 1974 National Championship game was over. The 1974 Marquette team finished the regular season with a 21-4 mark and found themselves back in the NCAA Tournament. After defeating Ohio and Vanderbilt a showdown with Michigan awaited them. Marquette was 0-6 in the NCAA Tournament against Big Ten teams heading into that game but McGuire got past the Wolverines 72-70. Marquette rolled past Kansas 64-51 in the Final Four and all that stood between coach McGuire’s first National Championship was NC State. The Wolfpack had ended UCLA’s 38 game tournament winning streak (which included seven straight NCAA Titles) and were the the number 1 ranked team in the country. In the championship game coach McGuire’s emotions came into play but not to Marquette’s advantage. In the first half with Marquette leading by one McGuire was hit a technical foul after arguing a charge call. The call resulted in a five point swing in favor of the Wolfpack. Less than a minute later McGuire was hit with a second technical foul after arguing a goal tending call against Bo Ellis helping NC State build a nine point half-time lead. Marquette never recovered and McGuire’s first NCAA Championship would have to wait.
Providence
Madness 1987 NCAA Regional Finals: Providence 88 - Georgetown 73. Just two years earlier the Georgetown Hoyas were upset as a #1 seed by a conference opponent when Villanova played the “perfect game” to win the 1985 National Championship. Two years later it was fellow Big East team the Providence Friars’ turn. 1987 was the first year of the three point line in in the NCAA Tournament and Friars head coach Rick Pitino took full advantage with the help of his senior guard Billy Donovan. In order for Donovan (who would later win back to back NCAA Championships as head coach of the Florida Gators) and the Friars to get to the Final Four they would have to beat the the team that was responsible for their last 2 defeats before the start of the NCAA Tournament. Georgetown had knocked off Providence 90-79 at home (the Friars last loss in the regular season) and again 84-66 in the Big East Tournament. But in the Southeast Regional Finals against the top seeded Hoyas Pitino abandoned the three pointer (Donovan was 0 for 1) and instead attacked the paint resulting in 18 trips to free throw line for Donovan, who converted 16 of them and finished with 20 points. The Friars stunned Georgetown 88-73 and had their first Final Four appearance since 1973.
Sadness 1973 NCAA Final Four: Memphis St 98 - Providence 85. Before Dave Gavitt was busy assembling a league that would take the college basketball world by storm, he was busy assembling a basketball team that would take the city of Providence by storm and before it was all said and done, the college basketball world by storm. In 1973 Gavitt was in his fourth season as the head of coach at Providence, a position he held until 1979 when he left his post to help form the Big East serving as its first commissioner. Led by the perhaps the most famous duo in PC history, Marvin Barnes and Ernie DiGregorio, the Friars stormed into the NCAA Tournament with a 23-2 record. Providence continued to coast in the tournament notching wins over St. Joe’s and Penn before beating Maryland for their first trip to the Final Four. A rematch with UCLA awaited them in the championship game if they could get by Memphis St. (UCLA had defeated Providence earlier in the season 101-77). In the National Semifinal game the Friars jumped out to an early double digit lead and lead by nine at half-time. Unfortunately Marvin Barnes (who had scored 12 points in the first half in just 11 minutes) was forced to come out of the game with a knee injury and Memphis St. used their size advantage in the second half to come from behind and pull out a 98-85 victory.
Seton Hall
Madness 1989 NCAA Final Four: Seton Hall 95 - Duke 78. Like Butler, DePaul and Providence, the “madness” and “sadness” for Seton Hall both came in the same year. Prior to their run to the 1989 title game Seton Hall had only one prior NCAA appearance, ironically it was the year before. Despite the break through in 1988, no anticipated the type of season that the Pirates would put together in 1989. They finished second in the Big East, their highest ever finish, and compiled a 26-6 record which included wins over Kentucky, Kansas, and Virginia. In the NCAA Tournament the Pirates got past SW Missouri State, Evansville, Indiana and UNLV to reach the Final Four where the #2 seeded Duke Blue Devils, making their third Final Four in the last four years were waiting. In the Final Four Duke jumped all over Seton Hall, and it seemed as if the Cinderella story was about to come to an abrupt ending. Down 26-8 Seton Hall called a timeout and the senior laden team quickly composed themselves. They rallied to trail by only five at halftime and in the second half it was all Hall. With four starters scoring in double figures, led by Andrew Gaze (20 points), Daryll Walker (19 points), and Gerald Greene (17 points and 8 assists), the Pirates ended up completing a 35 point swing to defeat Duke 95-78 and reach the NCAA Championship game for the first time in school history.
Sadness 1989 NCAA National Championship: Michigan 80 - Seton Hall 79. This was an easy one. Unfortunately for Seton Hall it was a call that was made in overtime of the National Championship game that was not so easy to accept. Seton Hall and Michigan battled in one of the greatest championship games of the NCAA Tournament. It was a back and forth affair that couldn’t be settled in regulation despite John Morton’s 35 points for the Pirates and Glen Rice’s 31 points for the Wolverines. At the end of regulation the game was tied 71-71. In the overtime session Michigan guard Rumeal Robinson drove into the lane with 3 seconds remaining. Official John Clougherty called a questionable foul on Gerald Green which would send and Robinson to the line. Robinson was a 64% free throw shooter on the year and heading into the overtime session was shooting just 57% from the line NCAA Tournament play. But he went to line having made 7 of 8 in the game and proceeded to sink both when it mattered most to give Michigan a one point lead. With 3 seconds left Seton Hall’s Daryll Walker turnaround jumper hit off the backboard ending the Pirates dreams of a national title.
Villanova
Madness 1985 NCAA National Championship: Villanova 66 - Georgetown 64. I know I know, the Villanova’s 2016 National Championship victory over North Carolina was one of the greatest finishes ever in the history of the title game. So why choose the ’85 game? First, even though Villanova had played Georgetown tough in their 2 regular seasons matchups (losing by 2 in overtime at home and by 7 on the road) the Wildcats were a #8 seed in 1985 compared to 2016 when they were a #2 seed. Secondly, despite the close games during the regular season, the Hoyas were probably a much more daunting opponent. They were the defending national champions, had arguably the most dominant player in the country in Patrick Ewing, all five Hoya starters would go on to play in the NBA, and they entered the National Championship game with 35-2 record. But the biggest reason for picking 1985 over the 2016 is because of what Villanova needed to do in order to win…they needed to play a perfect game. Despite leading by one at halftime Villanova committed 17 turnovers as a result of Georgetown’s vaunted pressure defense. As a result the Wildcats had no room for error on the offensive end when it came to scoring opportunities, and they proceeded to make 9 of their 10 shots taken in the second half. In the end Villanova just needed to inbounds the ball with two seconds left to secure their first NCAA National Championship.
Sadness 2017 NCAA Tournament Second Round: Wisconsin 65 - Villanova 62. Coming off a their incredible title run the previous year, Villanova went into the 2017 season as prohibitive favorites to repeat as National Champions. They finished the regular season 31-3, won the Big East Championship, and entered the NCAA Tournament as the overall number 1 seed. The formality continued in their First Round game after dispatching Mount St. Mary’s 76-56 setting up a Second Round matchup with Wisconsin. From the start it was apparent that the Badgers came ready to play. Wisconsin took a the lead midway in the first half and led 31-27 at halftime. With five minutes to go in the second half Villanova took a seven point lead and it seemed as if the clock was about to strike midnight for the Badgers. Behind guard Bronson Koenig’s (Xavier fans also know this name) two clutch three pointers, Wisconsin tied the game and eventually took the lead with two minutes to go. With 36 seconds left and Wisconsin up by one Villanova’s Dante DiVincenzo made what could have been a game winning steal. The ball went out of bounds but not before DiVincenzo was fouled sending him to the line with a chance to give Villanova the lead. He made one of two free throws and with the game tied Wisconsin forward Nigel Hayes’ layup gave the Badgers the lead with 11 seconds to go. Villanova would not score again and the Wildcats’ dream of a repeat title ended in the Second Round.
Xavier
Madness 1990 NCAA Tournament Second Round: Xavier 74 - Georgetown 71. From 1961 to 1989 the Xavier program had only six NCAA Tournaments with a combined 1-6 record in tournament games. Then came the 1990 season and the Musketeers have never looked back. Under head coach Pete Gillen (who would later serve as head coach at Providence from 1994 to 1998) Xavier set a school record for wins in 1990 going 26-4 and earned a #6 seed in the Midwest Regional. After beating Kansas State 87-79 in their opening round game, Xavier was going to be playing for a chance to make it to the Sweet Sixteen for only the second time in school history. Waiting in the Second Round for the Musketeers were the eighth ranked and #3 seed Georgetown Hoyas. Georgetown was led by two future NBA players, Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo, and they finished the regular season with a 23-6 record. However, Xavier had a pair of future NBA players in Tyrone Hill and Derek Strong (who finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds) and the Musketeers jumped out to a 16 point halftime lead. In the second half Georgetown made their run and with three minutes to go the game was tied at 68 all. The game came down to a pair of free throws with 23 seconds left which Xavier’s Jamal Walker sank for a 74-71 lead which held up after a three point attempt by Georgetown’s Mark Tillmon spun out of the basket. Not only did Xavier advance to their first Sweet Sixteen appearance, since then they have appeared in twenty one NCAA Tournaments, have reached the Elite Eight three times, and have complied a Tournament record of 25-21 during that stretch.
Sadness 2016 NCAA Tournament Second Round: Wisconsin 66 - Xavier 63. This was not an easy call. There was the Elite Eight loss to top seeded Duke in 2004 as well as the loss to Florida State in 2018 when the Musketeers were a #1 seed for the first time in school history. But I’m going with the 2016 Second Round loss simply because of how that game ended. Xavier had finished the regular season 27-5 and had defeated seven teams in the Top 25 that year. They earned their first ever #2 seed putting them in a great position to reach the school’s first ever Final Four. Enter Wisconsin guard Bronson Koenig. As Villanova fans would find out a year later, Koenig seemed to specialize in late game heroics against Big East teams. Xavier and Wisconsin battled through a low scoring affair in the first half that ended with the Musketeers up three at halftime. Things looked good for Xavier late in the second half as they started pulling away taking an eight point lead after a thunderous Jalen Reynolds dunk. Despite a Badgers’ rally the Musketeers took a 63-60 lead when Edmond Sumner scored with 31 seconds left. Then Koenig went to work, first nailing a three pointer to tie the the game with 11 seconds left, and then after Sumner was called for a charge the stage was set for a second three pointer from Koenig, this one however came at the buzzer stunning Xavier.
Wow, this is almost as long as some of LMF's posts /media/kunena/emoticons/wink.png
