It is that time of year again: March Madness. The time of year when ESPN is the most used app on my phone, my stomach is constantly in knots, and my bracket is always busted. Basketball is my favorite sport, and there is no time like March Madness. March Madness is why I love basketball because truly anything could happen. I absolutely love upsets and always root for the underdogs (regardless of what my bracket says.) I grew up a Duke fan, which is a plus during March Madness, as they rarely miss the tournament. (Unlike UNC this year!)
In my opinion, the best shot or moment in basketball is, without a doubt, the buzzer-beater. There is nothing that pumps up a team or crowds as a buzzer-beater does. The feeling from a fan’s perspective of watching a team win within the final seconds after accepting defeat is truly something special. With that being said, I wanted to make a list of my favorite buzzer beaters of all time in honor of this year’s March Madness.
Christian Laettner (Duke) vs. Kentucky–March 28, 1992
Arguably, one of the most iconic basketball moments of all time is when Duke’s Christian Laettner hit a buzzer-beater in the Elite Eight game against Kentucky in 1992. The Blue Devils would eventually win their second consecutive National Championship. I obviously was not alive for this shot, but my mom was and remembers exactly where she was when it happened, so it is basically a part of my Duke DNA.
Tre Jones and Wendell Moore (Duke) vs. UNC–February 8, 2020
This was the greatest two moments in basketball I have ever seen. The game itself was horrendous. Duke was playing horribly and was down by as much as thirteen points. I had accepted defeat when all of a sudden, they started coming back. Tre Jones was fouled with only a couple of seconds left. It was 81-84. The only way to win would be to make the first free throw, then miss the second free throw and get the ball back. He made the first one. Then dribbled and quickly chucked the ball at the rim and got the rebound, shot it, and tied the game at the buzzer, sending the game into overtime. Overtime came, and Duke fell behind. Then the game was tied after Tre Jones shot two more free throws. He missed the second free throw, got the ball back and shot it, missed it, but then Wendell Moore Jr. was there to save the day as he grabbed the ball and tipped it in, winning at the buzzer. That makes TWO buzzer-beaters in a single game against their biggest rival. Legendary.
Austin Rivers (Duke) vs. UNC–February 8, 2012
I am so sad I was asleep when this happened, but in my defense, I was nine and had school the next day. Another rivalry buzzer-beater was when Austin Rivers hit a three to beat UNC at home. The shot is another iconic one and never gets old.
Kris Jenkins (Villanova) vs. UNC–April 4, 2016
One of my personal favorites on this list has got to be in the 2016 National Championship game with Villanova and UNC. Marcus Paige from UNC hit a fantastic three-pointer with seconds winding down the clock, which sent UNC fans everywhere into celebration mode, thinking they had just won the championship. But then, Kris Jenkins from Villanova heaved a three-pointer up, and it swished as the buzzer went off, winning the championship. It is such a riveting turn of events, and watching the shot never gets old.
Cam Reddish (Duke) vs. Florida State–January 12, 2019
This is another shot that I was thankfully able to see live. I was at my friend’s house and relentlessly checking the score of the Florida State-Duke game. Duke was trailing, and it did not look like they would come back. They eventually did, and I had to stop what we were doing to turn the game on at her house. With a few seconds remaining, Tre Jones inbounds the ball to a wide-open Cam Reddish, who sinks it in at the buzzer, sending the Duke bench into a massive celebration.
Grayson Allen (Duke) vs. Virginia–February 13, 2016
The last buzzer beater on this list is a unique one to me, bc it is not what you typically think of for a traditional buzzer-beater. Duke was playing Virginia at their home court Cameron Indoor Stadium. Trailing by one point with 6.0 seconds remaining, Grayson Allen had the ball and was dribbling like a maniac, he goes up against a Virginia player and desperately throws the ball up….and it goes in right as the buzzer sounds.
Buzzer-beaters are truly one-of-a-kind. I cannot think of another play in another sport that brings as much exuberance and excitement as a buzzer-beater. It is enough to send the team, the coaches, the crowd, the announcers, and the audiences at home into either mass celebrations or mass disappointment and it is one of the reasons why I think that basketball is one of the best sports of all time.