When one thinks of a clutch shot in the NCAA Tournament, it's easy to rewind to Michael Jordan's game-winning shot in the NCAA championship game against Georgetown in 1982.
It's wasn't a buzzer-beater. There were 15 seconds left on the clock. It's still the textbook definition of a clutch shot, and 40 years later it's the one of the standard clutch moments in tournament lore.
Sporting News has already made a list of the greatest buzzer-beaters in March Madness history. But here, we'll look at the best clutch shots with five seconds or fewer left on the clock. You remember the names: Mario Chalmers. Scottie Reynolds. Trey Burke. They made those shots when it mattered most.
We made two other rules for this list. The shot has to go in — unlike Gordon Hayward's would-be half-court shot against Duke in 2010 title game — and their team had to win, too. So Kentucky's Sean Woods' miracle bank shot in the 1992 regional final with 2.1 seconds didn't make the cut. Blame Christian Laettner.
With that in mind, here are the best (almost) buzzer-beaters in NCAA Tournament history:
26. Vee Sanford, Dayton
Matchup: No. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 11 Dayton (2014 first round)
How much time? 3.8 seconds. The Buckeyes led the Flyers 59-58 in an all-Ohio tournament battle when Sanford barreled into the line for an acrobatic layup to make it 60-59. Aaron Craft's layup at the buzzer on the other end rattled out. Don't worry, Buckeye fans. Craft also makes an appearance on this list.
Best part: The Flyers used that shot to make a run to the Elite Eight before being knocked out by Florida.
25. De'Jon Jackson, San Diego
Matchup: No. 4 UConn vs. No. 13 San Diego (2008 first round)
How much time? 1.2 seconds. The Toreros took the Huskies to overtime, and that's when Jackson hit a foul-line jumper for a 70-69 victory.
Best part: Western Kentucky won on Ty Rogers' buzzer-beater in the same pod that day.
24. Demonte Harper, Morehead State
Matchup: No. 13 Morehead State vs. No. 4 Louisville (2011 first round)
How much time? 4.2 seconds. The No. 13 seed Eagles trailed the Cardinals 61-59, but they had the ball last. That's when Harper drilled a 3-pointer for the upset.
Best part: It's a ready-man “onions” call for Bill Raftery. Harper didn't even need a screen to knock it down from the top of the key.
23. Jimmy King, Michigan
Matchup: No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 9 UCLA (1993 second round)
How much time? 1.5 seconds left. The Fab Five rallied from a 13-point deficit to force overtime, and that's when King scored on a put-back off a Jalen Rose miss, which gave the Wolverines an 86-84 victory as part of their second run to the national championship game.
Best part: It wasn't without controversy. Rose's shot barely hit the rim; otherwise it would have been a shot-clock violation.
22. Aaron Craft, Ohio State
Matchup: No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 10 Iowa State (2013 second round)
How much time? 0.2 seconds. The Buckeyes and Cyclones were tied in a tightly contested second-round game at 75 with 0.2 seconds remaining. That's when Craft, an eternal fan favorite in Columbus, hit the game-winning 3-pointer. The Buckeyes advanced to the Elite Eight.
Best part: Craft leaving his hand up for a few seconds after the ball goes through the net.
21. David Vaughn, Memphis
Matchup: No. 6 Memphis vs. No. 3 Purdue (1995 second round)
How much time? 1.1 seconds. Memphis and Purdue were tied at 73 in the final seconds when Chris Garner slipped before launching an off-balance shot. Vaughn grabbed the ball in mid-air for the tip-in, however, and the Tigers advanced to the Sweet 16.
Best part: Sporting News' Mike DeCourcy covered the game and as he puts it, “One of my favorite memories of that moment was the team's play-by-play voice Paul Hartlage and the most prominent media member, George Lapides, giving each other a small high-five after the shot went in.”
20. Tremont Waters, LSU
Matchup: No. 3 LSU vs. No. 6 Maryland (2019 second round)
How much time? 1.6 seconds. LSU and Maryland were tied at 67 in a second-round game in the final seconds when Waters drove to the basket and flipped in an under-hand right-hand layup to give the Tigers a 69-67 victory.
Best part: The stutter step Waters uses to weave through three Maryland defenders and the quick under-hand release to prevent the block.
19. Chris Lofton, Tennessee
Matchup: No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 15 Winthrop (2006 first round)
How much time? 0.4 seconds. Winthrop threatened to upset the Vols in a tight game. Lofton ended the scare with a deep fadeaway from the right baseline that sent Tennessee to the second round with a 63-61 victory.
Best part: The arc on the ball sailing in from the corner. Lofton drills it.
18. Ronald Lewis, Ohio State
Matchup: No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 9 Xavier (2007 second round)
How much time? 2.0 seconds. Xavier had a 62-59 lead with 9.3 seconds left, but after a missed free throw, Lewis made good on the chance to tie by taking a feed from Mike Conley and splashing the game-tying 3-pointer. The Buckeyes won 78-71 in overtime and made the 2007 national championship game.
Best part: Jamar Butler's reaction to the shot going in. You knew the Buckeyes would win in OT. Xavier coach Sean Miller learned his lesson. To this day, he opts to foul up three in the final seconds.
SN REMEMBERS:
March Madness heartbreakers | Best March Madness memories
17. Jason Kidd, Cal
Matchup: No. 6 Cal vs. No. 11 LSU (1993 first round)
How much time? One second. The '93 tournament was full of memorable moments, including Kidd's drive to the basket, capped with a beautiful spin move and finish that gave the Golden Bears a 66-64 victory against LSU.
Best part: Cal would end Duke's bid for a three-peat in the second round, and Kidd went on to a Hall of Fame career in the NBA.
16. Maurice Newby, Northern Iowa
Matchup: No. 3 Missouri vs. No. 14 Northern Iowa (1990 first round)
How much time? Two seconds. The Tigers and Panthers were tied at 71 when Maurice Newby launched a desperation 3-pointer with four seconds left on the clock. The shot fell, and Missouri couldn't inbound in time. That capped a shocking first-round upset.
Best part: Newby came off the bench to hit the big shot.
15. Gabe Lewullis, Princeton
Matchup: No. 4 UCLA vs. No. 13 Princeton (1996 first round)
How much time? 3.9 seconds. Princeton and defending national champion UCLA were tied at 41 in the final minute, and that's when Lewullis made a backdoor cut — not once, but twice — and scored the game-winning layup to knock off the Bruins.
Best part: The world learned a lot more about legendary coach Pete Carril and the Princeton offense.
14. Sean Higgins, Michigan
Matchup: No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 1 Illinois (1989 Final Four)
How much time? One second. Michigan and Illinois played in a fierce all-Big Ten Final Four matchup that was tied at 81 in the final seconds. Higgins grabbed a rebound and hit a put-back with one second remaining to give the Wolverines an 83-81 victory.
Best part: To this day, "Flyin' Illini" fans are still looking for the push-off. Do they have a point?
13. Casey Calvary, Gonzaga
Matchup: No. 10 Gonzaga vs. No. 6 Florida (1999 Sweet 16)
How much time? 4.4 seconds. The Bulldogs' first tournament run featured a dramatic ending against Florida in which the Gators held a 72-71 lead. That's when Calvary swatted in Quentin Hall's miss for a one-point victory that sent the No. 10 seed Bulldogs to the Elite Eight for the first time.
Best part: The pile-on of Calvary in the aftermath.
12. Jermaine Wallace, Northwestern State
Matchup: No. 3 Iowa vs. No. 14 Northwestern State (2006 first round)
How much time? 0.5 seconds. Iowa led Northwestern State 63-61 on the final possession. That's when Jermaine Wallace heaved a desperation 3-pointer off a miss. It fell, and the Demons pulled off the 64-63 upset.
Best part: The scramble for the rebound before the final shot.
11. Trey Burke, Michigan
Matchup: No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 4 Michigan (2013 Sweet 16)
How much time? 4.2. Kansas missed the front end of the one-and-one, which allowed Michigan's star point guard to dribble up the floor and release a 30-footer for the game-tying shot. Michigan won 87-85 in overtime and advanced to the national championship game.
Best part: The sound the ball makes crashing through the rim.
10. Danny Ainge, BYU
Matchup: No. 6 BYU vs. No. 2 Notre Dame (1981 Sweet 16)
How much time? Two seconds. Notre Dame led BYU 50-49 with eight seconds left before Ainge raced the length of the floor and flipped in the game-winning layup with two seconds left. By the time the Irish can get the ball out of the net, the game is over.
Best part: Ainge encounters all five Notre Dame defenders on the way to the basket and still isn't stopped.
MORE: Best buzzer-beaters in March Madness history
9. Luke Maye, North Carolina
Matchup: No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 2 Kentucky (2017 regional final)
How much time? 0.3 seconds. In a thrilling game between the top two seeds in the South Region, Kentucky's Malik Monk tied the score at 73 with a contested 3-pointer. Maye takes Theo Pinson's pass, however, and drains a jumper for the game-winner. The Tar Heels went on to beat Gonzaga in the national championship game.
Best part: The bang-bang nature of the clutch shots. This was the de facto national championship game in a lot of ways.
8. Will Bynum, Georgia Tech
Matchup: No. 3 Georgia Tech vs. No. 2 Oklahoma State (2004 Final Four)
How much time? 1.5 seconds. The Yellow Jackets were tied at 65 with Oklahoma State in the Final Four when Bynum took the ball to the basket for the game-winning shot.
Best part: The hesitation dribble Bynum uses to get past Oklahoma State guard John Lucas.
7. Donte Ingram, Loyola-Chicago
Matchup: No. 6 Miami vs. No. 11 Loyola-Chicago (2018 first round)
How much time? 0.3 seconds. Miami led 62-61 in a first-round matchup against the Ramblers, who had one final possession. That's when Ingram took a pass at the March Madness logo and drained a long-range 3-pointer for the victory.
Best part: That was just the beginning of a Final Four run for Loyola-Chicago.
6. Scottie Reynolds, Villanova
Matchup: No. 1 Pitt vs. No. 3 Villanova (2009 Elite Eight)
How much time? 0.5 seconds. Pitt tied the regional final at 76 with 5.5 seconds remaining when Reynolds took a pass from Dante Cunningham and whirled through Panthers defenders before scoring the game-winning layup. The Wildcats advanced to the Final Four.
Best part: The Wildcats almost don't get the ball in, but Cunningham's pass allows Reynolds to break free from Pitt's pressure defense.
5. John Wallace, Syracuse
Matchup: No. 4 Syracuse vs. No. 8 Georgia (1996 Sweet 16)
How much time? 2.8 seconds. Georgia took an 81-80 lead with a Pertha Robinson 3-pointer with 7.1 seconds left, but Wallace answered with an off-balance 3 from the top of the key. Syracuse advanced to the national championship game.
Best part: Nobody calls a timeout, which makes the sequence that much more captivating in the Mile High City.
4. Kyle Guy, Virginia
Matchup: No. 1 Virginia vs. No. 5 Auburn (2019 Final Four)
How much time? 0.6 seconds. Guy, who hit a 3-pointer on the previous possession, was fouled on a desperation heave with the Cavaliers trailing 62-60. Guy calmly knocked down all three free throws to send the Cavaliers to the national championship game, which they won two nights later against Texas Tech.
Best part: Guy's reaction after the last free throw. He knew in was in before it hit the net.
3. Rumeal Robinson, Michigan
Matchup: No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 3 Seton Hall (1989 championship)
How much time? Three seconds. Seton Hall led the Wolverines 79-78 in the championship game, but Robinson was fouled with three seconds remaining. He drained both free throws to give the Wolverines their first men's basketball national title.
Best part: Everybody has done this in their driveway. Robinson got to live it.
2. Mario Chalmers, Kansas
Matchup: No. 1 Memphis vs. No. 1 Kansas (2008 championship)
How much time? 2.1 seconds. Derrick Rose split a pair of free throws to give Memphis a 63-60 lead with 10.8 seconds left, but Chalmers answered with the game-tying 3-pointer from the top of the key, just the Jayhawks' third made 3 of the game. Kansas won 75-68 in overtime.
Best part: Sherron Collins nearly falls down before dishing the ball to Chalmers, and it's a no-doubter when it leaves his hand.
1. Keith Smart, Indiana
Matchup: No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 2 Syracuse (1987 championship)
How much time: Four seconds. Syracuse led Indiana 73-72 on the game's final possession, but the Hoosiers worked the clock down before Smart got the ball. He took one dribble and fired from the base-line with four seconds remaining. The Hoosiers won their third NCAA championship under Bob Knight.
Best part: The way Smart contorts his body and lands out of bounds as the ball goes through the net.
