8 memorable moments from March Madness — from FDU's shocker to UConn's triumph, and more
College basketball fans enjoyed three weeks of great moments. Here are some that stood out.
A familiar face emerges
The Cinderellas certainly had their moments in this March Madness. More than a few, actually.
In the end, it was a familiar face that won the NCAA Tournament.
UConn — a No. 4 seed — beat No. 5 seed San Diego State 76-59 on Monday night in Houston for its fifth title in the past 24 years. The Huskies and coach Dan Hurley cruised through the tournament in impressive fashion, winning all six games by at least 10 points.
The Aztecs of the Mountain West Conference didn't go quietly, cutting UConn's lead to six points late in the second half before the Huskies used one more run to put the game away. It was San Diego State's first trip to the title game.
Fairleigh Dickinson shocker
Little-known Fairleigh Dickinson — a private, commuter school in Teaneck, New Jersey — provided an early stunner, becoming just the second No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1 seed with its 63-58 win over Purdue.
Only in the NCAA field due to a technicality, FDU, which went 4-22 last season, won a First Four game in Dayton before the win over the Boilermakers. FDU lost the Northeast Conference tournament title game 67-66, but still received the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA bracket because champion Merrimack remains ineligible for postseason play after moving up from Division II to Division I.
Princeton, too
Ivy League champion Princeton — a No. 15 seed — won not just one, but two games in the tournament to advance to the second weekend.
The Tigers used a late-game run to earn their first NCAA Tournament win in 25 years, beating No. 2 seed Arizona 59-55 before a dominant 78-63 win over No. 7 Missouri.
Top seeds bite dust
Purdue's loss to Fairleigh Dickinson was just the opening salvo in a tough tournament for No. 1 seeds.
The men’s tournament did not have a No. 1 seed in the Elite Eight for the first time since seeding began in 1979.
Kansas bowed out in the second round, with Arkansas taking down the reigning national champion Jayhawks. Alabama, the bracket’s No. 1 overall seed, succumbed in the Sweet 16 to San Diego State.
Later in the Sweet 16, Miami capped the No. 1 carnage with a dominant 89-75 win over Houston.
That was cool
Kansas State's Markquis Nowell broke the NCAA Tournament record for assists in a game with 19, including one late in the game that was among the most creative in postseason history.
Nowell found Keyontae Johnson for a reverse alley-oop with 52 seconds left in OT to give the Wildcats the lead for good over Michigan State in the Sweet 16. Nowell appeared to be arguing with coach Jerome Tang right before the pass, catching the Spartans flat-footed in one of the most important moments of the game.
These are the best moments from the men's National Championship
Since the NCAA tournament field expanded to 64 teams in 1985, no team that finished at least solo third in the ACC regular-season standings has been excluded from the tournament.
Virginia's confounding season ended with an unsightly 67-42 setback to Colorado State in the NCAA First Four.
