NCAA Basketball Tournament 2013: Top 25 Most Obscure March Madness Heroes Ever

Some college basketball players make themselves famous after years of great play. Others simply step up at a big point in the NCAA tournament.

March Madness is one of the biggest sporting events on the calendar, and it is watched by millions of fans around the world. This provides a great opportunity for those that are usually overlooked to step into the spotlight with a great performance.

Whether these men had a great all-around effort throughout a number of games or they just made one big shot, they still became heroes when their team needed them the most.

Not all of the players on this list became household names, but their performances will live on for years.

25. Louis Dale, Cornell; 2010

Whenever an Ivy League team reaches the Sweet 16, it is worth noting.

Cornell surprised many in 2010 by winning two games as the No. 12 seed before falling to the much more athletic Kentucky in the regional semifinal.

During this run, Louis Dale led the team in scoring in each game and averaged 21.3 per game during the stretch.

Ryan Wittman was also impressive with his shooting from the outside.

Of course, head coach Steve Donahue used this to get a job at Boston College, and the Big Red returned to obscurity.

24. Patrick O'Bryant, Bradley; 2006

The NCAA tournament is a chance for lesser-known players to raise their profile for NBA scouts.

Few players have opened more eyes in March than Patrick O'Bryant.

O'Bryant was a seven-foot-tall center on Bradley. While the team had talent, it did not exactly get a lot of media attention.

That certainly changed after the Braves reached the Sweet 16 with wins over Kansas and Pittsburgh in the first two rounds. They lost to Memphis in the next round, but O'Bryant averaged 14.7 points and 10.3 rebounds in the three games.

The following summer, he was selected by the Golden State Warriors with the ninth overall pick in the NBA draft.

23. Korie Lucious, Michigan State; 2010

Michigan State had an impressive run to the Final Four in 2010, but it would not have happened without Korie Lucious.

In the second round against Maryland, the Spartans trailed with only seconds remaining on the clock. Although there were more established players on the floor, Lucious got the pass shortly before time expired and hit a game-winning three at the buzzer.

The sophomore guard only averaged 5.6 points per game during the season. However, he tied a season high with 13 points in the win.

He was never able to build off this performance at Michigan State and was suspended from the team for conduct detrimental to the team during the next season. He is now playing at Iowa State, but this one play will live on forever.

22. Richie Frahm, Gonzaga; 1999

Before Kelly Olynyk, before Adam Morrison, even before Dan Dickau, Richie Frahm started off the legend of Gonzaga.

Obviously, John Stockton is one of the great basketball players of his generation, but he did not have the team success of the recent squads.

Richie Frahm was the top player on the 1999 team that reached the Elite Eight in only the school's second ever appearance in the NCAA tournament.

He scored 26 points in a first-round win over Minnesota, 15 against Stanford and 17 in a win over Florida.

Without this run, it is unlikely the program would have had the same type of sustained success.

21. Jamie Skeen, VCU; 2011

Cinderellas are starting to become more common in the NCAA tournament, but VCU's run in 2011 was nothing short of amazing.

The Rams were literally one of the last teams selected and had to compete in the "First Four" against USC before reaching the field of 64.

Behind coach Shaka Smart, the squad did not end the run until it reached the Final Four.

While the team had a few big-time performers, Jamie Skeen's efforts in the Elite Eight against No. 1 Kansas stands above the rest.

Without his 26 points and 10 rebounds, it is impossible to imagine the Rams pulling off this huge upset.

20. Ali Farokhmanesh, Northern Iowa; 2010

The name Ali Farokhmanesh makes Kansas fans' blood boil.

In 2010, the Jayhawks were the top-ranked team in the country with a 32-2 record. With the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament, most projected them to cruise to a championship.

Unfortunately, they were unable to make it out of the first weekend, as Farokmanesh made a huge three-point shot late to seal the upset for No. 9 Northern Iowa.

The guard made four threes in the game for a team-high 16 points, but his one shot is one of the biggest moments in school history, and it changed the face of the tournament.

19. Germain Mopa Njila, Vermont; 2005

Led by Taylor Coppenrath and coach-turned-analyst Tom Brennan, Vermont was an exciting team to watch in 2005.

Coppenrath and T.J. Sorrentine had each scored over 2,000 points in their careers, and the duo gave the team hope of a run in the tournament.

However, Germain Mopa Njila was the big man on campus in the first round against Big East tournament champions Syracuse.

The senior never averaged more than 6.2 points per game in a season, but he scored 20 points on 9-of-10 from the floor. The rest of the team shot only 13-of-49.

Sorrentine hit a big shot late, but Mopa Njila was the reason Vermont was able to advance.

18. Ty Rogers, Western Kentucky; 2008

When the 12th-seeded Western Kentucky needed a basket to beat No. 5 Drake in the closing seconds of the first round of the NCAA tournament, there were a few options.

The Hilltoppers could have given the ball to the team's star Courtney Lee or they could have given it to the man with the hot hand, Tyrone Brazelton, who scored 33 points in the game.

Instead, they went with Ty Rogers, the man who averaged only 6.4 points per game on the season.

Rogers made sure it was the right choice as he hit a very deep shot with no time left on the clock to help the team advance pass Drake and eventually to the Sweet 16.

17. Bobby Joe Hill, Texas Western; 1966

Bobby Joe Hill was the leading scorer for one of the most important teams in NCAA history.

Texas Western suited up five African-American starters in the national championship game against Kentucky and pulled off an incredible upset.

This 1966 team changed the face of college basketball and helped integrate the rest of the country.

If not for Hill's great play, this step might have taken place much later in history.

16. Kyle O'Quinn, Norfolk State; 2012

Missouri put together a surprisingly good season in 2012, but the Tigers heard their faults.

The guard-heavy team did not rebound well and could suffer if forced to face a solid big man.

That is what happened in the first round, as Kyle O'Quinn and No. 15 Norfolk State upset the No. 2 seed. O'Quinn finished with 26 points and 14 rebounds in a monster performance for the Spartans.

While the squad returned to earth in the next game against Florida, this upset is something that will live on for years to come.

15. C.J. McCollum, Lehigh; 2012

Mike Krzyzewski is one of the most successful coaches in NCAA history, so it is notable when one of his teams loses in the first round.

It is even bigger when Duke is a No. 2 seed that loses in the first round.

Lehigh became the second No. 15 seed to win in 2012 after Norfolk State beat Missouri earlier in the day. Still, this did not make the upset any less special.

C.J. McCollum led the way with 30 points for the Mountain Hawks as Duke could not hit anything from deep, causing many people around the country to rip up their brackets.

14. Gabe Lewullis, Princeton; 1996

Although there have been bigger upsets by seeds than No. 13 Princeton defeating No. 4 UCLA, this still feels like one of the most incredible results in the history of the sport.

The Bruins were defending champions, and Princeton beat them in its own small-school way with a back-door layup.

Gabe Lewullis was the man with the ball in his hands in the final seconds as the cutter on the play. He got the ball and finished the layup with only four seconds remaining. A missed UCLA shot at the buzzer completed the upset and ended long-time coach Pete Carril's career on top.

13. Steve Nash, Santa Clara; 1993

When No. 2 Arizona came into a game against No. 15 seed Santa Clara, the team probably did not think the opposing point guard would be a future NBA MVP.

A freshman Steve Nash was not the team's best player, but he was a steady force throughout the game as he helped his side become the second-ever No. 15 seed to win a game in the NCAA tournament.

It also helped that future All-American guard Damon Stoudamire missed all of his seven field-goal attempts.

12. Jermaine Wallace, Northwestern State; 2006

Iowa does not often come up as a national power, but the Hawkeyes put together a very good season in 2006, culminating with a Big Ten tournament title.

That all came to an end in a hurry when Jermaine Wallace helped Northwestern State pull off a massive upset, as the No. 14 seed advanced with a 64-63 victory.

Wallace got the ball in the corner with only seconds remaining and put up a prayer of a shot in an attempt to take the lead. He did just that with 0.5 seconds left on the clock, and the Demons won their only NCAA tournament game in school history.

11. Gordon Hayward, Butler; 2010

Gordon Hayward is having a good start to his career with the Utah Jazz, but in 2010, he was the driving force of one of the most spectacular runs in March Madness history.

The Butler guard scored 95 points in six games as he helped the Bulldogs reach the national title game for the first of two years in a row.

He also came within inches of a game-winning halfcourt shot that would have beaten Duke for the national championship. While it did not fall, the near-miss is still one of the more exciting plays in recent history.

No one could defend Hayward that season, and it led to him being taken as a lottery pick in the NBA draft.

10. Will Thomas, George Mason; 2006

If you predicted George Mason in the Final Four in 2006, you were probably on the team. Few others thought the No. 11 seed would have a chance against the big boys.

Still, the team had an impressive run that included wins over Michigan State, North Carolina and a loaded Connecticut team in the Elite Eight.

Will Thomas averaged 11.8 points and 7.2 rebounds during the year in the Colonial Athletic Association, but he was a beast inside during the tournament.

He had a double-double in three of the team's four wins, including a 19-point, 12-rebound performance against UConn. He dominated a frontcourt that included Rudy Gay, Hilton Armstrong, Josh Boone and Jeff Adrien.

This victory remains one of the biggest upsets in college basketball history.

9. Ed Pinckney, Villanova; 1985

Heading into the NCAA finals in 1985, the player to watch was Patrick Ewing.

However, Ed Pinckney took over in the title game, finishing with 16 points and six rebounds in one of the biggest upsets of all time.

His defensive performance on Ewing allowed Villanova to win its only championship in school history.

Pinckney was a solid player during his collegiate career, but no one expected him to out-duel the All-American on the big stage.

8. James Forrest, Georgia Tech; 1992

Georgia Tech only had 0.8 seconds remaining on the clock in the second-round game against USC.

As the inbounder looked for Travis Best or Jon Barry, James Forrest ended up being the only one open.

Forrest received the ball, turned and shot all in one motion and somehow watched the ball go in after the buzzer sounded.

This was one of the more improbable buzzer-beaters in tournament history, and it makes it even stranger when you watch a third or fourth option become a hero.

7. Artis Gilmore, Jacksonville; 1970

Artis Gilmore was one of the top scorers in the country in the 1969-70 season at 26.5 points per game. He also averaged an incredible 22.2 rebounds per game.

Still, there was not a lot of respect for Jacksonville at this time or really at anytime.

Gilmore responded by leading his squad to the national title game by scoring at least 20 points every step of the way. His team was unable to beat UCLA in the final, but the run to that point was still quite impressive.

6. Curtis Blair, Richmond; 1991

Before 1991, no No. 15 seed had ever won in the NCAA tournament. Curtis Blair made sure that Syracuse became the first casualty.

The Richmond star finished with a team-high 18 points on only nine shots against the Orangemen, while also adding six assists.

Jim Boeheim's squad was absolutely stunned by the upset, although it was not the last time that a Syracuse team was upset in the first round.

Still, this started a trend of massive upsets that were almost unthinkable prior to the 1990s.

5. Bryce Drew, Valparaiso; 1998

In 1998, Bryce Drew completed one of the most heartwarming stories in NCAA history with one of the most iconic plays ever.

The star player for Valparaiso was the son of head coach Homer Drew, and the pair helped the team get to the brink of an upset against Ole Miss in the first round.

No. 4 seed Ole Miss held the lead with 2.5 seconds left, but a great pass to Drew set up the guard for a three-point basket that was made as time expired.

This buzzer-beater remains shown in almost every March Madness highlight to this day.

4. Bo Kimble, Loyola Marymount; 1990

Bo Kimble did not exactly come out of nowhere after averaging 35.3 points per game in his last year at Loyola Marymount. However, his performance in the NCAA tournament was truly inspiring.

After teammate and friend Hank Gathers collapsed and died during the WCC conference tournament, Kimble played well enough for both of them as the No. 11 seed made a big run in the NCAA tournament.

He scored 45 points in the first-round win over New Mexico State and 37 in the second round against Michigan.

The squad beat Alabama in a slow-paced game in the Sweet 16 with Kimble scoring 19, and he finished with 42 when the team finally lost to UNLV in the Elite Eight.

In each game, Kimble shot his first free throw with his left hand in honor of Gathers. This became one of the most iconic images in NCAA history.

3. Pervis Ellison, Louisville; 1986

By the end of his career at Louisville, "Never Nervous" Pervis Ellison was a star. However, he shocked many during his 1986 run to the national championship as a freshman.

The center had 25 points and 11 rebounds in the title game as his Cardinals pulled off a major upset over Johnny Dawkins and Duke.

Ellison was only the third-leading scorer on his team during the season, but he took the spotlight once the tournament began and ended up being the second freshman ever to win Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.

2. Lorenzo Charles, North Carolina State; 1983

Everything surrounding North Carolina State's miracle season in 1983 was improbable.

The team would have struggled to reach the NCAA tournament if it did not win the ACC tournament, but the run kept going until it reached the title game.

In a tie game against heavily favored Houston, Dereck Whittenburg chucked up a potential game-winning shot that fell short.

Fortunately, sophomore Lorenzo Charles was there to catch the ball and put it in the basket for the win.

Charles finished his career with two more big years with the Wolfpack, but he was only a role player in 1983. The game-winning shot was only his second made basket of the game.

Few saw it coming, but Charles walked off with one of the biggest plays in tournament history.

1. Keith Smart, Indiana; 1987

Although Keith Smart made one of the biggest shots in NCAA tournament history, he was far from the best player on the court.

During the 1986-87 season, Smart was fifth on his team in points per game average. He started to heat up during Indiana's run to the championship, but it was Steve Alford's outside shooting that truly shined.

Still, the young player was the one with the ball as time ticked down in the title game against Syracuse. Smart hit the go-ahead baseline jumper in what was the final shot for the Hoosiers as they won the 1987 national championship.

There have been better players at Indiana, but no one has hit a bigger shot than Smart.