Ranking the 24 Best Men's March Madness Shots of All Time

Dozens of games are played in the NCAA tournament every year, but a single glorious shot—one shining moment, you could say—can immediately turn a player into a March Madness legend.

The latest example is Connecticut's Braylon Mullins, a highly recruited freshman who held an important yet complementary role all season. A now-iconic shot has cemented his legacy.

Mullins has joined a cast of players—including Lorenzo Charles, Kris Jenkins and Christian Laettner—who elicit March memories at the mere mention of their name.

Here, we've ranked the best of the best when it comes to iconic March Madness shots. The ranking is based on a mix of the stakes (the round of the game), shot difficulty and other context, such as completing a comeback, breaking a tie or whether an underdog pulled off an upset.

Only last-second shots are included, so Northern Iowa's Ali Farokhmanesh's dagger in 2010 is among the very honorable mentions.

We've picked out two dozen memories, one for each of Mullins' No. 24.

24. Kenton Paulino, Texas (2006)

In all likelihood, this winning shot is not something most college basketball fans immediately recall. Texas fans probably have never forgotten it, though, and West Virginia supporters would prefer not to remember it.

Kenton Paulino ended the dreams of that wishful WVU program.

One year earlier, Kevin Pittsnogle's amazing March catapulted the Mountaineers to a surprise Elite Eight appearance. They were on the verge of returning to a regional final, but second-seeded Texas stood in the way.

As fate would have it, Pittsnogle came up clutch again. He drilled a game-tying three with exactly five seconds to play.

Texas responded in a hurry as A.J. Abrams sprinted to the top of the key, then found an open Paulino for a deep trifecta.

Bang. Texas survived with a 74-71 triumph.

23. Ty Rogers, Western Kentucky (2008)

Although the famous 12-over-5 upset has many examples in March Madness lore, few compare to the drama of Western Kentucky's win in 2008.

Drake put together a stellar year, sweeping the Missouri Valley regular-season and tournament titles with a 28-4 record. Not only did the program land its first NCAA tourney bid in 37 seasons, but Drake also earned a strong seed.

Unfortunately for Drake, the Hilltoppers came in with bad intentions.

Led by future NBA player Courtney Lee, WKU took the contest to overtime. Tyrone Brazelton had scored 33 points, so it made sense to expect he or Lee would try to erase the 99-98 deficit in the closing 5.7 seconds.

Instead, the moment belonged to Ty Rogers, whose right-wing trifecta over two Drake defenders at the buzzer gave the 'Toppers a 101-99 victory.

22. JP Pegues, Furman (2023)

Most college basketball fans love an opening-week underdog. Virginia fans probably don't share that sentiment, though.

Over the last decade, the Cavaliers have lost to multiple lower-seeded teams in the first round. The historic upset by 16th-seeded UMBC happened in 2018, 13th-seeded Ohio clipped the Cavaliers in 2021, and 13th-seeded Furman repeated that in 2023.

The last one, Furman, included a truly gut-wrenching finish for UVA. Star guard Kihei Clark attempted to make a miraculous pass in hopes of burning the clock, but Furman—trailing 67-65—took advantage of that gifted turnover.

With six seconds on the clock, Garrett Hien reeled in Clark's heave, took a dribble and dished the ball to JP Pegues on the right wing.

Nothing but net.

Made further famous by Kevin Harlan's incredible call, Pegues' game-winning triple with 2.2 seconds left should live forever in March Madness lore.

21. Jermaine Wallace, Northwestern State (2006)

In clutch-time moments, keeping a level head is essential. Control your emotions, do your job, execute when it counts.

Well, reality does not always offer that ideal possibility. Sometimes, it's downright chaos in the final seconds of March Madness games.

Case in point, 14th-seeded Northwestern State against No. 3 Iowa in 2006.

Iowa clung to a 63-61 edge after top scorer Greg Brunner missed a free throw. Northwestern State grabbed the rebound, and Kerwin Forges soon launched a shot on the right wing.

The miss caromed to the left corner, and Jermaine Wallace came up with the loose ball. He pivoted to face the basket, jabbed once toward the rim, stepped back and retreated to the deep corner.

Wallace fired his three-pointer—contested well by Iowa's Adam Haluska—and sparked a celebratory style of mayhem with 0.5 ticks on the clock.

Northwestern State won 64-63.

20. Bryce Drew, Valparaiso (1998)

When we talk about a vision coming to life, it's hard to imagine a more inch-perfect play than Valparaiso's iconic shot.

During the opening round of the 1998 NCAA tournament, the 13th-seeded Crusaders had just 2.5 seconds to pull off a miracle. They trailed Ole Miss 69-67 and needed to travel the entire length of the court.

Valpo head coach Homer Drew unleashed an impeccable idea.

"Pacer" started with Jamie Sykes—whose little fake is a bit underappreciated—throwing the inbounds pass about 55 feet to Bill Jenkins. He outjumped two defenders and one-touch snapped the ball to Bryce Drew, who snuck behind another Ole Miss player for a clean look at the rim.

Drew, a top-five perimeter shooter in the sport's history at that moment, lived up to his reputation and buried the three as the buzzer sounded.

Valpo secured its first-ever NCAA tourney win and later advanced to the Sweet 16.

19. James Forrest, Georgia Tech (1992)

Holy mackerel! Holy mackerel! Holy mackerel!

The famous broadcast reaction is part of James Forrest's lore, but so should the context of his fantastic March Madness moment.

In the second round of the 1992 NCAA tournament, seventh-seeded Georgia Tech faced a slim 78-76 deficit against No. 2 USC. The good news was that Tech would be inbounding from halfcourt. The bad news was that only 0.8 seconds remained.

Enough time for a single shot, Forrest caught the pass and rapidly rose to beat the clock. The worse news for Tech? He hadn't made a three-pointer all year.

But it was a perfect time for his first, sending Tech to the Sweet 16.

18. Tyus Edney, UCLA (1995)

From a historical perspective, this particular layup was enormously important. UCLA ended up winning a national championship in 1995.

The balance is that it happened in the second round.

On that day, eighth-seeded Missouri took a 74-73 lead on a bucket from Julian Winfield. UCLA took a timeout with 4.8 seconds in regulation, emerged from the huddle and watched Tyus Edney become a hero.

The 5'10" guard wasted no time, flying from the opposite free-throw line and using five dribbles to enter the paint.

Edney elevated, contorted around the arms of 6'9" defender Derek Grimm and banked in a buzzer-beating layup for a 75-74 UCLA victory.

17. Richard Hamilton, Connecticut (1998)

Remember that introduction for Northwestern State? It undoubtedly applies to this heart-stopping shot for Connecticut in 1998.

First, the scene.

Washington, the No. 11 team in the East Region, had advanced to the Sweet 16. If the West Coast's Huskies could win, they'd become only the third No. 11 seed to make the Elite Eight, and they led 74-73 in the waning moments.

Holding for the final shot, UConn started to attack at the 12-second mark. Jake Voskuhl missed, but future NBA standout Richard Hamilton came up with the tipped ball. He missed, and a sea of hands desperately poked at the ball, which somehow went back to Hamilton.

The last seconds disappearing, "Rip" tossed up a fadeaway over 7-foot Patrick Femerling that rattled home for UConn's epic 75-74 escape.

16. Bronson Koenig, Wisconsin (2016)

On the bright side, a missed shot simply would've meant Wisconsin would be headed to overtime with Xavier. No major problem.

Nevertheless, the seventh-seeded Badgers were happy to avoid an extra five minutes with the No. 2 Musketeers. Bronson Koenig, a talented but streaky shooter, capped his sizzling performance as the hero.

Koenig received the inbounds pass—with 2.0 seconds now ticking down—while curling toward the right corner.

He took one dribble and then jumped above Remy Abell to bury a three at the buzzer.

Sending the Badgers into a frenzy in their 66-63 triumph, Koenig finished the second-round matchup with six triples and 20 points.

15. Luke Maye, North Carolina (2017)

In terms of difficulty, this was a reasonably standard jumper for North Carolina forward Luke Maye.

But it sent the Tar Heels to the Final Four.

The tension was high. Kentucky guard Malik Monk had drained an off-balance triple to even the score at 73 with 7.2 seconds to play. North Carolina's Theo Pinson quickly dribbled down the court and hit Maye on the left wing.

Stepping on the three-point line, Maye's jumper floated over the outstretched arm of UK guard Isaiah Briscoe and through the net.

North Carolina went on to celebrate a national title.

14. Korie Lucious, Michigan State (2010)

Michigan State's world was falling apart.

Earlier in this second-round matchup with Maryland, MSU's star guard Kalin Lucas exited with a torn Achilles. Not long after his departure, the Spartans' lead began dwindling from 16 points.

It seemed that Greivis Vasquez threw the final punch, making a go-ahead leaner with 6.6 seconds in regulation.

Draymond Green dribbled down the court for MSU, and he zipped a pass—barely over the head of a ducking teammate, Delvon Roe—to Korie Lucious.

One fake, one dribble, one shot—and one shining moment for Lucious.

The buzzer-beating three vaulted Sparty into the Sweet 16, and the short-handed group advanced to the Final Four.

13. Jordan Poole, Michigan (2018)

Later in the decade, the other Big Ten school from the Mitten celebrated a fantastic second-round victory at the horn.

Michigan, the No. 3 seed, stared at a 63-61 hole against sixth-seeded Houston with 3.6 ticks to play. Considering that UH just missed a pair of free-throw attempts, the Wolverines were fortunate to have a chance at survival.

Jordan Poole took advantage of their second life.

Isaiah Livers whipped a 40-foot pass to Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman, who found two UH defenders in his path and snapped the ball to Poole. With his legs splayed, the freshman guard sank the desperation three as the buzzer rang.

Similar to MSU in 2010, the buzzer-beater sent the Wolverines on a Final Four journey. Their run ended with a loss to Villanova in the national championship.

12. Tate George, Connecticut (1990)

Eight seasons before Hamilton's heroics in the Sweet 16, UConn advanced through the round on a different buzzer-beater.

Some programs get (most of) the luck, huh?

Unlike the 1998 shot, however, the Huskies had no opportunities for an offensive rebound with a lone second left. They trailed Clemson 70-69 and—similar to Valpo—decided to cover the length of the court with a long pass.

In this instance, Scott Burrell lofted the ball about 85 feet and somehow found the arms of Tate George. He turned and drained the jumper at the buzzer.

Connecticut's long, overwhelmingly happy history of iconic March Madness shots took a negative turn in the Elite Eight. More on that shortly.

11. Chris Chiozza, Florida (2017)

Connecticut's game-to-game fortune/misfortune found a wild repeat with Wisconsin in the 2010s.

One year earlier, Bronson Koenig hit his game-winner against Xavier. The next season, Wisconsin had pulled off another upset to make the Sweet 16.

But this time, Florida sent the Badgers home unhappy.

The contest went to overtime after UW's Zac Showalter hit a running three-pointer to even the score at 72 in the final seconds. Whatever he could do, Florida's Chris Chiozza could do better.

Wisconsin led 83-81 with 4.0 seconds left in OT. Florida made a short pass to Chiozza on the opposite end. He zoomed down the floor, nudged past a defender and jumped from behind the arc, sending a floating three through the net.

Florida moved to the Elite Eight, where it fell to South Carolina.

10. Paul Jesperson, Northern Iowa (2016)

Who doesn't love a half-court winner?

Yeah, sure, not Texas fans in 2016, but just about everyone else—no matter the impact on your bracket—was loving this Paul Jesperson heave.

Isaiah Taylor dropped in a game-tying shot for sixth-seeded Texas with 2.7 to play. Northern Iowa passed up a timeout and quickly inbounded the ball to Jesperson, who cut inside with a dribble and gathered himself to launch.

No worries, P-I-G purists, he definitely called bank.

Despite the horrendous second-round collapse and loss to Texas A&M that followed, Jesperson's winner is still a beloved shot.

9. U.S. Reed, Arkansas (1981)

Jesperson's prayer was reminiscent of a miracle that occurred 35 years earlier, a few seasons before March Madness expanded to 64 teams.

A second-round game in today's parlance, Arkansas and Louisville met with a chance to take on top-seeded LSU in the Sweet 16. It appeared that would be Louisville, which led 73-72 as the clock showed just a handful of seconds.

U.S. Reed stepped up and rescued the Razorbacks.

Facing heavy pressure from two UL defenders, the senior guard capped his Arkansas career with a stunning 49-foot heave. The buzzer sounded right after he released the ball, which ripped through the net.

For two points, of course, and a 74-73 victory.

8. Christian Laettner, Duke (1990)

Tate George, Rip Hamilton and Braylon Mullins each provided a highlight-reel moment for UConn during March Madness. Huskies fans can therefore survive one bad memory, right?

As mentioned earlier, the overjoyed response after George's shot quickly found its negative counterpart. Most remarkably, this is only one of Christian Laettner's two legendary March Madness jumpers.

Not a bad career for that Laettner guy!

During the Elite Eight in 1990, Duke and UConn headed to overtime. For the final 90 seconds, UConn led 78-77. Duke missed two shots, then George misfired on a potential dagger three and dropped a possible game-sealing steal.

Out of a timeout with 2.6 ticks on the clock, Duke turned to Laettner. He threw the inbounds pass, received the ball right back, dribbled once and double-clutched a leaning jumper that touched net as the buzzer sounded.

Duke ended as the national runner-up after falling to UNLV in the national title game.

7. Mario Chalmers, Kansas (2008)

This is the lone non-game-winning shot in these rankings, but Mario Chalmers still deserves a high spot because of the stakes involved.

If he'd missed, Memphis would have won a national championship.

However, the future NBA guard allowed Kansas to outduel a Memphis squad with a freshman named Derrick Rose—an eventual NBA MVP. As fate would have it, Rose's own missed free throw opened the door for Chalmers.

Rose split a pair at the line, staking Memphis to a 63-60 advantage as 10.8 seconds remained. Kansas guard Sherron Collins sprinted down the floor, nearly turning over the ball while losing his balance but finding Chalmers.

One dribble to the left, and Chalmers knocked down a game-tying triple over Rose's outstretched right arm with 2.1 seconds left.

Kansas won 75-68 in overtime, securing its first national title in two decades.

6. Lamont Butler, San Diego State (2023)

In a chalk-less Final Four, Florida Atlantic was on the verge of becoming the first-ever No. 9 seed to reach the national championship.

And then Lamont Butler happened.

Following a key defensive stand as San Diego State trailed 71-70, Butler began moving up the court with seven seconds left. He dribbled down the right wing and into the corner, unsuccessfully searching for a lane to the basket.

As with several others on the list, the defense was actually solid. Butler created a bit of room with a jab to the left, and FAU's Nick Boyd contested the jumper.

That little space is all Butler needed for a buzzer-beating shot.

San Diego State erupted in celebration and flooded the court, advancing to the title matchup—where it would fall to UConn.

5. Jalen Suggs, Gonzaga (2021)

The pursuit of perfection lived on, thanks to Jalen Suggs.

Gonzaga entered the Final Four holding an unblemished 30-0 record, but upstart UCLA—seeded 11th and on a run that started in the First Four—would not go away. In overtime of the national semifinal, UCLA's Johnny Juzang evened the score at 90 with a putback at 3.3 seconds to play.

Although the Zags had a timeout left, coach Mark Few stepped back and gave his star freshman a chance to push the ball.

Suggs rewarded that confidence.

Three dribbles later, he ascended into a 35-footer that—as the horn sounded—clanged off the backboard, off the front rim and through the hoop.

Baylor ended the dream of an unbeaten year in the championship, but Suggs ensured the Zags would get the opportunity.

4. Lorenzo Charles, North Carolina State (1983)

Worst-case scenario, a miss would've sent the game to overtime.

As far as difficulty, the shot was uncomplicated. Lorenzo Charles essentially finished off an unintentional alley-oop from Dereck Whittenburg.

The impact, however? Legendary.

Led by head coach Jim Valvano, sixth-seeded North Carolina State perhaps only reached the Big Dance because it won the ACC tournament. But the Wolfpack kept winning and earned a showdown with the "Phi Slama Jama" Houston team featuring Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler.

NC State, a clear underdog, pulled off the upset in style.

Holding for the final shot in a 52-all deadlock, Whittenburg corralled a near-turnover and launched a 35-footer. The shot dropped short, yet it fell perfectly to a leaping Charles for a championship-winning dunk.

3. Christian Laettner, Duke (1992)

Duke ended as the national runner-up in 1990, the year of Laettner's big shot to eliminate UConn. The next season, he and the Blue Devils stormed to a championship with a roster that remained largely intact for the 1992 campaign.

The expectations hardly could've been higher.

And in the Elite Eight, Kentucky had Duke on the ropes. Sean Woods banked in a runner over Laettner with 2.1 seconds remaining for a 103-102 UK lead.

Duke called a timeout, and head coach Mike Krzyzewski landed on a now-mythical play. Kentucky elected not to pressure the ball, and future NBA star Grant Hill uncorked a perfectly placed 80-foot pass.

Laettner caught the ball, leaned left, faked right with a dribble and turned again—which, in hindsight, is just chaotic behavior for 2.1 seconds—for a fadeaway jumper that crushed the hearts of Kentucky fans.

After two more victories, Duke snatched its back-to-back titles.

2. Braylon Mullins, Connecticut (2026)

The "prisoner of the moment" trap is real. Recency bias is a factor worth remembering. We reserve the right to reconsider this ranking in a few years.

But this was a truly stunning shot.

Adding to the drama of the moment is that UConn, other than scoring the first two points, trailed Duke for the entire game. Worse yet, the Huskies faced a 19-point deficit in the opening half as their perimeter shooters were ice-cold.

After halftime, UConn steadily chipped away at the lead. Still, Duke entered the final minute up 70-66. Fast-forward a few possessions, and UConn trimmed the gap to 72-70—but Duke only needed to waste the last 10 seconds.

Cayden Boozer saw that opportunity in two unguarded teammates, but an attempt to throw over two UConn defenders didn't work out.

Braylon Mullins chased down the deflection and zipped a pass to Alex Karaban, who didn't have a clean look and immediately returned the ball to Mullins. From at least 35 feet out, the freshman delivered the biggest shot of his life.

1. Kris Jenkins, Villanova (2016)

There isn't an argument here, really.

CBS broadcaster Jim Nantz said the perfect, nerve-wracking words as the ball floated toward the rim and the buzzer sounded: For the championship!

Villanova sought to break a 74-all tie after North Carolina evened the score on Marcus Paige's unreal, twisting three with 4.7 seconds left. The play designed in the ensuing Nova timeout silenced that UNC joy.

Kris Jenkins took the ball out, making a short pass to Ryan Arcidiacono. He calmly dribbled to the top of the key, dumped the ball to a trailing Jenkins and provided a bit of crucial space by running in front of his teammate.

Jenkins had a clean look. And as the buzzer rang, he nailed it.

Sure, other buzzer-beaters had a higher degree of difficulty. However, the combination of the stakes and distance of the shot is unmatched.