The Most Incredible Buzzer-Beaters of the 2016-17 College Basketball Season

Like in the eye of a hurricane, everything goes almost supernaturally silent. The crowd sucks in its collective breath, momentarily capturing the full energy of the moment.

And then, if everything goes right, the entire venue explodes in noise and color, like a flower blooming into life under a time-lapse camera.

Aw yeah. That's the stuff. There aren't many spectacles in sports that can top a good college basketball buzzer-beater. 

Here are seven that stand out up to this point in the 2016-17 season. There's a good chance better ones are yet to come, what with the calendar flipping to March and everything, but these regular-season entrants deserve their due. 

They are included based on a combination of a few factors: the degree of difficulty on the shot, the importance of the game and the quality of the opponent. 

Indiana Hoosiers Sink Star-Crossed Penn State Nittany Lions

How it happened: It hasn't been the greatest season for Indiana. But Penn State has provided some bright spots. So has star James Blackmon, who hit this three Jan. 18 to down the Nittany Lions in State College.

Wow factor: The Hoosiers led for much of the game, including the entire second half — that is until Penn State tied the game at 75 with about five seconds remaining. IU got bailed out big-time by Blackmon.

Odd but relevant postscript: Penn State nearly returned the favor in Bloomington when IU's Josh Newkirk appeared to juuuust barely fail to get off a game-tying shot that forced overtime. But the referees ruled (it would seem incorrectly) that Newkirk had gotten the shot off in time. Three OTs later, Indiana had a 110-102 victory.

Half-Court Bomb Punches Ramapo RoadRunners' Ticket

How it happened: As you know, Ramapo College is a D-III school in Mahwah, New Jersey. With a tournament berth in the balance, the stakes could not have been higher when the RoadRunners faced the New Jersey City University Gothic Knights in the finals of the New Jersey Athletic Conference tournament. Thomas Bonacum launched a desperation three from half court that went in, handing Ramapo the tourney crown and the big tourney slot.

Wow factor: Well, the shot was from half court. Check the video. That's why we're talking about a D-III school here (no offense). And with only 3.1 seconds on the clock, Ramapo drew up and executed a nice play, with the guard Josh Ford dribbling up court before leaving it for the trailing Bonacum. No hero ball here, and this time it worked to a tee.

Coast-to-Coast Layup Lifts Arizona Wildcats over Michigan State Spartans

How it happened: Played on Nov. 11, this was the season opener for both teams. Michigan State, then ranked No. 12, tied the score at 63 with Arizona, then ranked No. 10. Guard Kadeem Allen dribbled the length of the floor and converted the game-winning layup with 1.3 seconds remaining.

Wow factor: So maybe it's not a buzzer-beater in the truest sense of the word, but it was still darned impressive to watch Allen get to the hoop. The Michigan State defense? Less impressive.

But the decision to go with Allen looked like genius in retrospect, as all successful moves do.

"Putting the ball in (Allen's) hands in that situation was I think the smart move, and he did a great job finishing," Arizona head coach Sean Miller told the Associated Press (h/t ESPN) after the game.

Frank Mason and Kansas Jayhawks Knock Down Top-Ranked Duke Blue Devils

How it happened: Duke was ranked first in the nation. Kansas was ranked seventh. With the score knotted at 75, Frank Mason III, the team's elder statesman and leader, drove toward the lane, stopped on a dime and dropped a pure jumper—that's right, a two-point shot!—through the twine. Game, Jayhawks.

Wow factor: Kansas has a strong case for the tournament's top-overall seed. Back on Nov. 15, when this game was played, the Jayhawks were mainly a collection of untested young bucks. They lost to Indiana in their season opener and nearly went 0-2 until Mason donned his cape.

This victory helped set the tone for KU's monster season, which now sees them at the top of the AP charts and cruising into March. 

Villanova Wildcats Have Some Kind of Knack for Buzzer-Beaters

How it happened: According to KenPom, Virginia ranks 301st nationally in luck. Case in point: this Jan. 29 game against Villanova. Nova star Josh Hart's running floater went begging—right to Donte DiVincenzo. The big guy tipped it in as time expired for a 61-59 win.

Wow factor: Virginia's pack-line defense held the normally clean-shooting Wildcats to 42.5 percent shooting from the floor—nearly eight points below their 49.7 percent season average. Normally so solid in the low post, the Wahoo defense lapsed at the most crucial moment.

Fresh off a loss to Marquette that would knock them out of the nation's No. 1 ranking, Villanova conducted needed damage control with this nip-and-tuck dandy with Virginia.

John Gillon Bedevils Duke Blue Devils

How it happened: On Feb. 22, with the score tied at 75 and about seven seconds left on the clock, the Syracuse Orange corralled a Duke miss and got the ball to John Gillon, their third-leading scorer and best three-point shooter. Gillon drove the length of the court, pulled up before reaching the Blue Devils defense and launched a three that banked in as the backboard lit up.

Wow factor: The Orange badly needed a signature win to bolster their tournament resume. Thanks to Gillon, they got it. Duke has been off this season but only by its own lofty standards; they were ranked 10th when Gillon's shot banked through the net. Along with an earlier win over Virginia, this might get the 'Cuse over the line in a crowded ACC field.

Dillon Brooks Is the Clutchest Player in College Basketball This Season

How it happened: No recency bias here. Although the Oregon Ducks' Dillon Brooks buzzer-buried California about a week ago, like a good indie rock fan, I prefer his earlier stuff. On Dec. 28, as most fans were digesting holiday meals or popping early New Year's bubbles, Brooks calmly buried a three-pointer to down Lonzo Ball and the then-No. 2 UCLA Bruins.

Wow factor: If there's a more clutch player in college basketball this season, I'm not sure who it is. Brooks makes some waves for his brashness, but right now he's the sports biggest walker of talk. 

"It's amazing," Brooks told Ron Richmond of the Associated Press. "You work on your game every day and you dream of that moment. I want more moments like that for my team."

How prescient that was.