Rich Clarkson/Sports Illustrated

Story by Scott Gummer

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1997 National Championship Arizona 84, Kentucky 79 (Overtime) Every champion has to overcome obstacles, but no school had ever dispatched three top seeds in one tournament before Arizona accomplished the David and Goliath feat. After vanquishing Kansas in the regional semifinal and North Carolina in the national semi-final, Arizona completed their trifecta in thrilling fashion over the defending champs. Kentucky, aiming for the school’s seventh hoops title, needed a clutch three-pointer as the clock wound down just to force overtime. Arizona quickly jumped ahead and never looked back, capitalizing from the free throw line, where they outscored Kentucky 34-9.

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1988 National Championship Kansas 83, Oklahoma 79 It was to be a classic tortoise and hare affair. The lightning quick Oklahoma Sooners, owners of a 35-3 season record, including a pair of wins against Kansas, figured to run the 27-11 Jayhawks into submission. Tied 50-50 after a run-andgun first half, Kansas coach Larry Brown put on the brakes after intermission. The Sooners could not adapt. It was a true team effort for the Jayhawks—nine different players saw action—but in the end it was senior Danny Manning who took over, tallying 31 points, a career-high 18 rebounds, five steals and two blocks.

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 1995 Second Round UCLA 75, Missouri 74 The UCLA dynasty that won 10 national championships in 12 had ended two decades before, but the Bruins looked to be back as they entered the tournament boasting the No. 1 ranking in the country. Missouri must not have gotten the memo, as the Tigers scratched and clawed their way to a one-point lead with 4.8 seconds left. Needing to go the entire length of the floor, senior point guard Tyus Edney bobbed and weaved through Missouri’s full-court press, finding daylight and scoring the deciding basket as time expired.

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1989 National Championship Michigan 80, Seton Hall 79 (Overtime) The Cinderella story came not from the players on the court as much as from the coach on the Michigan bench. Assistant coach Steve Fisher was handed the reins the day before the tournament began after his boss accepted another job. Glen Rice was a scoring machine for the Wolverines, netting 31 points in the final and setting a tournament record of 184 total. Late in the extra session Seton Hall’s Gerald Greene and Rumeal Robinson of Michigan collided when Robinson drove the lane. The call went against the Pirates, and Robinson sank the free throws to ice the game.