March Madness makes memories. Shining team moments, sure, but also incredible individual performances. Here are nine of the finest.
9. Bo Kimble, Loyola Marymount, 1990
Hank Gathers. Bo Kimble. Who can forget that Lions team that overcame Gathers’s shocking, tragic death on the court in a WCC tournament game?
Kimble led No. 11 seeded LMU to the Elite Eight after beating New Mexico State, Michigan and Alabama, before being bounced by UNLV.
Kimble’s first left-handed free throw to honor Gathers remains an iconic moment in NCAA basketball history.
8. Kemba Walker, Connecticut, 2011
Walker was dynamite for an amazing 11-game run that included the Big East Tournament title before the Big Dance. The Huskies had lost four of their last five games heading into the Big East Tournament but then won that and stormed through the NCAAs by averaging 23.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.7 assists a game to the lead the Huskies to the top of the NCAA mountain.
7. Steph Curry, Davidson, 2008
Hello, Steph Curry. The kid could score as everyone discovered.
The Wildcats were a No. 10 seed, but most experts knew they were dangerous because of Curry. They made it to the Elite Eight thanks to Curry’s sensational shooting. They upset Gonzaga, Georgetown and Wisconsin before falling to eventual national champion Kansas by two.)
6. Glen Rice, Michigan, 1989
Rice, Rice, baby!
Rice led Michigan to a 80-79 overtime win over Seton Hall in the title game and set an NCAA tournament record by scoring 184 points in six games and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
5. Christian Laettner, Duke, 1992
Laettner’s miracle shot against Kentucky might be the most memorable in college basketball history. He was the leader as Duke clinched its second straight championship with a win over Michigan in the title game.
4. Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse, 2003
‘Melo was money in this tourney. Just a freshman, Anthony averaged 20 points and 10 boards, while making 48 percent of his 3-pointers, per game to lead the Orange to wins over Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas and finally Kansas in the championship game.
3. Magic Johnson, Michigan State, 1979
Here’s a strange fact: The NCAA didn’t track assists back in 1979 but there’s little doubt Earvin “Magic” Johnson was handing out trouble-doubles during this season’s tournament, especially against Larry Bird’s Indiana State team in the title game. Johnson averaged 21.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and probably 10 assists per game to lead Michigan State to the title.
2. Bill Walton, UCLA, 1973
Walton was one of the greatest NCAA players ever and he was never better than in 1973 when, over the course of four tournament games, he averaged 20.3 (on 65 percent shooting) and 15.7 rebounds. In the championship game against Memphis, Walton was a remarkable 21 of 22 from the field and scored 44 points, still the record for a title game.
1. Danny Manning, Kansas, 1988
Man, oh, man, oh man … Manning and the Miracles.
Manning led a 21-11 (most losses ever by a national champion), 11th-seeded Jayhawks team all the way to the title. Kansas was a No.6-seed that season and still won the championship behind Manning’s 27.2 points and 9.3 rebounds a game.
