March Madness: The Best March Madness Games of All Time

March Madness was first introduced in 1939 and during its near 80 years of existence, the competition has provided plenty of memorable games. Nevertheless, the tournament really upped the ante back in 1985, as the competition underwent a huge expansion that increased the number of competing teams to 64.

Due to the increased number of competitors and matchup's, the majority of the tournaments greatest games have happened since the 1985 expansion, and this list will stick to the games that have occurred since the NCAA Tournament expanded its bracket. So, as we once again gear up for the annual tournament, here are our picks for the five greatest games in the history of March Madness.

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#5 Arizona vs. Kentucky - Championship Game - 1997

After an exciting game, the Kentucky-Arizona game tightened up during overtime (Picture Credit - The Post Game)

Back in 1997, No. 4 seed Arizona won its first NCAA title by defeating defending champions Kentucky. While the game has been forgotten by many in recent years, the result was a major shock as Kentucky had been expected to come away with a comfortable victory.

Despite being the underdogs, Arizona started out the game well and Luke Olson's team took a lead into the break. Nevertheless, Kentucky provided more of a threat in the second half, and Anthony Epps hit a three-pointer with just 10 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime.

After both teams had delivered impressive offensive performances throughout regular time, overtime suddenly became a much tighter affair. All 10 of Arizona's overtime points came from the free-throw line, while Kentucky's offense was restricted to just five points, ultimately handing Arizona their first ever National Championship win.

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#4 Kansas vs. Oklahoma - Championship Game - 1988

The Kansas Jayhawks emerged victorious over the Oklahoma Sooners (Picture Credit - NewsOK)

The 1988 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Game was a thrilling conclusion to an excellent tournament, and the game is especially remembered for its incredible first half. Mookie Blaylock set the tone by netting a jump shot just seconds after the tip-off, and for the next 20 minutes, both teams delivered masterclasses in offensive basketball.

Danny Manning led the way for the Jayhawks, while Dave Siegler fueled the Sooners offense, and by halftime, the score was an incredible 50-50. Evidently, the second half could never live up to the first half, and in a much nervy second act, the Jayhawks triumphed 83-79. The result was a huge shock as Oklahoma entered the game as the number one seed, whereas Kansas entered seeded 6th, although the game will forever be remembered for providing arguably the best half of basketball in college history.

#3 Villanova vs. North Carolina - Championship Game - 2016

The ending to the game is widely regarded as the best of the last decade (Picture Credit - NPR)

In the 2016 Championship Game, the no.2 seed Villanova Wildcats defeated the no.1 seed North Carolina Tar Heels by 77-74. While only taking place three years ago, the game is already considered one of the best college games of the 21st century thanks to both the high stakes and the thrilling ending that drew comparisons to the famous 1992 Duke vs Kentucky game.

North Carolina were leading by 5 points after a closely fought opening 20 minutes, although Villanova seized control in the second half, and with 5 minutes left, the Tar Heels were down by nearly double-figures. North Carolina launched a late comeback, and with less than five seconds remaining, Marcus Paige knocked down a crazy three-pointer to level the game. Nevertheless, Villanova's Kris Jenkins answered with his own three-pointer at the buzzer and Jenkins was inevitably mobbed by his teammates after hitting the game-winning shot.

#2 Wichita State vs. Kentucky - Round of 32 - 2014

Back in 2014, Kentucky produced one of the biggest shocks in recent college history (Picture Credit - USA Today)

This 78-76 thriller from St. Louis will forever go down as one of the biggest shocks in March Madness history. Number 1 seeded Wichita State entered the matchup as the clear favourites to win the whole NCAA tournament after going undefeated throughout the year, whereas number 8 seed, Kentucky, were regarded as a talented but extremely raw team.

Admittedly, being a round of 32 matchup, the game didn't have the highest stakes on offer, although both teams went at each other from the start, and despite playing arguably the best game of their season, Wichita State still didn't have enough to overcome an unfancied Kentucky side.

Future Lakers star Julius Randle led Kentucky to victory with a double-double, while Aaron and Andrew Harrison also made large offensive contributions. Ultimately, Kentucky beating the 35-0 favourites is reason enough to make the list, although even more impressive was the manner in which they pulled off the shock victory.

#1 Duke vs. Kentucky - East Regional Final - 1992

The game's climax saw Christian Laettner hit one of the most famous shots in basketball history (Picture Credit - Sporting News)

Duke and Kentucky met in Philadelphia on March 28th, 1992, and the Elite Eight game is widely regarded as one of the best in basketball history. Both Duke and Kentucky were among the favourites to win the entire tournament having entered the matchup as the two top-seeded teams in the East, although few would have predicted the regional final to enter basketball legend.

The game headed to overtime with the score tied at 93-93, after 40 enthralling minutes in which neither team managed to pull away. The closeness of the game meant that a piece of magic was likely to decide the outcome, and of course, that piece of magic has now become widely known as 'The Shot'.

Sean Woods had just scored in the lane to put Kentucky ahead 103–102 with just 2.1 seconds remaining, and it looked as though Duke would exit the tournament. Nevertheless, Christian Laettner had different ideas, and after receiving a near 80 feet pass from Grant Hill, he faked right, dribbled and then nailed a jump shot as the buzzer sounded. The win gave Duke a 104-103 overtime win, and the game is undoubtedly the best in the history of March Madness.