Ranking 5 greatest March Madness buzzer-beaters, including UConn’s Braylon Mullins and Duke’s Christian Laettner

Ranking 5 greatest March Madness buzzer-beaters, including UConn’s Braylon Mullins and Duke’s Christian Laettner originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Was it a buzzer-beater or clutch shot?

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Freshman guard Braylon Mullins entered NCAA Tournament lore with a 3-point buzzer-beater that gave No. 2 UConn a 73-72 victory against No. 1 Duke in the East Region final. Mullins’ hit the shot with 0.3 seconds remaining.

Sporting News ranked the greatest buzzer-beaters and the greatest clutch shots in NCAA tournament history in the past – with the differentiator being whether the horn went off and there was no time remaining.

If we had to combine the two lists, then five shots stand out in NCAA Tournament history above the rest. Two were game-winners in the national championship game, one in a national semifinal and two – including Mullins’ game-winner – occurred in the Elite Eight. Will the value on this shot increase if the Huskies win their third national championship in four years at the 2026 Men’s Final Four?

How would you stack these five buzzer-beaters up in NCAA Tournament history?

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Ranking five greatest NCAA Tournament buzzer-beaters

5. Lorenzo Charles, N.C. State

Matchup: No. 6 N.C. State vs. No. 1 Houston (1983 NCAA championship)

At the buzzer: The Wolfpack were tied at 52 with Houston’s legendary “Phi Slama Jama” team in the final when Dereck Whittenburg heaved a desperation 3-pointer after a near steal. The shot was short, but Lorenzo Charles plucked the ball in mid-air behind Houston center Akeem Olajuwon for the game-winning dunk at the buzzer.

Case for No. 1: This capped the ultimate Cinderella story in the NCAA Tournament – one that ESPN chronicled in the 30-for-30 documentary “Survive and Advance.” The image of the late Jim Valvano sprinting across the floor at “The Pit” remains crystal clear to this day.

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Publish date : 2026-03-30 18:26:00

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