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

Was it a buzzer-beater or clutch shot? 

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. 

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 4, 2023

4. Jalen Suggs, Gonzaga

Matchup: No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 11 UCLA (2021 Final Four)

At the buzzer: UCLA and Gonzaga played an instant classic in the Final Four the year after COVID-19 canceled the 2020 NCAA Tournament. The Bruins created a 90-90 tie with a Johnny Juzang layup with 3.3 seconds left when Suggs took the inbounds pass, veered past the half-court line and let the buzzer beater fly. The Bulldogs won 93-90 to secure a spot in the national championship game. 

Case for No. 1: Gonzaga to 31-0 in the victory, and Suggs' immediate sprint to the scorer's table and ensuing celebration adds to the lore of the shot. The Bulldogs lost 86-70 to No. 1 Baylor, however, which makes it tough to top the next three shots on this list. 

An iconic moment: @ZagMBB's Jalen Suggs standing on the scorers' table after hitting his game-winning buzzer beater over UCLA 😤 pic.twitter.com/DqTCA1vTwc

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 16, 2024

3. Braylon Mullins, UConn 

Matchup: No. 2 UConn vs. No. 1 Duke (2026 Elite Eight) 

At the buzzer: Duke led 72-70 with 10 seconds remaining. Cameron Boozer threw a pass to Cayden Boozer – who tried to advance the ball through a double-team. Silas Demary deflected the pass, which Mullins stole before passing to Alex Karaban. The senior pitched back to Mullins, who ripped the game-winning 3-pointer from the logo 

Case for No. 1: CBS analyst Bill Raftery deems the sequence "utterly impossible" after the initial jolt in the aftermath, and that's exactly what it is. Is this more about Duke not holding the ball or UConn capping a miracle comeback in dramatic fashion? Just watch UConn coach Dan Hurley's reaction a few more times.  

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 29, 2026

2. Kris Jenkins, Villanova

Matchup: No. 2 Villanova vs. No. 1 North Carolina (2016 NCAA championship)

At the buzzer: North Carolina had just tied the score at 71 with 4.1 seconds remaining on a double-clutch 3-pointer by Marcus Paige. After a timeout, Villanova guard Ryan Arcidiacono dribbled down the floor before flipping the ball backward to Jenkins, who cashed the game-winning 3-pointer from a few steps behind the 3-point line for a 77-74 victory.

Case for No. 1: This shot won a national championship, and the reactions are amazing. The confetti and streamer explosion. Jay Wright's poker face before a shrug. The late Rollie Massimino – who guided the Wildcats to the 1985 national championship – is on the verge of tears. Is this shot somehow underrated a decade later? 

— The College Sports Company (@CollegeSportsCo) March 15, 2026

DECOURCY: As retirement nears, my top 10 Final Four memories

1. Christian Laettner, Duke

Matchup: No. 1 Duke vs. No. 2 Kentucky (1992 Elite Eight)

At the buzzer: Duke trailed by one to Kentucky after Sean Woods hit a running bank-shot in the lane with 2.1 seconds remaining. Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski called a timeout. Grant Hill delivered a full-court pass to Laettner, who hit a turn-around jumper at the buzzer to give Duke 104-103 overtime victory in one of the greatest games — if not the greatest basketball game — ever played. Duke went on to win the second of back-to-back national championships.

Case for No. 1: Sporting News ranked this moment No. 13 on its 140 Greatest Moments list earlier this month. Is it the pass? The shot? Verne Lundquist belting out, "Yessss!" in the aftermath? The answer is all above combined with the fact that Laettner – who was 10 of 10 from the field and 10 of 10 from the line – capped the perfect performance in dramatic fashion. Was Mullins' shot more improbable? Maybe, but Laettner was the best player in college basketball that season.

— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) March 29, 2026

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