The 25 best Final Four moments

Granted, back in 1946, there were only eight teams in the NCAA Tournament field. However, the semifinal showdown between Ohio State and North Carolina proved a monumental moment in college basketball history. The Buckeyes were among the final four teams alive in the tournament for a fourth time, while this was the first such experience for the Tar Heels. Yet, 16 points from John "Hook" Dillon and Jim Jordan's 12 helped North Carolina pull out a 60-57 overtime victory and announce its presence on a national scene it would remain prominent from that point on.

The first time during the storied -- often heated and contentious -- rivalry between Kentucky and Louisville, the two met in the Final Four. With more than just bragging rights on the line, the fourth-seeded Cardinals did not make life completely easy for the star-studded, No. 1 Wildcats, led by Anthony Davis (18 points, 14 rebounds). Louisville owned a 40-33 rebounding advantage, which allowed it to hang around despite Kentucky shooting 57.1 percent and make it a game, which it eventually lost 69-61.

Casual basketball fans should know that UNLV was known as the "Runnin'" Rebels long before Larry Johnson and Anderson Hunt. There was the 1976-77 team under Jerry Tarkanian that ran up a 10-point lead on North Carolina in the second half of its first-ever national semifinal contest. With Rebels' defensive stalwart Larry Moffett out due to a bloody nose, however, the Tar Heels scored nine unanswered points while finally successfully executing coach Dean Smith's four-corners offense. The Rebels got down by eight but clawed their way back only to lose 84-83 in what turned out to be one of the most entertaining Final Fours in tournament history.

Duke was the No. 2 seed, riding an eight-game winning streak and also won at Kansas -- in overtime -- during the regular season. However, the sixth-seeded Jayhawks were on a mission heading into this national semifinal contest. There was no way Larry Brown's squad was going to be denied. Kansas made half of its 52 shots, led by 11 at halftime, and got 15 points with 10 rebounds from star Danny Manning en route to a 66-59 win over a Blue Devils' team that shot 34.3 percent and committed 16 turnovers. While the Jayhawks' next result would be even sweeter, this victory set the table for that moment.

In a matchup of tournament upstarts, fourth-seeded Cincinnati was perhaps undervalued considering it averaged 83.6 points and lost four games entering the 1992 Final Four. However, Michigan's "Fab Five"  of freshmen Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Ray Jackson, and Jimmy King was the tournament's star attraction. The fact the group made a run to the Final Four was a monetary/ratings dream come true for the NCAA and CBS. When the dust settled, Webber had 16 points with 11 rebounds and the Wolverines shot 47.2 percent to win 76-72 and set up a rematch with Duke from the regular season in the national title game.

North Carolina's most recent national championship came in 2017. However, the Tar Heels had to work to overcome a dismal shooting effort to beat No. 3 seed Oregon 77-76 in the national semifinals. While Kennedy Meeks went 11-of-13 from the field, the rest of the Tar Heels shot 25.0 percent. The Ducks weren't much better as a collective, shooting 37.9 percent but hung around. And only a late Meeks' offensive board secured the win to keep Carolina on track for its sixth national title. 

In a national-semifinal matchup of No. 5 seeds , Butler, aka the "Little Team That Could," outlasted Michigan State 52-50 in its hometown of Indianapolis. Gordon Hayward scored 19 points and pulled down nine rebounds, including a key late one, for the Bulldogs, who compensated for a 30.6-percent shooting night by forcing 16 turnovers and keeping the Spartans from even a single fast-break point.

We wouldn't expect anything less than a competitive classic between heavyweight No. 2 seeds . Especially with a trip to the national championship game on the line. Ohio State led by nine at halftime and as many as 13, but Kansas fought its way back and ultimately caught the Buckeyes. The Jayhawks, who led a total of 3 minutes, 48 seconds on the game, got 19 points from Thomas Robinson and two key, late free throws from Tyshawn Taylor to win 64-62. 

No. 1 seed Duke led second-seeded Connecticut for almost the entirety of one of the two highly entertaining 2014 Final Four contests. However, UConn big man Emeka Okafor (18 points) stepped up on both ends of the floor when it mattered most, as his team scored 12 consecutive points down the stretch to stun the Blue Devils 79-78. The Huskies would go on to top Georgia Tech for their second national championship.

The only thing keeping second-seeded Kentucky from a third straight trip to the national championship game was a determined underdog in No. 3 seed Stanford. The Cardinal led by 10 early in the second half, but the Wildcats, led by center Nazr Mohammed (17 of 18 points in the second half) and Jeff Sheppard (27 points) clawed their way back and the game eventually went to overtime. In the extra session, Kentucky led by four but a late Peter Sauer three-pointer got Stanford within one to make things even more interesting before Tubby Smith's group prevailed 86-85.

Entering the 1983 Final Four, many college hoops experts thought the "real" national championship was the semifinal matchup between Houston's "Phi Slama Jama" and the uber-athletic Louisville Cardinals. These No. 1 seeds were arguably the top two teams, and most exciting, in the nation . Though the Cardinals led by five at the break, Houston exploded for 58 second-half points during a high-flying, jam-fest exhibition to win 94-81. Cougars star Hakeem Olajuwon had 21 points and 22 points.

College hoops fans of a certain age won't forget the 1993 national championship game between North Carolina and Michigan. However, some bypass what it took to get the "Fab Five"-led Wolverines into the title game. Their national semifinal matchup against fellow No. 1 seed Kentucky needed overtime to decide. The back-and-forth game went the extra mile following a pair of free throws from Kentucky's Travis Ford with 10 seconds remaining. Michigan trailed by three with 1:12 left in the extra session but scored the final six points of the game to win 81-78.

As we'll see, the 2014 Final Four was quite an entertaining day of college basketball. In one national semifinal, overall No. 1 seed Florida saw its 30-game winning streak end with a 63-53 loss to seventh-seeded Connecticut , which just happened to be the last team to beat the Gators prior to the Final Four. Paced by 20 points, plus 10 rebounds, from DeAndre Daniels, UConn shot 55.8 percent while holding Florida to 38.8 to continue its unlikely path to the program's fourth national title.

With injured teammate Kevin Ware on the sidelines hoping to provide an emotional lift, No. 1 seed Louisville trailed giant-killing, ninth-seeded Wichita State by 12 points with roughly 13 1/2 minutes to play in this national semifinal matchup. Then reserves Luke Hancock (21 points) and Tim Henderson got hot, and the Cardinals used a 21-8 spurt to eventually pull out a 72-68 win over the upstart Shockers and set the table for the program's most recent national championship.

During the 1988-89 regular season, Illinois, dubbed the "Flyin' Illini" for its fast-paced, above-the-rim caliber of play, won both meetings with Michigan by a combined 28 points. It was a different story when these teams met in the '89 national semifinal. The third-seeded Wolverines and No. 1 seeded Illini played a game more fitting for a city playground on a hot summer afternoon . Glen Rice had 28 points and Sean Higgins' bucket off an offensive rebound with 2 seconds to play helped Michigan survive a physical, intense matchup, which featured 33 lead changes, 83-81 to advance to a national final it would win in overtime.

Sometimes it's those lesser-known names who become heroes of the NCAA Tournament. During the 2003-04 season, Georgia Tech's Will Bynum was a middling reserve who suddenly had a knack for hitting big shots. After knocking down a go-ahead three-pointer in the Yellow Jackets' 79-71 regional-final win over Kansas, he came through again against No. 2 seed Oklahoma State in this national semifinal classic. With Georgia Tech down one, Bynum drove down the right side of the paint and banked in a layup with 1.5 seconds left for the 67-65 victory. 

UCLA's string of seven straight national titles ended a year earlier, and it looked as if the Bruins would not be in a position to win a championship in 1975, either. Down, 74-73 in the '75 national semifinals, the Bruins seemed to be in trouble when Louisville's Terry Howard stepped to the line with 20 seconds left in overtime, attempting to make his 28th consecutive free-throw. Howard shockingly missed, UCLA got the rebound and had time to set up one final play. That final play resulted in Richard Washington's short jumper to give the Bruins a 75-74 victory. Moments later, legendary UCLA coach John Wooden announced that he was retiring from coaching after his team's upcoming national title matchup with Kentucky.

It's always special when arch-rivals get together on the hardcourt. It's even more intense when a trip to the national championship game is on the line. The Longhorns, who beat the Sooners during the regular season by double-digits, led by seven at halftime in this semifinal contest. Oklahoma, though, rallied, got within one, and won the game 55-54 on backup guard Ken Pryor's two-hand shot -- his first field goal of the NCAA Tournament -- that banked in during the final seconds of the contest. 

History points to the Michigan State-Indiana State national championship game -- Magic vs. Bird -- as one of the great sports moments in terms of two superstars going head-to-head. That said. It almost did not happen. Larry Bird's Sycamores were 32-0 but had their hands full with No. 2 seed DePaul, and star freshman Mark Aguirre (19 points), in the national semifinal. Bird scored 35 points (with 16 boards, nine assists, and 11 turnovers), but none over the final six minutes. In fact, Indiana State needed Bob Heaton's go-ahead layup with 50 seconds left in regulation to stay on top for good in the 76-74 triumph.

One year before Wisconsin ended Kentucky's run at a perfect season, it was the eighth-seeded Wildcats who pulled off the upset in this national semifinal matchup . In a highly entertaining contest, the No. 2 seed Badgers held a two-point lead with less than 10 seconds left in regulation. However, Aaron Harrison (who knocked down the winning shot versus Michigan a week earlier), off a pass from twin brother, Andrew, canned a three-pointer with 5.7 seconds to go, ultimately giving Kentucky a 74-73 victory.

Speaking of the Wisconsin team that ended Kentucky's dream of a perfect season . The Wildcats were 38-0 entering this national semifinal contest against the Badgers, who weren't too shabby with 35 victories and a No. 1 seed of their own. They also had the best player on the floor that day. Frank Kaminsky had 20 points with 11 rebounds and Wisconsin used a key 8-0 run to ultimately take control of a game it won 71-64 -- ending Kentucky's undefeated bid before it got to play for a national title.

Marquette fans of a certain age will refer to it as the greatest field goal in school history. It came in the school's 1977 national semifinal contest against UNC Charlotte. With the game tied in the finals seconds, Jerome Whitehead grabbed a tipped three-quarter court inbound pass, then leaped toward the goal. Somewhat unintentionally, however, he banked the ball off the glass, then the iron, and in for a 51-49 victory that sent Marquette to the national championship game and eventually the national title.

Virginia's run to the 2019 national title was quite the adventure. Perhaps the highlight of the trek was the Cavaliers' 63-62 win over upstart, fifth-seeded Auburn in what turned out to be one of the most memorable NCAA Tournament games ever. The Tigers overcame a 10-point hole to lead by three before Virginia star Kyle Guy sank an off-balance 3 with 7.6 seconds remaining in regulation. Down by two now, Guy missed a late three-pointer that looked to end the game, but he was the beneficiary of a controversial foul call on Auburn's Samir Doughty on the shot. With 0.06 seconds left, Guy calmly sank three free throws to send the Cavaliers to the national final.

A year prior to the national championship game, UNLV rolled to a 103-73 victory over Duke. It solidified the Runnin' Rebels as one of the best teams in college basketball history and was an embarrassing moment for the Blue Devils. In 1991, the teams met in the national semifinals. UNLV entered 34-0 and looked better than the squad that won the title a year earlier. Duke, however, was a year older and wiser, and stunned the Rebels, 79-77 , behind 28 points from Christian Laettner en route to the school's first national title.   

It's been nearly half a century since North Carolina State delivered the first of its two unforgettable NCAA Tournament upsets. Led by David Thompson and Tom Burleson (combined 48 points and 24 rebounds), the Wolfpack stunned mighty UCLA 80-77 in two overtimes during the 1974 national semifinals. The loss for the Bruins snapped their remarkable seven-season run as national champion in what's often considered one of the best college hoops games of all time.