The Final Four is set and will take place this weekend. The two national semifinal games will take place Saturday night, and the championship game will be played March 28.
Over the course of history, we've seen our fair share of magical moments in college basketball. To get in the mood for this year's championship, here are five of the most memorable moments on NCAA Final Four history.
5. 2011 National Semifinal: Butler 70, VCU 62
One of the biggest reasons people love the NCAA tournament is because of the "Cinderella" teams. In 2011, No. 8 Butler was pitted against No. 11 VCU. Never before had the Final Four seen two match ups like this, with two improbable teams playing for a trip to the championship. The game was rather uneventful, but this was a game that was talked about so much for its novelty as a match up of two underdogs.
4. 2008 National Championship: Kansas 75, Memphis 68 (OT)
With John Calipari coaching the Memphis Tigers, Derrick Rose led his team to the championship game against a senior-driven Kansas Jayhawks team. With 2:21 left in the second half, Memphis had built a nine point lead. Up by two points with just 10.8 seconds remaining, Rose went to the free throw line for two free throws. Rose only made one, which left Kansas with the opportunity to do this...
3. 1974 National Semifinal: N.C. State 80, UCLA 77 (OT)
After Notre Dame ended the 88-game win streak earlier of UCLA in the '74 season, the Bruins finally looked vulnerable enough to lose a championship game for the first time in eight seasons. With the Final Four located in Greensboro, North Carolina, the stages were set for the Wolfpack. A wild finish gave N.C. State the victory.
2. 1991 National Semifinal: Duke 79, UNLV 77
This memorable game between Duke and UNLV had 17 ties and 25 lead changes. With one of the most explosive offenses in the country and a 34-0 record entering the Final Four, UNLV was held to just 77 points by the Blue Devils. It was an ending for the ages, in which Duke was granted the right to play for a national championship.
1. 1983 National Championship: N.C. State 54, Houston 52
Maybe I'm a little biased on this one because of ESPN's "30 for 30" that focused on the Wolfpack's run alongside the health issues of head coach Jim Valvano. Faced up against Houston's "Phi Slamma Jamma," N.C. State had to beat the tough trifecta of Clyde Drexler, Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Young.
With one of the most historic endings to a championship game, Valvano forever cemented himself in college basketball history.
