March Madness is home to many of the greatest achievements in college basketball history. From Christian Laettner’s performance against Kentucky in 1992 to Bill Walton leading the UCLA Bruins to its seventh straight NCAA Championship, the moments are memorable.
This year’s NCAA Tournament featured a lot of outstanding performances as well, so let’s take a look at the top 10 from this March.
10) Brown’s near triple-double
North Carolina State’s Lorenzo Brown recorded 17 points, nine rebounds and eight assists as the Wolfpack upset San Diego State in their first victory of what would be a run to the Sweet 16.
9) Acy fights off Xavier
Baylor advanced to the Elite Eight thanks in part to a great performance from versatile big man Quincy Acy. Acy put up 20 points and 15 rebounds, and the Bears took down the Xavier Musketeers in the Sweet 16.
8) Kidd-Gilchrist comes up big
Freshman stud Michael Kidd-Gilchrist tallied 24 points and 10 rebounds in Kentucky’s victory over Indiana, as the Wildcats avoided another upset from the Hoosiers to advance to the Elite Eight.
7) Heslip makes it rain
Baylor’s Brady Heslip scored 27 points in a Round-of-32 victory over Colorado on 9-12 shooting from the 3-point line. Heslip was unstoppable from beyond the arc and finished just two threes short of the NCAA Tournament record for most 3-pointers made in a game.
6) Green makes history
Whenever you put yourself in the company of Magic Johnson, you’re doing something right. That’s exactly what Michigan State’s Draymond Green did when he earned his second career triple-double in the NCAA Tournament against LIU Brooklyn.
Green’s 24 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists marked the first time a player recorded multiple triple-doubles in the NCAA Tournament since Johnson did it in 1979.
5) Zeller saves North Carolina
The ACC Player of the Year, Tyler Zeller rescued North Carolina as they escaped upset-minded Ohio University in an overtime victory in the Sweet 16. Zeller recorded a game-high 20 points and a career-high 22 rebounds as a Kendall Marshall-less Tar Heel squad limped into the Elite Eight.
4) Davis records a Player of the Year-type performance
SEC and National Player of the Year Anthony Davis had his best game of the tournament in Kentucky’s toughest test of March. Davis tallied 18 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks as he catapulted the Wildcats over Louisville and into the
National Championship game.
3) Taylor breaks out of his slump
Kansas’ Tyshawn Taylor broke out of his slump in an Elite Eight contest against North Carolina when he filled up the stat sheet with 22 points, six rebounds, five assists and five steals. He played suffocating defense and was responsible for the Jayhawks’ victory over the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region.
2) Quinn leads Norfolk State over Missouri
Norfolk State’s Kyle O’Quinn had a spectacular game against Missouri, recording 26 points and 14 rebounds in a monumental upset. Lehigh’s C.J. McCollum overshadowed O’Quinn just hours later, but this was the first time a No. 15 seed defeated a No. 2 seed in over a decade.
1) McCollum puts the Patriot League on the map
The Patriot League Player of the Year, McCollum put in the signature performance of the 2012 NCAA Tournament when he tallied 30 points, six rebounds and six assists in leading Lehigh to a victory over Duke.
This was just the sixth time a 15-seed defeated a two-seed, and, in a David vs. Goliath-type match-up, McCollum has declared for June’s NBA Draft but has not hired an agent.
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