10 best Final Four games of all time ft. Gonzaga/UCLA
The Final Four matters because of the stakes at play: a Saturday win to set up a Monday shot at an NCAA crown. The size of the stage is also unique.
Three-fifty odd NCAA teams that aren't playing will be watching, as will the eyes of the nation, but the Final Four also matters because of history. There have been a multitude of legendary games and epic moments in the Final Four.
We will focus on the Final Four semifinal games. While the championship games are often remembered and discussed, the moments of semifinal Saturdays are also special.
From unbeaten teams going down to massive rivalries to historic upsets, here are 10 of the biggest moments from the Final Four.
Top 10 Final four games of all time
#10 Kentucky bests Louisville (2012)
This was a phenomenon battle for many reasons. Kentucky and Louisville are intra-state rivals who didn't play each other until the 1980s.
If the loathing had subsided, Rick Pitino, the former Kentucky coach, coached at Louisville. Kentucky pulled away late for a 69-61 win, which propelled them to the title two days later.
#9 UNC sends Coach K off (2022)
The other big college hoops rivalry, UNC's big game with Duke also got an edge as the end of Coach K's decorated career.
Duke had a three-point half-time lead but couldn't hold on to that. Caleb Love, who would later depart for Arizona, hit a clutch 3-point shot late, and the Tar Heels nabbed an 81-77 victory to send Coach K into retirement.
#8 Kentucky outlasts Stanford in a classic (1998)
Kentucky pulled off an impressive run to the title in Tubby Smith's first year in Lexington.
While the classic regional final with Duke and the title tilt with Utah are remembered, the semifinal gets forgotten at times. Stanford led by 10 in the second half, but a veteran Kentucky team, led by Jeff Sheppard, wouldn't quit. UK won 86-85 in overtime.
#7 Bird and Indiana State overtake Aguirre and DePaul (1979)
While Larry Bird's season at Indiana State is well-known, it's generally remembered in the context of the loss to Michigan State.
Yes, Bird was bested by Magic Johnson in the finals. But in the semifinals, he overcame Mark Aguirre and a tough DePaul squad. Bird had 35 points and 16 rebounds, with Indiana State winning 76-74. It was a great moment on the way to a phenomenal career.
#6 Wisconsin ruins Kentucky's perfect season (2015)
Perhaps the best challenge to Indiana's reign as the last unbeaten NCAA champion, Kentucky's 2015 team was talented, deep and tough.
But Wisconsin, who had lost to the Wildcats in the Final Four the previous year, had the answer. The Badgers hit big shots late and stiffled Kentucky's offense, pulling away with a 71-64 win, which sent Kentucky and Calipari into a tailspin.
#5 Wooden goes out on top (1975)
In John Wooden's penultimate game, his UCLA squad needed every bit of coaching help could deliver to best Louisville.
Louisville had a one-point lead and the ball in overtime. UCLA had to foul, and Louisville got the ball to Terry Howard, who was perfect on the season at the foul line. Howard missed, and Richard Washington got the winning bucket for UCLA, 75-74.
#4 Virginia edges Auburn (2019)
A season after an embarrasing loss to No. 16 seed UMBC, Virginia played an all-time classic with Auburn.
Virginia nearly blew a 10-point lead and trailed by two in the final seconds. But Auburn's Samir Doughty fouled UVA's Kyle Guy on a 3-point attempt with six-tenths of a second to play.
Guy sunk all three foul shots for a 63-62 win. UVA won the title two days later, culminating a fascinating redemption arc.
#3 NC State over UCLA (1974)
UCLA had ruled college basketball with an iron fist coming into the game. With seven straight NCAA crowns, the Bruins were college basketball's finest.
NC State had an impressive squad with high-flyer David Thompson and rugged Tom Burleson down low. UCLA and Bill Walton had an early lead, but in double overtime, NC State won 80-77. NC State won the title, and John Wooden would retire a year later.
#2 Duke upsets UNLV (1991)
It's tough to believe now, but at this point, Duke had never won an NCAA title and UNLV was looking to end an unbeaten season.
UNLV had crushed Duke in the national title game the previous year. But the Blue Devils hung with Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon and Co. Bobby Hurley came up big, and Duke edged out 79-77 win. The Blue Devils would win their first title two days later.
#1 Gonzaga over UCLA (2021)
After the 2020 NCAA Tournament was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, college basketball needed a big moment in 2021.
Enter Gonzaga and UCLA, battling to the death in an epic semifinal matchup. UCLA's Jaime Jacquez hit a shot to tie the game at 90-90 with three seconds left. But three seconds was enough for Jalen Suggs's heave to fall in, giving Gonzaga an epic Final Four win.