Top 5 greatest comebacks in college basketball history ft. Kansas vs North Carolina
In the case of our five greatest comebacks in college basketball history, the great Yogi Berra was right, when he said, "It ain't over 'til it's over." No matter the score or time, the underdog still has a fighting chance until the game's over. If the truth of that statement is ever in doubt, consider these top five greatest comebacks in college basketball history, starting with Kansas vs. North Carolina.
Bear in mind, this ranking considers not just the amount of the comeback, but the time left, the stakes of the game and the big picture that made these the best college basketball comebacks.
Top 5 best college basketball comebacks
Kansas vs. North Carolina (2022)
Kansas took a promising run to the NCAA Tournament finals against Hubert Davis's resilient North Carolina squad. But it looked like UNC had all the answers, leading 40-25 at intermission over the Jayhawks.
That was the story until Kansas spent the second half climbing back off the mat to gain the national title. KU chipped away quickly at the lead, pulling within a single score with 13:11 to play on a David McCormick basket. Kansas grabbed its first lead at 53-50 on a Remy Martin 3-pointer. UNC answered and took the game to the final shot, but KU emerged with a 72-69 win to claim an NCAA title.
Drexel vs. Delaware (2018)
In this crazy 2018 game, Delaware came out on fire, leading by 22 points at the under-12-minute timeout. The Blue Hens stretched their edge to 34 points late in the first half.
Somehow, Drexel fought its way back. Junior Tramaine Isabell had 22 points and six assists in the second half. When Isabell hit a pair of free throws in the final seconds, Drexel pulled a shocking 85-83 win.
Kentucky vs. LSU (1994)
Rick Pitino's Kentucky Wildcats were riding a two-game losing streak going into LSU and seemed certain to extend that trend. With 15:37 to play, LSU, led by a red-hot shooting game from guard Ronnie Henderson, led 68-37.
But then Kentucky awoke. Shooting three-pointers and pressing, Pitino's squad rallied. UK canned a dozen 3-point shots after halftime. In the final minute, forward Walter McCarty swished a 3-pointer to give Kentucky a lead. The Wildcats held on for a 99-95 shocker.
New Mexico vs. Nevada (2017)
New Mexico seemed headed to an easy win over the Nevada Wolfpack, holding a 19-point lead with just 4:27 seconds to play. But inside the game's final five minutes, a pair of funny things happened. Nevada got red-hot from long range, knocking down eight 3-point shots. Meanwhile, New Mexico went ice cold from the foul line, shooting just 6 of 15.
Led by guard Jordan Caroline, who had 32 points in the second half, Nevada pulled even and in overtime, secured a 105-104 victory. The winning basket? A trey from Caroline.
Texas A&M vs. Northern Iowa (2019, NCAA Tournament)
For fans who thought they'd seen everything, Texas A&M had a surprise. The Aggies trailed Northern Iowa 69-57 with 44 seconds to go in the teams' first-round NCAA Tournament matchup. And then A&M won.
UNI had a role in its own destruction, turning the ball over four times, committing needless fouls, and generally doing everything possible to fritter away a promising lead. Future NBA standout Alex Caruso had a pivotal 3-point play, and A&M tied the game at 71-71, before winning 92-88 in double overtime.