March Madness is here yet again! And as the world already knows, this means many more iconic moments and a lot more drama on the hard courts. Every year, fans relive the greatest plays in NCAA history.
This includes everything from buzzer-beaters to Cinderella stories. It is impossible not to talk about Keith Smart’s game-winner in 1987. Or Jim Valvano running across the court in 1983. These moments defined the madness. And among them, one name is a March Madness Staple. The name is none other than Christian Laettner.
Christian Laettner’s Iconic March Madness Moment
For hoop fans around the world, there is no forgetting Christian Laettner’s shot in the 1992 Elite Eight. The Duke legend’s dunk against Kentucky is the stuff of legends. Even today, decades later, it remains one of the most iconic moments in college basketball history. So, what happened?
Well, Duke and Kentucky were locked in an instant classic and were fighting it out in overtime. There were only 2.1 seconds left on the clock, and Kentucky was taking the lead by one point. Duke’s Grant Hill stood at the baseline, unguarded, and launched a full-court pass to Laettner. What happened next is what rewrote history.
Laettner caught the ball at the free-throw line. He then faked right, spun left, and sank a jumper as time expired. Bedlam ensued, and Duke advanced. And Christian Laettner became a name synonymous with March Madness iconicity.
But this moment is not just about the shot. It was about how perfect he had been the entire game. Laettner was 10-for-10 from the field and 10-for-10 from the free-throw line, too.
For referee Tom Clark, who was responsible for ensuring the shot was legal, the moment was not easy. Back then, there was no replay technology available, so Clark had to make a split-second decision.
“Release-clock. Release clock,” he repeated to himself, preparing for what would become one of the most scrutinized calls in tournament history.
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Even today, YouTube clips of “The Shot” get millions of views. The fans who witnessed it live still remember exactly where they were when it happened. The moment was everything that March Madness stands for.
And that is exactly why, even three decades later, Laettner’s buzzer-beater remains the gold standard of NCAA Tournament moments.
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