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NCAA.com | April 4, 2023

What March Madness looked like the year you were born

The deepest game-winning buzzer beaters in March Madness history

Here's what March Madness looked like the year you were born. 

1939 - Oregon (29-5)

Oregon defeated Ohio State, 46-33.
University of Oregon Library

1940 - Indiana (20-3)

Marv Huffman (34) was named most outstanding player for 1940. The Hoosiers defeated Kansas, 60-42, for the NCAA title in Kansas City, Missouri.
NCAA photo archives

 

1941 - Wisconsin (20-3)

 
 
Wisconsin's team photo.
NCAA Archives
 

1942 - Stanford (28-4)

A team photo
Stanford athletics

1943 - Wyoming (31-2)

Wyoming beat Georgetown for the NCAA title in Madison Square Garden.
NCAA Archives
 

1944 - Utah (21-4)

Utah and coach Vadal Peterson beat Dartmouth 42-40 in overtime to claim the program's first (and only) title.
NCAA Archives
 

1945 and 1946 - Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State's Henry Iba gives a chalk talk to his 1946 NCAA Champions.

NCAA Archives
 

1947 - Holy Cross

George Kaftan of Holy Cross is carried off the court after defeating Oklahoma, 58-47, for the title.

NCAA Archives
 

1948 - Kentucky

Fans celebrate UK's championship with a street parade. Kentucky defeated Baylor 58-42.

NCAA Archives
 

1949 - Kentucky

Kentucky defeated Oklahoma State, 46-36, in 1949.

NCAA Archives
 

1950 - CCNY (24-5)

A program from the finals.
Ebay

1951 - Kentucky (32-2)

Kentucky’s 7-foot center Bill Spivey scored 22 points in the title game

University of Kentucky/UK Athletics

1952 - Kansas (28-3)

Kansas head coach Phog Allen gives MVP Clyde Lovellette a hand shake for a job well done in the 1952 Championship game at Seattle, WA. Kansas beat St. John's for the title 80-63.

NCAA Archives
 

1953 - Indiana (23-3)

Indiana coach Branch McCracken argues with the scorer over the amount of fouls on Kansas center B.H. Born during the title game held in Kansas City, MO. at the Municipal Auditorium. Indiana defeated Kansas 69-68 to win the title.

NCAA Archives
 

1954 - La Salle (26-4)

La Salle’s Tom Gola was named the tournament's most outstanding player in 1954.

La Salle/YouTube

1955 - San Francisco (28-1)

Bill Russell gets a ride off the court after San Francisco won the 1955 title game.

NCAA Archives
 

1956 - San Francisco (29-0)

San Francisco beat Iowa in 1956 to win consecutive titles.
NCAA Archives

1957 - North Carolina (32-0)

Undefeated North Carolina held off Wilt Chamberlain and Kansas in triple overtime.
NCAA Archives
 

1958 - Kentucky (23-6)

The photo corps at the 1958 title game in Louisville at Freedom Hall.

NCAA Archives
 

1959 - California (25-4)

California coach Pete Newell rides on the shoulders of this team after defeating West Virginia 71-70.

NCAA Archives
 

1960 - Ohio State (25-3)

The Buckeyes celebrate winning the championship.

Ohio State University/Cantonrep.com

1961 & 1962 - Cincinnati

Cincinnati coach Ed Jucker celebrates after the Bearcats beat Ohio State in the 1961 title game.
NCAA Archives

 

1963 - Loyola Chicago (29-2)

George Ireland and Loyola Chicago beat Cincinnati for the program's only national championship.

NCAA Archives
 

1964 - UCLA (30-0)

UCLA coach John Wooden and his championship team after winning their first NCAA basketball title.

NCAA Archives
 

1965 - UCLA (28-2)

UCLA's Gail Goodrich (center) and teammates run on to the court after the victory.

NCAA Archives
 

1966 - UTEP (28-1)

Texas Western beat Kentucky at the 1966 NCAA Championship.

NCAA Archives
 

1967 - UCLA (30-0)

A UCLA team member tears down the net following UCLA defeating Dayton 79-64 for the national title.

NCAA Archives
 

1968 - UCLA (29-1)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar skies during the 1968 Final Four.

NCAA Archives
 

1969 - UCLA (29-1)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and his father.

NCAA Archives
 

1970 - UCLA (28-2)

UCLA defeated Jacksonville, 80-69.

NCAA Archives
 

1971 - UCLA (29-1)

UCLA forward Curtis Rowe (left) coach John Wooden and forward Sidney Wicks at the Astrodome.
NCAA Archives
 

1972 - UCLA (30-0)

UCLA's Bill Walton (center) led the Bruins to the national title in Los Angeles at the Sports Arena.

NCAA Archives
 

1973 - UCLA (30-0)

UCLA coach John Wooden talks to his team at the Final Four. The Bruins beat Memphis State to win another championship.

NCAA Archives
 

1974 - NC State (30-1)

North Carolina State defeated Marquette for the national crown in 1974.

NCAA Archives
 

1975 - UCLA (28-3)

UCLA returned to the top after a year off.

NCAA Archives
 

1976 - Indiana (32-0)

The Hoosiers finished a perfect season over Michigan in the national championship game.

NCAA Archives
 

1977 - Marquette (25-7)

Quite a look from Al McGuire and the 1977 Marquette national champs. SI wrote on the story behind the photo.
Marquette Athletics
 

1978 - Kentucky (30-2)

Kentucky won the national championship game against Duke.

NCAA Archives
 

1979 - Michigan St. (26-6)

Young Earvin "Magic" Johnson throws it down en route to a Sparty championship.
NCAA Archives
 

1980 - Louisville (33-3)

Darrell Griffith, AKA Dr. Dunkenstein, rides the wave of Louisville's national title victory.
NCAA Archives
 

1981 - Indiana (26-9)

Indiana's Isiah Thomas led IU to a national championship.
NCAA Archives
 

1982 - North Carolina (32-2)

 
North Carolina won the national championship in 1992 with Michael Jordan (23) in tow.
NCAA Archives
 

1983 - NC State (26-10)

North Carolina State's Lorenzo Charles (43) jams the ball in the hoop while Houston's Akeem Olajuwon (34) watches.
NCAA Archives
 

1984 - Georgetown (34-3)

 
Patrick Ewing (33) celebrates against Houston. 
NCAA Archives
 

1985 - Villanova (25-10)

Rollie Massimino cuts the nets after Villanova, the only 8-seed ever to win in a 64-team tournament, shocked Georgetown.
NCAA Archives
 

1986 - Louisville (32-7)

Louisville became the first team from outside a power conference to win the championship since the expansion to 64 teams.
NCAA Archives
 

1987 - Indiana (30-4)

 
Keith Smart (23) of Indiana puts up a shot past Rony Seikaly (4) of Syracuse.
NCAA Archives
 

1988 - Kansas (27-11)

Danny Manning led KU national championship against conference rival Oklahoma.
NCAA Archives
 

1989 - Michigan (30-7)

 
Michigan rushes on the floor after winning against Seton Hall in the final.
NCAA Archives
 

1990 - UNLV (35-5)

Jerry Tarkanian's Runnin' Rebels crushed Duke to take the 1990 national championship.
NCAA Archives

1991 & 1992 - Duke

 
Duke stunned UNLV in 1991 and would go on to win back-to-back titles in 1991 and 1992.
NCAA Archives
 

1993 - North Carolina (34-4)

UNC fans in full Final Four mode at the 1993 national championship game.
NCAA Archives
 

1994 - Arkansas (31-3)

The Razorbacks celebrate their most recent national championship.
NCAA Archives
 

1995 - UCLA (31-2)

 
UCLA won the 1995 title by defeating defending national champion Arkansas.
NCAA Archives
 

1996 - Kentucky (34-2)

 
Kentucky beat Syracuse to earn the '96 championship.
NCAA Archives
 

1997 - Arizona (25-9)

Arizona Wildcats, national champions — even the mascot.
NCAA Archives
 

1998 - Kentucky (35-4)

 
Kentucky topped Utah in the Utes' first Final Four appearance since 1966.
NCAA Archives
 

1999 - UConn (34-2)

 
Elation after UConn won the 1999 national championship.
NCAA Archives
 

2000 - Michigan St. (32-7)

 
Michigan State celebrates with a win against Florida for the national championship.
NCAA Archives
 

2001 - Duke (35-4)

 
Shane Battier helped to lead  Duke to a national championship.
NCAA Archives
 

2002 - Maryland (32-4)

 
Maryland's 2002 national championship win was just peachy.
NCAA Archives
 

2003 - Syracuse (30-5)

 
Carmelo Anthony's season at Syracuse left an unforgettable mark.
NCAA Archives
 

2004 - UConn (33-6)

 
The Huskies topped Georgia Tech team to win the title
NCAA Archives
 

2005 - North Carolina (33-4)

 
Sean May's Tar Heels claimed the national title in 2005.
NCAA Archives
 

2006 & 2007 - Florida

 
The Gators made it two straight.
NCAA Archives
 

2008 - Kansas (37-3)

 
Kansas rallied against Memphis to force OT in an eventual win.
NCAA Archives
 

2009 - North Carolina (34-4)

Ty Lawson waves to fans after cutting down the net following the championship game.
NCAA Archives
 

2010 - Duke (35-5)

 
Duke won, but Butler's Gordon Hayward nearly made the greatest shot in tournament history.
NCAA Archives
 

2011 - UConn (32-9)

 
The maelstrom after the Huskies' improbable run ended in glory.
NCAA Archives
 

2012 - Kentucky (38-2)

 
Anthony Davis goes for a national championship-worthy block.
NCAA Archives
 

2013 - Louisville (35-5)

 
Air time in Louisville's Final Four win over Wichita State.
NCAA Archives
 

2014 - UConn (32-8)

 
The Huskies won the 2014 National Championship by defeating Kentucky.
NCAA Archives
 

2015 - Duke (35-4)

 
Duke players pile up after winning the 2015 NCAA Men's Division I Championship game.
NCAA Archives

2016 - Villanova (35-5)

 
Villanova players celebrate after Kris Jenkins hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to win the national championship.
USA Today Sports Images

2017 - North Carolina (33-7)

 
UNC senior Kennedy Meeks and Gonzaga’s Nigel Williams-Goss go up for the rebound.
NCAA Archives
 

2018 - Villanova (36-4)

Villanova's Donte DiVincenzo (10) scored 31 points off the bench to win MOP, and help the Wildcats secure the title for the second time in three years.
USA Today Sports Images
 

2019 – Virginia (35-3)

One year after Virginia became the first team to lose to a No. 16 seed in the NCAA tournament, the Cavaliers wrote a new ending to their story with their first national championship as they defeated Texas Tech in overtime.
USA Today Sports Images

2020 

Bankers Life Fieldhouse

The COVID-19 pandemic caused arenas across the nation to empty, including Bankers Life Fieldhouse (seen above), which played host to the canceled Big Ten tournament. As a result, the 2020 NCAA tournament was canceled.
USA Today Sports Images

2021 – Baylor (28-2)

Getty Images Baylor beat Gonzaga to win the 2021 national championship

The Bears won their first national title, denying Gonzaga a perfect season with the 86-70 win. Baylor won all of its NCAA tournament games by double digits except one — a nine-point win against No. 3 Arkansas in the Elite Eight.

2022 - Kansas (34-6)

Kansas celebrates its 2022 national title

The Jayhawks won their fourth championship in program history — and second under coach Bill Self — by completing the largest comeback in national title game history, rallying from a 16-point deficit to defeat North Carolina, 72-69.

2023 - UConn (31-8)

UConn celebrating 2023 title

The Huskies won their fifth title since 1999 behind 19 points and 10 rebounds from Tristen Newton. Adama Sanogo was named tournament Most Outstanding Player; he contributed 17 points and 10 rebounds in the title game. UConn won all six of their tournament games by more than 10 points, becoming the first team to accomplish this feat since 2018 Villanova.

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