The all-time best characters of the NCAA tournament
From the Full coverage of the 2021 NCAA Tournament series
The all-time best characters of the NCAA tournament.
UMBC
The ultimate David vs. Goliath scenario was found in the first round of the 2018 NCAA tournament. The 2017-18 University of Maryland, Baltimore County men’s basketball team will forever be etched into history being the first 16 seed to knock off a top seed in the first round of an NCAA tournament.
Crying Villanova piccolo girl
After top seed Villanova was upset by eight seed North Carolina State in the Sweet 16 of the 2015 NCAA tournament, the camera focused on Villanova band member and piccolo player Roxanna Chalifoux who was caught crying while playing the final song of the basketball season. (She even got a bobblehead.)
Phi Slamma Jamma
The University of Houston basketball teams from 1982 to 1984 starred future NBA Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon (pictured) and Clyde Drexter. Those Cougar teams were known for their high-flying dunks and unmatched athleticism.
Chris Webber
Chris Webber lost in the NCAA championship game twice during his two seasons at Michigan. Webber most famously received a technical foul for calling a timeout Michigan didn’t have in the 1993 national championship game against North Carolina. Webber is now a CBS commentator for the NCAA tournament.
Michael Jordan
When UNC lost to Villanova via buzzer beater in the 2015 NCAA championship, Michael Jordan was in attendance. To show the ultimate defeat of Tar Heel fans, the world replaced Jordan’s face with the crying Jordan meme and displayed the meme across social media.
Jim Nantz
Jim Nantz, left, has been the voice of the Final Four since 1991.
Magic Johnson
If Michigan State is in the NCAA tournament, you can count on Magic Johnson cheering for his alma mater.
Grayson Allen
The Duke Blue Devils haven’t missed the NCAA tournament since 1995. But when Grayson Allen (right) was on the court for the Blue Devils, fans couldn’t wait to boo him and relish in his defeat. When Allen was a freshman, he became the villain as he helped Duke win the 2015 NCAA championship. Allen was known for his dirty play in college, where he was caught on camera tripping a number of opponents.
Charles Barkley
Charles Barkley has become the face of basketball for Turner Broadcasting System which has broadcasted the NCAA tournament since 2010.
Bryce Drew
College basketball fans will forever remember Valopariso’s Bryce Drew hitting the buzzer beater against Ole Miss and diving on the floor to celebrate with his teammates.
Dunk City
Florida Gulf Coast sprung on the NCAA tournament scene by defeating Georgetown in the opening round of the 2012 NCAA tournament.
Ali Farokhmanesh
Northern Iowa was leading top-ranked Kansas by one with 37 seconds remaining. Panthers guard Ali Farokhmanesh stole the ball and had a clear path to the basket but instead stopped at the three-point line and hit a dagger to send the Jayhawks packing early. Kansas fans will never forget the name Ali Farokhmanesh.
Ron Hunter
Georgia State coach Ron Hunter showed up to the first round of the 2015 NCAA tournament in a rolling stool after tearing his Achilles celebrating the Panthers’ NCAA berth. Hunter wasn’t contained to that rolling stool though. When Hunter’s son R.J. hit the game-winning shot, Hunter fell off his stool in exciting fashion.
Grant Hill
In addition to being a two-time NCAA champion, Hill is now a commentator for the NCAA Tournament.
Barack Obama
Perhaps the biggest hoops fans to ever occupy the Oval Office. Obama attended many college basketball games, including the first round of the 2015 NCAA women’s basketball tournament.
Marshall Henderson
Ole Miss guard Marshall Henderson made the most of his one appearance in the 2013 NCAA tournament. After being knocked out in the second round of the tournament, Henderson gave the crowd the double middle finger while he walked off the court.
Bill Raftery
Since 2013, Bill Raftery has teamed up with Jim Nantz to call the Final Four.
Matt Haarms
Purdue center Matt Haarms stood out because he was 7-foot-3, but his hair made him recognizable.
'Papa John' roots for Louisville, then Kentucky
After John “Papa John” Schnatter lost his post on the Louisville board of trustees and saw his name removed from the football stadium for his use of a racial slur, the Papa John’s Pizza founder became a University of Kentucky basketball fan.
Sister Jean
Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt was the chaplain for the Loyola men’s basketball team and became the face of the Ramblers’ Final Four run in the 2018 NCAA tournament. Sister Jean was the Ramblers’ good luck charm and led the team in prayer before every game.
Christian Laettner's mom
The mother of Duke star Christian Laettner was in a neck brace during the 1992 NCAA tournament. The camera often spotted her looking uncomfortable even as her son hit the game-winning shot against Kentucky in the Elite Eight game.
Northwestern crying kid
The first and only trip Northwestern men’s basketball made to the NCAA tournament was in 2017, and the Wildcats suffered a heart-breaking loss to Gonzaga in the second round. The camera cut back to the young Northwestern fan crying as time expired, and the kid was an instant internet meme. The crying Northwestern kid belonged to the school’s athletic director, Jim Phillips.
Gus Johnson
Sports broadcaster Gus Johnson, known for his constant excitement calling games, became a household name during his time as a NCAA tournament announcer for CBS from 1996 to 2011.
In this Series
Full coverage of the 2021 NCAA Tournament
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