In the first NCAA Tournament Final Four without a top-3 seed, No. 5 San Diego State rallied back from a 14-point deficit to top No. 9 Florida Atlantic, 72-71, on Lamont Butler’s game-winning jumper at the buzzer.
No. 4 UConn then stepped on the court in Houston and controlled No. 5 Miami, 72-59, earning a national championship date with the Aztecs on Monday.
Watching history never gets old …
LAMONT BUTLER WINS IT AT THE BUZZER 😱
THE AZTECS ARE #NATIONALCHAMPIONSHIP BOUND 🔥#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/2sqxu5g05j
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 2, 2023
Especially if you’re an Aztecs fan …
Nothing beats this feeling 😁#MFinalFour x @Aztec_MBB pic.twitter.com/aHkbDRstQK
— NCAA Men's Final Four (@MFinalFour) April 2, 2023
Not so much for the Owls’ faithful, though ….
The unbelievable reaction of hundreds of FAU fans in Boca Raton to the Final Four buzzer beater. #FinalFour pic.twitter.com/wv0UrQ6aQG
— Harrison Vapnek (@harrisonvapnek) April 2, 2023
Hitting the game-winning shot proved to be easy for Butler, compared to attempting to place the bracket stamp on the Aztecs’ locker-room tournament board …
The bracket stamp was harder than the buzzer-beater 🤣#MFinalFour @Aztec_MBB pic.twitter.com/c7ZMNSyUbB
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 2, 2023
While the SDSU/FAU matchup had all the ingredients of an instant Final Four classic, the nightcap between UConn and Miami was, well, entertaining for different reasons, like a high-stepping referee …
Final Four high knees at Miami vs UConn #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/4Ch6RX1o6R
— Jeffrey Anderson Fan Account (@highkneesref) April 2, 2023
Kudos to UConn for qualifying for the program’s fifth national title game appearance. The Huskies have never lost in the final …
One. More.👏#BleedBlue | #Made4March pic.twitter.com/TSAz5XNh3l
— UConn (@UConn) April 2, 2023
But after the Game 1 dramatics and UConn possessing a double-digit lead for much of its win over the Hurricanes, many post-game tributes were dedicated to Jim Nantz, who is retiring from NCAA Tournament broadcasts after Monday’s matchup. In classic Nantz style, he closed Saturday’s action by saying Miami was “no match for the Husky express” …
Behind every great sports moment, there’s a storyteller.
For decades, Jim Nantz has been the storyteller of the Men's Final Four. pic.twitter.com/8DPVx2WZki
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 1, 2023
Thanks, Jim.
One more, please.
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