Best buzzer-beater in NCAA tournament history featured 11 future NBA players and broke Michael Jordan’s heart

Start typing “Kris Jenkins” on YouTube and two words will always come up.

Game winner.

As the NCAA tournament begins again and 68 teams try to forge their way to a national championship in Glendale, Arizona during March Madness, it’s hard to imagine anyone surpassing Jenkins’ game-winning shot in 2016 .

It’s the greatest, biggest shot in dance history.

It also capped off a back-and-forth game that featured 11 future NBA players, including a current MVP candidate and three members of the 2023-24 New York Knicks.

“I think every shot is going to go in, and this one was no different,” Jenkins said after hitting a last-second 3-pointer to lift Villanova to a 77-74 victory over North Carolina at NRG Arena in Houston.

NBA legend Michael Jordan watched the game from the stands, heartbroken.

The Tar Heels’ Marcus Paige watched as a double-clutch game-tying 3-pointer with six seconds left was suddenly wiped out by a literal buzzer-beater.

Jenkins called the game with 4.7 seconds left and the score was tied at 74.

With 1.2 seconds left, he caught a smooth pass from Ryan Arcidiacono and finished with a pass a few feet behind the baseline.

Chaos ensued, with confetti falling from the stadium ceiling and fans crying in the stands before the game officially started.

“One step, two steps, shoot ’em, sleep on the street,” Jenkins said.

North Carolina received personal support from Jordan, who acknowledged that Jenkins played “good ball.”

But what looked like another North Carolina national championship ended with Jenkins’ painful game-winning shot.

“I wasn’t very good because I couldn’t take the pain away,” Tar Heels coach Roy Williams said. “I tell them I love them. I tell them I wish I could help them more.”

Villanova’s roster is filled with future NBA players.

Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo and Jalen Brunson are all now members of the New York Knicks.

Brunson is an MVP candidate, averaging 27.6 points and 6.4 assists per game in his first All-Star selection.

New York moved into fourth place in the Eastern Conference on Thursday with a 41-27 record.

In 1982, Jordan hit a famous shot that won North Carolina a national championship, and Jenkins drained a last-second 3-pointer to seal the victory in a tight game that looked like it was headed to overtime. .

It was a true, undisputed game-winner and the best buzzer-beater in NCAA tournament history.

“I heard someone screaming in the back of my head,” Arcidiacono said. “It was Chris. I just gave it to him and he let it go with confidence.”