Cant remember another year with this many close games/OT games/last second shot wins. Has been an enjoyment to watch.

I have to say this has been an awesome tourney. There havent been to many huge blowouts but a ton of close games including the butler game now. I cant remember watching an OSU loss like last night and walking away thinking damn that was a great basketball game. The game last night had good officals and i think you put those two teams against each other 10 times and they split the series 5 - 5 Kentucky was just the better team last night.

At the same time im a huge fan of march madness and i thinke very year is amazing i cant remember one year in perticular but every march is awesome.

I would still say 1997.

15 seed Coppin State was 1 point away from the Sweet 16.

The Sweet 16 had 2 OT games, 1 double OT game, Arizona beating overwhelming favorite Kansas in a thriller (85-82), and 10 seed Providence over 14 seed Chattanooga to go to the Elite 8.

Arizona beat 3 #1 seeds, and won 4 games by under 5 points, including 2 in OT (with 1 being the title win over UK).

I would rank this year #2 though. I can't remember a better year since 97.

I think so. Just look at the elite 8. You have the 3 winningest programs in kentucky, kansas, and carolina. 3 of the best lately in uconn, zona, and florida. Then 2 cindarellas, 1 the best midmajor and the other shouldn't even be in the tourney.

As far as close games at the end, which is what I like, I think so. Other years may have had more upsets and more classic Cinderella stories. OT games are not necessarily more compelling games than games that end in regulation. For instance, I don't think you can get more of an intense last minute than the game just over that didn't go to OT, or the Buckeye game last night. There were several compelling games in the round of 64 that the better seeded team won, but in a very close game to the end. Upsets aren't the only thing to measure it by, close games that aren't upsets are very good too.

ccrunner609 wrote:last year was awesome

That.

This year sucks.

Personal favorite is still 1990. Twenty-two games decided by a bucket...a lot more that came down to the wire. The Elite 8 had three nail-biters plus Loyola Marymount, who may have been the biggest story of the year. Even though the Final 4 kind of fell flat, competitively, UNLV's dominance and lead-in to the next season remains historically noteworthy. You had the requisite underdog Sweet 16 appearances with Xavier (yeah, 6-seed but upset big dog Georgetown), Ball State (who nearly knocked off UNLV), and 10-seed Texas going all the way to the Elite 8 (lost by 3) along with some other close calls in Dayton and Northern Iowa. That tourney was a launching pad for Duke and even GT (three ridiculous scorers, including an amazing freshman PG) and Arkansas (early days of 40 Minutes of Hell) had an interesting team personality.

1998 - not even close IMO, Big upsets (Valpo over Ole Miss, Richmond over South Carolina, Rhode Island over Kansas), incredible comebacks (UK-Duke) in the regional finals and good final 4. Plus IMO college basketball was a better product then since all but the most incredible players stayed 2-3 years - meaning a lot more experience and less sloppy play.

FYI here is the '98 tourney - simply amazing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998_NCAA_Men%27s_Division_I_Basketball_Tournament