REMEMBERING PREVIOUS NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT FINALS

If you’ve been following the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament through the years, there’s quite a list of the premier championship games. No rap against women’s hoops, but it was much easier to recall those of the men and perhaps one day include the other gender.

1939: Let’s start with the initial championship game when Oregon posted a 46-34 win over Ohio State.

1940: And here’s game two as Indiana disposed of Kansas, 60-42.

1950: Prior to the massive scandal, City College of New York bested Bradley, 71-68.

1954: Led by All-America Tom Gola, Philadelphia’s LaSalle turned back Bradley, 92-76, when both were stellar programs.

1961: Ohio State took down Oscar Robinson’s Cincinnati team, 67-65, in overtime.

1962: Again it was the Buckeyes getting past Oscar’s Bobcats, 71-59.

1963: Coached by Al McGuire, Loyola of Chicago’s cast of mostly New Yorkers nipped Cincinnati, 60-58, in overtime.

1966: One of the more anticipated finals when Texas Western’s athletic blacks stunned all-white Kentucky, 72-65.

1967-1975: All of these title games were won by John Wooden’s standout UCLA teams.

1970: Led by 7-2 post Artis Gilmore, Upset-minded Jacksonville State led UCLA at halftime, but took a 80-69 setback.

1977: Surprising Marquette hung a 67-59 loss on North Carolina.

1979: This was a classic, Magic Johnson and Michigan State knocking off Larry Bird and Indiana State, 75-64.

1983: At the Pit in New Mexico, it was Jim Valvano’s North Carolina State hopefuls stunning talented Houston, 54-53.

1985: This was a classic upset as Villanova again faced Georgetown and pieced together an exciting 66-64 final.

1987: At the Superdome in New Orleans, Kevin Smart’s final-second baseline jumper brought a 74-73 triumph over Syracuse.

1988: Larry Brown’s Kansas team came away with Danny Manning leading the way in the 83-79 “Miracle” against Oklahoma.

1990: Everything went UNLV’s way in shutting down rising Duke,103-73.

1991: Now it was point guard Bob Hurley, Jr., paved the way as Duke won its initial title by turning back Michigan, 75-72.

1992: Again it was Hurley and company this time avenging the previous defeat by winning it all over UNLV, 88-80.

1995: UCLA was back in the final and rolled past Arkansas, 89-78.

2003: It was Syracuse with freshman All-America Carmelo Anthony winning its only national title, 81-78, versus Kansas.

2008: Mario Chalmers’s buzzer-beater got Memphis into overtime and turned into a 75-68 victory over Kansas.

2021: Baylor was a big surprise in hoisting the championship trophy by winning, 82-77, over top-seeded Gonzaga.

2022: Kansas finally won another final by coming from way behind to get past North Carolina, 72-69.

And that’s a grand total of 25 national championships, and If I missed any, I still found enough goodies to list.