There’s no substitute for watching an amazing moment live as it happens. It’s the best way to capture the excitement of March Madness.
But now that we’re 61 games into this year’s event, taking a glance at some of the tourney’s top images comes in a close second. Follow along as we take you through 15 of this year’s shining moments.
Ohio State players run through drills during a practice session on March 25 in St. Louis. (Jeff Roberson, AP)
Richmond’s Kevin Smith, right, plays some seriously tight defense against Saint Mary’s Matthew Dellavedova during their first-round game March 18 in Providence. (Winslow Townson, AP)
BYU’s Brandon Davies skies over Florida’s Alex Tyus during the second overtime of the Cougars’ first-round victory on March 18 in Oklahoma City.
(Sue Ogrocki, AP)
Tennessee head coach Bruce Pearl appears a touch upset at a referee’s call during the Vols’ loss in the regional final on March 28. (Jeff Roberson, AP)
Murray State forward Danero Thomas, right, hits the game-winning shot as the Racers shock No. 4 seed Vanderbilt in the first round.
(Marcio Jose Sanchez, AP)
Baylor’s Tweety Carter gets amped up during the first half of the Bears’ South regional championship game against Duke. (David J. Phillip, AP)
One of the true surprises of the tournament, Cornell and coach Steve Donahue reached the Sweet 16 thanks to upsets of Temple and Wisconsin.
(Steve Helber, AP)
Kansas State’s Jacob Pullen can’t hide his emotions during the Wildcats’ loss to Butler in the West regional final. (Paul Sakuma, AP)
Meanwhile, the No. 5 seed Butler Bulldogs, including Matt Howard, center left, and Andrew Smith, center right, go crazy after the final buzzer of their 63-56 win over Kansas State. (Paul Sakuma, AP)
Washington’s Quincy Pondexter puts up the game-winning hoop over Marquette’s Jimmy Butler in the final seconds of their first-round tilt in San Jose, Calif. (Paul Sakuma, AP)
Ohio’s DeVaughn Washington celebrates a huge dunk against Georgetown during the Bobcats’ first-round upset of the No. 3 Hoyas in Providence.
(Elise Amendola, AP)
Tennessee’s Brian Williams goes to the deck with a smile after getting fouled by Michigan State during the second half of their Midwest regional final in St. Louis. (Paul Sancya, AP)
Northern Iowa’s Kwadzo Ahelegbe bowls over Kansas’ Tyrel Reed during the Panthers’ stunning second-round upset of the top-seeded Jayhawks in Oklahoma City. (Sue Ogrocki, AP)
Baylor’s Tweety Carter soars to the hoop during the Bears’ regional final loss to Duke. (Eric Gay, AP)
Injured guard Kalin Lucas is lifted by his teammates to cut down the net after Michigan State’s 70-69 win over Tennessee in the Midwest regional final. (Paul Sancya, AP)
