With 18 seconds left on the clock, standout UConn Guard Alex Karaban hoists up a desperate 3. The high-arching shot soars through the air, and commentator Ian Eagle excitedly calls out…”Short!”. Michigan’s Trey McKenney pulls down a strong rebound, and is fouled right away. He drains his free throws, and Michigan extends its lead to 6. Malachi Smith of the Huskies sprints downcourt for a desperation reverse layup, and the buzzer sounds a few seconds after the ball trickles out of the basket. Michigan has just completed a dominant playoff run, and has won the tournament for the first time in over three decades! Moments like these are what March Madness is all about.
After all, as the mantra of college basketball says, “Legends are made in March.”
This phrase is more than just a slogan. It’s an official promise of March Madness to college basketball players that they will have a chance to make their name known to the world. Every year, 68 teams are quickly whittled down to one in a four-week span. In this frenzy of games, there are bound to be heroes who arise. This “hero” status could come from hitting a game-winner like Lamont Butler in 2023, spearheading a Cinderella upset like Doug Edert in 2022, or leading an improbable run to the Final Four like DJ Burns in 2024. This year’s March Madness had no shortage of game-winners, buzzer-beaters, and dominant performances, allowing players like Chase Johnston, Tramon Mark, and Braylon Mullings to become heroes. Here we will hope to do these players justice with brief anecdotes of their crunch-time heroics.
Chase Johnston
This March Madness, the biggest upset in the first round was No. 12 High Point’s win over No. 5 Wisconsin. Though this was not as improbable as 16th- and 15th-seeds beating 1st- and 2nd-seeds in the previous years, it didn’t make the game less exhilarating, as High Point held on to win by one point, 83-82. Without a doubt, this could not have happened without the last-minute heroics of Chase Johnston.
Coming into the tournament, Johnston was a relatively unknown graduate student who was not even a starter on the team. Those who were familiar with him, however, knew he was a sharpshooter. His 418 career three-pointers placed him at top-20 all-time, and he shot 48.6% from beyond the arc in the 2025-26 season. To put that into perspective, that percentage is even higher than the NBA’s league leader in three-point percentage this past season.
Johnston’s three-point shooting certainly helped High Point upset Wisconsin, as he made four three-pointers, including a logo three to spark the team’s comeback run in the last five minutes of the game. However, ironically, it was a layup by Johnston with 11 seconds left in the game that gave High Point the one-point lead that they would hold on and win with. Shockingly, this was his first two-pointer of the entire season, and it could not have come at a more crucial time. Through this game-winning layup, Chase Johnston instantly became a March Madness hero.
Tramon Mark
One of the key members of a resilient Longhorns squad, Guard Tramon Mark led his team to stunning upsets over elite opposition in the likes of ACC menace NC State, BYU and their elite forward AJ Dybantsa, and a highly ranked Gonzaga team. He was one of the top scorers in the first two games with 17 and 19 points respectively, and played a versatile role in the third with four rebounds and two assists besides his six points.
With this constant success, Texas rode into the Sweet 16 game with high hopes, but a daunting task in the form of #2 seed and #6 overall-ranked Purdue. Right off the bat, the 11th seed Horns lagged behind, but were able to escape with a mere 4 point deficit after the first 20 minutes. Mark had already logged 12 points, in what was to become one of the greatest games of his career. As the second half began, the Longhorns fought back, even taking the lead. And then tragedy struck.
With about 17 minutes left in the game, Mark elevated for a three-point attempt, and was fouled by a defender. He landed awkwardly, which caused him to roll his ankle. This didn’t stop him however. He played for the rest of the game, dropping a season-high 29 points. Alas, the underdogs fell short. A last second tip by Purdue led to a heartbreaking defeat despite a gritty effort that wrested momentum into their hands for most of the latter part of the game. Nonetheless, the elimination doesn’t diminish the March of Mark.
Braylon Mullins
In a standout UConn program, Mullins was this year’s NBA-bound freshman: A 6’6 shooting guard who can make the three ball and operate as a secondary playmaker with his high basketball IQ. Though he had high expectations, Mullins was dealing with a horrific shooting slump leading up to March Madness. Since the end of February, Mullins was shooting an abysmal 16.5% from three. This rough stretch continued during the NCAA tournament as well, and his draft stock was quickly tanking.
The date was March 29th, 2026, and Mullins was prepared to change the narrative. In the Elite Eight matchup versus Duke, the Blue Devils took a commanding 15-point lead in the first half. Though UConn slowly began to erase this deficit in the second half, little hope remained as Demary Jr. went 1 for 2 from the free throw line, making the score 70-72 for UConn with only 10.0 seconds left in the game. As long as Duke held onto the ball and made their free throws, they were onto the final four. With 6.2 seconds left in the game. Caden Boozer throws a bad pass to take time off the clock. The ball is stolen by Demary Jr., and ends up in the hands of none other than Braylon Mullins himself. Isaiah Evans has his hand down, and from 35 feet, Mullins nails the walk-off game-winner. Michigan may have won the tournament, but UConn’s hero nailed the shot of the season.
