8. Matt Thomas Falls Short Second-Round Classic
No. 4 vs No. 5 matchups are always good games. The 2017 March Madness second-round game between Iowa State and Purdue was the epitome of that. Iowa had won 10 of their last 11 games heading into the matchup, while Purdue was considered a dark horse Final Four contender.
Purdue jumped out on Iowa State, building a 19-point lead. The Cyclones marched back, though, taking the lead with 3:11 left in the game. From there, Purdue hit a 3-pointer to put them back up by two points, and then epic back-and-forth began.
The game came down to the final seconds, with Purdue missing the first shot of a one-and-one free throw attempt with11 seconds left … but the Boilermakers grabbed the offensive board and hit two free throws to distance themselves for the four-point win.
Current Bulls guard Matt Thomas finished the game with 20 points on 81% shooting from the field, but his Cyclones were sent home.