The NCAA basketball tournament is quite possibly the most fun event in all of sports. It is "single-elimination," meaning if a team loses just one game, they're eliminated. It used to be a field of 64 teams, but now it's 65, with an opening round of just one game between the two lowest-ranked teams. The winner joins the regular NCAA basketball tournament field, to make 64 teams.

On the first full NCAA basketball tournament day there are 16 games, between 32 teams. The same goes for the second day. So, by the end of the second day, the field of 64 teams is down to 32. On day three there are 8 games. Same with day 4. So, by the end of day 4 the NCAA tournament is down to just 16 teams, known as the Sweet 16. Those four days are usually on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The next Thursday marks the start of the Sweet 16. There are four games that day, and four games the next, cutting the remaining alive teams to eight -- known as the Elite 8. And, as you can guess, two days later only four teams are left. They're the Final Four.

The Florida Gators won the 2005-06 NCAA championship, beating the UCLA Bruins 73-57. Joakim Noah, voted Most Outstanding Player, had 16 points, 9 rebounds and 6 blocked shots. He shot 7-of-9 from the field. Lee Humphrey had 15 points, Al Horford racked up 14 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists, and Corey Brewer had 11 points with 7 rebounds and 4 assists.

In the loss, Jordan Farmar shot just 8-of-21 for 18 points and 4 assists, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute had 6 points (3-of-9) and 10 rebounds, Arron Afflalo shot 3-of-10 for 10 points, and Ryan Hollins had 10 points with 10 rebounds.

To reach the championship game, UCLA beat LSU 59-45 in a very ugly Final Four matchup. Also in the Final Four, Florida beat this year's NCAA Basketball Tournament cinderella team George Mason 73-58 to advance to the final round.

In the Elite Eight, LSU beat Texas, UCLA beat Memphis, George Mason beat UConn, and Florida beat Villanova.

Although the final four was a letdown, the 2006 NCAA tournament was fantastic and as good as it's been in many years.

Year-by-Year NCAA Tournament History
Year Championship game Score 
2006 Florida def. UCLA 73-57 
2005 North Carolina def. Illinois 75-70 
2004 Connecticut def. Georgia Tech 82-73 
2003 Syracuse def. Kansas 81-78 
2002 Maryland def. Indiana 64-52 
2001 Duke def. Arizona 82-72 
2000 Michigan State def. Florida 89-76 
1999 Connecticut def. Duke 77-74 
1998 Kentucky def. Utah 78-69 
1997 Arizona def. Kentucky 84-79 (OT) 
1996 Kentucky def. Syracuse 76-67 
1995 UCLA def. Arkansas 89-78 
1994 Arkansas def. Duke 76-72 
1993 North Carolina def Michigan 77-71 
1992 Duke def. Michigan 71-51 
1991 Duke def. Kansas 72-65 
1990 UNLV def. Duke 103-73 
1989 Michigan def. Seton Hall 80-79 (OT) 
1988 Kansas def. Oklahoma 83-79 
1987 Indiana def. Syracuse 74-73 
1986 Louisville def. Duke 72-69 
1985 Villanova def. Georgetown 66-64 
1984 Georgetown def. Houston 84-75 
1983 NC State def. Houston 54-52 
1982 North Carolina def. Georgetown 63-62 
1981 Indiana def. North Carolina 63-50 
1980 Louisville def. UCLA 59-54 
1979 Michigan St. def. Indiana St. 75-64 
1978 Kentucky def. Duke 94-88 
1977 Marquette def. North Carolina 67-59 
1976 Indiana def. Michigan 86-68 
1975 UCLA def. Kentucky 92-85 
1974 NC State def. Marquette 76-64 
1973 UCLA def. Memphis 87-66 
1972 UCLA def. Florida St. 81-76 
1971 UCLA def. Villanova* 68-62 
1970 UCLA def. Jacksonville 80-69 
1969 UCLA def. Purdue 92-72 
1968 UCLA def. North Carolina 78-55 
1967 UCLA def. Dayton 79-64 
1966 UTEP def. Kentucky 72-65 
1965 UCLA def. Michigan 91-80 
1964 UCLA def. Duke 98-83 
1963 Loyola (Ill.) def. Cincinnati 60-58 (OT) 
1962 Cincinnati def. Ohio St. 71-59 
1961 Cincinnati def. Ohio St. 70-65 (OT) 
1960 Ohio St. def. California 75-55 
1959 California def. West Virginia 71-70 
1958 Kentucky def. Seattle 84-72 
1957 North Carolina def. Kansas 54-53 (3 OT) 
1956 San Francisco def. Iowa 83-71 
1955 San Francisco def. La Salle 76-73 
1954 La Salle def. Bradley 92-76 
1953 Indiana def. Kansas 69-68 
1952 Kansas def. St. John's 80-63 
1951 Kentucky def. Kansas St. 68-58 
1950 CCNY def. Bradley 71-68 
1949 Kentucky def. Oklahoma St. 46-36 
1948 Kentucky def. Baylor 58-42 
1947 Holy Cross def. Oklahoma 58-47 
1946 Oklahoma A&M def. North Carolina 43-40 
1945 Oklahoma A&M def. NYU 49-45 
1944 Utah def. Dartmouth 42-40 (OT) 
1943 Wyoming def. Georgetown 46-34 
1942 Stanford def. Dartmouth 53-38 
1941 Wisconsin def. Washington St. 39-34 
1940 Indiana def. Kansas 60-42 
1939 Oregon def. Ohio St. 46-33 


NCAA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYERS HISTORY
Year Player Team Key stats 
2006 Joakim Noah Florida 17 reb, 10 blocks 
2005 Sean May North Carolina 48 pts, 17 reb 
2004 Emeka Okafor UConn 42 pts, 22 reb 
2003 Carmelo Anthony Syracuse 53 pts, 24 reb 
2002 Juan Dixon Maryland 51 pts, 7 stl 
2001 Shane Battier Duke 43 pts, 19 reb 
2000 Mateen Cleaves Michigan State 29 pts, 5 asts 
1999 Richard Hamilton UConn 51 pts, 12 reb 
1998 Jeff Sheppard Kentucky 16-29, 43 pts 
1997 Miles Simon Arizona 54 pts, 8 reb 
1996 Tony Delk Kentucky 8-16 3-pointers 
1995 Ed O'Bannon UCLA 45 pts, 25 reb 
1994 Corliss Williamson Arkansas 52 pts, 21 reb 
1993 Donald Williams North Carolina 10-14 3-pointers 
1992 Bobby Hurley Duke 35 pts, 11 asts 
1991 Christian Laettner Duke 46 pts, 17 reb 
1990 Anderson Hunt UNLV 19-31, 49 pts 
1989 Glen Rice Michigan 59 pts, 16 reb 
1988 Danny Manning Kansas 56 pts, 17 reb 
1987 Keith Smart Indiana 14-22 fgs, 35 pts 
1986 Pervis Ellison Louisville 36 pts, 24 reb 
1985 Ed Pinckney Villanova 28 pts, 15 reb 
1984 Patrick Ewing Georgetown 18 reb, 15 blks 
1983 Akeem Olajuwon* Houston 41 pts, 40 reb 
1982 James Worthy North Carolina 20-27 fgs, 42 pts 
1981 Isiah Thomas Indiana 37 pts, 9 asts 
1980 Darrell Griffith Louisville 57 pts, 15 asts 
1979 Earvin Johnson Michigan State 53 pts, 17 reb 
1978 Jack Givens Kentucky 64 pts, 17 reb 
1977 Butch Lee Marquette 30 pts, 6 reb 
1976 Kent Benson Indiana 41 pts, 18 reb 
1975 Richard Washington UCLA 54 pts, 20 reb 
1974 David Thompson North Carolina St. 49 pts, 17 reb 
1973 Bill Walton UCLA 28-34 fgs, 58 pts 
1972 Bill Walton UCLA 57 pts, 41 reb 
1971 Howard Porter* Villanova 47 pts, 24 reb 
1970 Sidney Wicks UCLA 39 pts, 34 reb 
1969 Lew Alcindor UCLA 62 pts, 41 reb 
1968 Lew Alcindor UCLA 53 pts, 34 reb 
1967 Lew Alcindor UCLA 39 pts, 38 rbs 
1966 Jerry Chambers* Utah 70 pts, 35 reb 
1965 Bill Bradley* Princeton 87 pts, 24 reb 
1964 Walt Hazzard UCLA 30 pts, 10 reb 
1963 Art Heyman* Duke 51 pts, 19 reb 
1962 Paul Hogue Cincinnati 59 pts, 38 reb 
1961 Jerry Lucas* Ohio State 20-28 fgs, 56 pts 
1960 Jerry Lucas Ohio State 35 pts, 23 reb 
1959 Jerry West West Virginia 66 pts, 25 reb 
1958 Elgin Baylor* Seattle 48 pts, 41 reb 
1957 Wilt Chamberlain* Kansas 55 pts, 25 reb 
1956 Hal Lear* Temple 80 pts 
1955 Bill Russell San Francisco 47 pts 
1954 Tom Gola La Salle 38 pts 
1953 B.H. Born* Kansas 51 pts 
1952 Clyde Lovellette Kansas 66 pts 
1951 Bill Spivey Kentucky 50 pts, 37 reb 
1950 Irwin Dambrot CCNY 28 pts 
1949 Alex Groza Kentucky 52 pts 
1948 Alex Groza Kentucky 37 pts 
1947 George Kaftan Holy Cross 48 pts 
1946 Bob Kurland Oklahoma State 52 pts 
1945 Bob Kurland Oklahoma State 37 pts 
1944 Arnie Ferrin Utah 28 pts 
1943 Ken Sailors Wyoming 28 pts 
1942 Howie Dallmar Stanford 20 pts 
1941 John Kotz Wisconsin 22 pts 
1940 Marv Huffman Indiana 18 pts 
1939 Jimmy Hull* Ohio State 40 pts