A couple of honorable mentions (though I don’t think they’d overtake any other than the Illinois game from this year, which you noted is up there mainly for the consequences of it).

’03 Syracuse: Chris Hill sets the Big Ten record with 10 made three-pointers in a one-point loss to the eventual national champions. Maybe it holds a special place for me because it was the first game I ever went to.

’05 Illinois at Breslin: Getting to watch two of the best teams in the nation going at it was an incredible experience, regardless of the outcome. MSU played a good game; Illinois caught fire (something like 15 made baskets in a row, most of them contested), and there was nothing we could do.

The best game I ever attended was when Kenny Redfield stole the ball from a Purdue player with about :05 left on the clock, fed a freshman Dwayne Stephens for a lay-up with :02 left on the clock. MSU won the Big Ten title as time expired.

A Ferndale, Mich., native, Stephens was a four-year letterwinner at Michigan State University from 1989-93. In his four seasons, the Spartans posted an 84-38 overall record and made four postseason appearances, as Stephens never missed a game in his career. As a freshman in 1989-90, Stephens was a third-team selection on Basketball Weekly’s Freshman All-America Team, averaging 4.3 points and 3.0 rebounds. He scored the game-winning basket in a 72-70 victory over Purdue that clinched the Big Ten Championship for the Spartans.

Here are two from the 78-79 season. OSU v. MSU at Jenison, the game Earvin was injured, then hobbled back onto the court and led MSU to victory in OT. The student section was across from the benches in Jenison and when the students saw Magic limping back the whole place went insane. It is still the loudest sound I have ever heard. Also that year, the pinnacle of the Revenge Tour when Illinois came to Jenison and was dismantled. A close third was the destruction of the Phil Hubbard-Mike McGee UM Wolverines at Jenison. At one point, Earvin got the ball, backed Hubbard down. Hubbard fell (or flopped) and rather than go straight to the hoop, Earvin dribbled out until Hubbard could get up, then backed him down again, and spun around him for a lay-up. There was a little bad blood on that one because Johnny Orr had a vote in the coaches poll and he said that if MSU went on the road and beat OSU, IU, and Iowa he would vote them 1st in the poll. MSU did and Johnny didn’t. I think UM scored about 16 points in the first half.

By the way, I am sticking to the Breslin.

If I go to Jennison, I remember Scott Skiles lighting up Antoine Joubert, calling him fatty, and Jourbert was then quoted as saying “I would rather be a first place team heading somewhere then a third place team heading nowhere. I guarantee a victory in Ann Arobor.” Skiles then wen to Ann Arbor a few weeks later and the Spartans won by about 20. Vernon Carr, Barry Fordham, Daryl Johnston, and Larry Polack played great. Larry had a nice dunk in AA to ignite the Spartans. I think they later loss in the NCAA having to play Knasan at Kemper during the infamous clock game.

Next to the Purdue win in 1990. I remember Chris Wisinski? throwing an inbound pass, and then receiving it right back on a cut towards the basket. He stopped and knocked down a trey as the clock expired. Heathcote set up the play after a time-out and it was over Cincinnati. Great ending!