March 29, 2003 – At halftime of the Midwest Regional final against Kentucky, Marquette's Dwyane Wade told his teammates, "Leave your hearts on the court." No one heeded that advice more than Wade himself, who earned his first triple-double as he turned in one of the NCAA Tournament's most memorable performances. Wade's totals included 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists, but the numbers barely tell how his game affected the rest of his squad. The 83-69 rout of the No. 1 seed Wildcats lifted them into the Final Four.
Only seven players have ever recorded a triple-double in tournament history. Here is the list:
(Assists were not recorded nationally by the NCAA until the 1984–85 season, and steals and blocks were not officially added as NCAA statistics until the 1986–87 season. As a result, the NCAA only officially recognizes tournament triple-doubles recorded from 1987 onward.)
- – Gary Grant, Michigan — 24 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists vs. North Carolina, East Regional second round, March 14, 1987
- – Shaquille O'Neal, LSU — 26 points, 13 rebounds, 11 blocks vs. BYU, West Regional first round, March 19, 1992
- – David Cain, St. John's — 12 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists vs. Texas Tech, East Regional first round, March 18, 1993
- – Andre Miller, Utah — 18 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists vs. Arizona, West Regional Final, March 21, 1998
- – Dwyane Wade, Marquette — 29 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists vs. Kentucky, Midwest Regional Final, March 29, 2003
- – Cole Aldrich, Kansas — 13 points, 20 rebounds, 10 blocks vs. Dayton, Midwest Regional Second Round, March 22, 2009
- – Draymond Green, Michigan State — 23 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists vs. UCLA, Southeast Regional Second Round, March 18, 2011
- – Draymond Green, Michigan State — 24 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists vs. LIU–Brooklyn, West Regional Second Round, March 16, 2012
Dwyane Wade's dunk vs Kentucky (March 29, 2003):
