From Dunk City to Rupp’s Runts: Maryland’s Crab Five the

Sporting their highest ranking since 2020 and having won seven of their previous eight games, couple of groups are entering March Madness as hot as the Maryland Terrapins. And even less are entering the Big Dance with a much better nickname.Editor’s Picks

The state of Maryland is known for its crab cakes. The Terrapins males’s basketball squad boasts among the very best beginning lineups in the country. Put the two together, combined with a healthy little early ’90s nostalgia, and you get the Crab Five.The Crab 5!! pic.twitter.com/w1kiWch0uJ!.?.!— Ricky Harris (@RickyHarris5)February 18, 2025 Maryland isn’t the only college basketball team with a distinctive label to compete in the men’s NCAA competition, though. Here are a few of the other leading monikers across the sport’s history. Dunk City School: Florida Gulf Coast Year(s): 2013 The 2013 Florida Gulf Coast Eagles, who had among the most remarkable Cinderella runs in current memory, made the

most of the program’s first NCAA tournament look, becoming the first 15-seed to make a run to the Sweet 16– with a lot of excellent dunks along the way. The high-flying, dunk-friendly offense of Florida Gulf Coast’s

2013 Cinderella team earned the group its renowned “Dunk City”name. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images Press Virginia School: West Virginia Year (s): 2008-2023 Bob Huggins’West Virginia Mountaineers teams

became known for their signature style of play, which included relentless interruption on defense complete court.Press Virginia aptly blended the university’s name with Huggins’pressing style, producing a moniker that would specify the coach’s tenure with the Mountaineers. West Virginia would make it to the Sweet 16 5 times under Huggins, consisting of a run to the Last Four in 2010. Flintstones School: Michigan State Year (s): 2000 The 1999-2000 Michigan State Spartans were led to a championship game in big

part by 3

players who hailed from Flint

, Michigan: Morris Peterson, Mateen Cleaves and Charlie Bell. Coming from their shared roots and on-court accomplishments, the Flintstones were born.The original Flintstones group was really a bit larger. In the 1997-98 season, when Peterson and Cleaves were underclassmen, 2 more Flint locals were on the

lineup: Antonio Smith and Anthony Mull.Fab Five School: Michigan Year(s): 1992-1993 The freshman class of the 1991-92 Michigan Wolverines had some names you may keep in mind: Juwan Howard, Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson.Together, the quintet became known as the”Fab 5,”among sports’most iconic labels

. The full group wore together for 2 consecutive years, falling in the national championship on both celebrations. Howard, Webber, Rose and King went on to the NBA, and Howard later went back to Ann Arbor to end up being Michigan’s head coach. In 2024, the members of Michigan’s well-known”Fab Five”1991-92 freshman class reunited at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor. Nic Antaya/Getty Images Lethal Weapon 3 School: Georgia Tech Year(s

): 1990 The 1989-90 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets made their very first Final 4 look in program history behind an offense powered mainly by three players: Kenny Anderson, Brian

Oliver and Dennis Scott. They integrated for more than 75%of the Yellow Jackets ‘points that season.Dubbed “Lethal Weapon 3″in a nod to the film series, the trio assisted Georgia Tech lowered the internet at the ACC tournament.Flyin ‘Illini School: Illinois Year(s): 1989 During the late 1980s, the Illinois Fighting Illini males’s basketball team was likewise called the

” Flyin’ Illini,” thanks to the group’s high-powered offense and propensity for highlight-reel dunks.Illinois eclipsed the 100-point mark in eight games that season, and rode its

outstanding offense

to a Final Four berth.Danny and the Miracles School: Kansas Year( s): 1988 An unlikely competition run influenced a remarkable label for the Kansas Jayhawks ‘1987-88 championship game team.

Getting in the competition with a 9-5 conference record, on the back of a Huge Eight tournament semifinal loss, the 6-seed Jayhawks weren’t thought about much of a threat to win it all.But Kansas duped 6 consecutive wins to reduce the internet, with the team’s nickname being derived from the name of star player Danny Manning and the not likely nature of the champion chase.Phi Slama Jama School: Houston Year(s): 1982-1984 Phi Slama Jama, an iconic label for a storied chapter of Houston Cougars basketball,

was a nod to the dunk-filled, energetic offenses boasted by Guy Lewis’squads.The Phi Slama Jama Cougars played in back-to-back-to-back Last Fours under Lewis, with some excellent names producing highlights along the way.

Hakeem Olajuwon

and Clyde Drexler

were some of the most

famous stars to play for”Texas ‘Tallest Fraternity.” Houston’s Phi Slama Jama period included NBA stars like Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. Andy Hayt/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images Heart Load School: North Carolina State Year( s): 1983 The”Cardiac Load “was a play on the NC State Wolfpack mascot as well as Jim Valvano’s team’s tendency for winning games

late on.Four of the Wolfpack’s six NCAA competition games were chosen by one-possession margins. Fittingly, in the championship game versus Houston’s Phi Slama Jama group, a dunk by Lorenzo Charles with seconds

staying gave North Carolina State the lead and the title.Rupp’s Runts School: Kentucky Year (s ): 1966 Mixing alliteration, a coach’s name and a distinct physical characteristic of the 1965-66 Kentucky Wildcats squad, their”Rupp’s Runts”name admired the fact that not a single member of Adolph Rupp’s starting lineup that season stood over 6 feet, 5 inches.Height didn’t prove to be much of an issue for Rupp’s Runts in postseason play, though. Kentucky won the SEC and five NCAA competition games before losing in the national championship.