One of the great games ever. Where does it rank?
A stunning double-clutch three to tie with 4 seconds left.
A brilliant three to win at the buzzer.
I can't think of a time I've seen a better game in this spot in the NCAA championship.
Where does this rank all time in college basketball? Where does it rank in all sports? (This is a "fun" thread. Recency bias is ok.)
It's the best game I have ever watched, but I am fairly young. I don't think it tops Grant to Laettner though. Might be the best championship game.
High scoring and close throughout. I hated the end result, but that was pure drama the entire game.
Would you really want to see a school blatantly guilty of academic fraud win a national title?
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from the paint, maybe a 12 footer, while closely guarded.
Kentucky's PG (Sean Woods, I think) hit a BANKED runner to go up one. There were about 5-6 lead changes in regulation and OT in that game. In a vacuum, that game was better. Considering circumstances that's as good as we'll ever see.
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That was early days for conference tournaments to be on TV and I had watched every game NC St had played that post season (for no good reason). I was so invested in that game me so excited by that let play. But I don't remember anything else about that game.
but that game was an all-time epic BEFORE the Christian Laettner buzzer beater. Two heavyweights just trading bombs. Both teams had incredible talent.
My Top 5 college games that I can recall (I'm a bit old), in no specific order:
(1) tonight
(2) Duke/KY 1992
(3) Nova upset of Georgetown
(4) NC State over Houston. It really was fantastic even beyond the last shot. NC State played a flawless 1st half, Houston counter-punched in the 2nd half, got up 7, NC State counter-punched right on back and wins at the buzzer.
(5) Forgotten a bit by history, Connecticut over Duke in the 1999 Final. That Duke team entered the game at 37-1!!! Only loss to Cincinnati on a literal buzzer-beater in the Great Alaska Shootout. They were an all-time great team. But Connecticut was 34-2 themselves! Connecticut punched with them all game (Duke did not play bad): Richard Hamilton was fabulous and Khalid El-Amin stopped Trajon Langdon at the end. Great game.
everyone talks about that game, and rightly so because of the way it ended, but the Louisville/Houston semi-final that year was a much better overall game imo.
+1 for using penultimate correctly. everyone I work with uses it wrong. I really may bitch smack the next person who wants to solve for the penultimate solution endstead of the ultimate
The penultimate solution is what you get just before you figure out the right answer.
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That's right. NC State won on a buzzer-beater dunk after a desperation 30-footer came up short, right? Too young to have seen that, but must have been amazing considering the magnitude of the upset.
Houston was just standing there watching because they didn't want to goaltend the desperation prayer. The NC State guy realized it was super short and had the presence to jump up and dunk it. Great play.
I am reading this thread saying "somebody PLEASE! NC State for God's sake."
I'd still put memphis- kansas above it, but it was pretty good.
Eh, Chalmers hit a big shot, but the game didn't end on a buzzer beater, and Memphis choked down the stretch. That game is behind a few for me. 1989, 2010, this game for sure. NC State and Villanova's first championship too, although I didn't see those games.
It had one amazing shot, this had two. And most of the end of regulation of that game was Memphis missing free throws; actually rather draggy, with lightning at the end.
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Right after MTSU over MSU.
I kid! I kid!
The streets of East Lansing are quiet tonight.
What? Your cat climbed a tree? Call the EL Fire Department----they'll be right out!
This game would probably still rank up there if UNC had forced it to OT and won based on that off-balance deep 3 with 4.7 left. The fact that it kept going, and Nova won it on a "give me the ball and let me win it" buzzer-beater 3 doubles the epicness.
I seriously cannot believe what I just watched. Beautiful.
Jay Wright thinks it was just okay.
Jay Wright’s reaction to the game-winner #boss https://t.co/ki1gVs1v2e
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 5, 2016
... thy name is G. Q. Jay.
Even James Bond is impressed.
Tracy Wolfson's reaction is pretty impressive in the background there. And I enjoy seeing media people who've been at this for years still get taken with the magic of the sports they are covering.
FWIW Wright just quoted at his presser that he thought there might be time left and he was mentally preparing to ready the team to defend an inbound play with something like .7 seconds left.
I kinda feel sorry for him, not being able to fully enjoy the greatest moment of his career. But I'm sure he's ok with it.
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Gained tremendous new respect for Wright for crediting Archidiacano for the last play, essentially saying, "we put it into his hands and trusted him to make the right decision" rather than pointing to the play design (which was also terrific, it was the baseline in bounder who hit the shot).
Love it when coaches trust their players to play rather than playing into the "genius coach" thing that's rampant in college basketball.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Side note: how much Botox work has Mark Emmert had done? What a douche.
I vividly recall the Villanova - Georgetown game of 1985. Nowhere near the nail-biter this was. But that game was truly David vs. Goliath, with nobody picking Villanova to stay on the floor with the mighty Hoyas.
I watched that game with my jaw on the floor as Villanova hit from everywhere. The sense of astonishment that Villanova actually beat Georgetown that night was something to behold.
Again, does not top this game for pure excitement. But in terms of unfolding drama, 1985 Villanova v. Georgetown is up there.
Rollie on the bench coaching like crazy. The man in the wheel chair that everyone loved. All of it. And the beating of Georgetown was so good. Despised that team with a passion
They shot the lights out that entire game, against one of the best defensive teams in NCAA history (Ewing's G'town).
So good it had me tuned in from the beach in Thailand. Seriously excellent game and entertaining second half.
Also, I know we were right there and had ND, but it's merciful that Michigan didn't end up playing UNC.
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Second best of all time. A walk-off buzzer beater like that is an all-timer.
But NC State is still #1 because in addition to the buzzer beater finish, it was an epic upset.
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Insightful
He's a D1 Basketball player. I'm surprised he even has one left.