I know we don’t like to reference D-I hoops here (what’s that?), but if you happened to be watching Texas-Oklahoma State instead of heading to your local gym to check out a D-III game, you probably are still amazed by the “Shot of the Year.” (If you haven’t seen it, you will on your favorite highlights show)
Got me to thinking…what’s the most improbable shot I’ve ever seen…
Mine didn’t count on the scoreboard. It came in the 2000 PAC title game when Alvernia’s Chad Kratzer threw one in from out-of-bounds, underneath his own hoop, at the first-half buzzer. if I remember right, Kratzer was 5-for-5 on 3’s in the half. He literally could not miss.
I know there’s a PAC full-court championship-winner that should be on the list too…
Any other improbable shot memories?
Jordan Snipes, the 86-footer that ESPN put five times in its Top 10 plays, then inexplicably left out of the ESPY nominations.
Among ones I’ve seen personally, I recall Horace Jenkins hitting a three from the top of the key with time running out in the half against CNU in the Elite 8 round.
Not too spectacular in and of itself. Except CNU inbounded quickly and Julian Sumpter hits one from about 55 feet to beat the buzzer going into the locker room.
As a color analyst, I don’t do a lot of play-by-play (and I’m not that good at it), but I handled a big CCIW game last year between IWU and Elmhurst.
An “improbable shot” by IWU All-American Adam Dauksas sent it to OT…
http://secure.stretchinternet.com/archive.php?user=wjbc&event_id=9480
(start player at about 2:12:30)
Fun stuff.
(If Dauksas doesn’t make that 30 footer, IWU does not make it as a Pool C last year and obviously doesn’t get to Salem.)
Here’s the link to the story d3hoops.com did in 2001 on the 85 foot bomb Kareem Brunson hit with no time on the colck to vault the Cabrini Cavaliers over the Alvernia Crusaders and into the post-season.
http://www.d3hoops.com/features/01/cabrini.html
It’s going to take more than that to get the Cavs to the post season this year.
C
In 1981 at Augustana in the D-III championship game, freshman Leroy Witherspoon (Later a two time D-III Player of the Year) drained an arching 30+ (some news accounts say 40) footer in traffic at the buzzer to tie the homestanding Vikings. Potsdam then went on to win 67-65 in overtime.
Freshman
Desperation Shot
National Championship Game
on the other team’s home court.
I think this should be in the running.
None were particularly long but my three favorite shots I’ve seen in person…
1) NYU’s Dari Magyar hitting a three to beat No. 1 Wash U. The call by Ray Martel was so good, NYU still had it on their site a year or two after the season was over.
2) Tucker Kain drilling a three to cap Williams’ comeback against rival Amherst to force overtime where the Ephs would beat their hated rivals. That’s the loudest I’ve ever heard a Division III gym (though Wooster’s came pretty close a year earlier during the tournament).
3) Steve King hitting a three fading into the sideline from well beyond the arc to beat Widener in last year’s Commonwealth Tournament final, sending the Falcons to the big show.
Magyar’s was the most unlikely, Kain’s prompted the loudest reaction and King’s the most difficult.
Incidentally I think we have a new favorite for most improbable shot of the year as posted on the front page…
GMann, I was just about to post before I read your No. 2. Although there was nothing spectacular about that 3-pointer (simply a jump shot at the top of the key) it really it have a huge impact on that season.
For one, had Williams lost that game (down 14 in the first half), they would have had to play the conference title game in Amherst, and who knows what would have happened. It kept alive the team’s home winning streak and I agree, that is definitely the loudest I’ve ever heard that gym.
I think this one is pretty easy. 2004-2005 Sweet 16 game at Albion. JCU vs. Albion…JCU is up 69-67 and Mike Grogan is fouled with something like 1.7 seconds left. Grogan is a 74% free throw shooter, not great but certainly good enough. His first shot is very short, barely getting the rim. The second shot comes off. Travis Dupree comes down with the rebound, manages to turn, fire the ball up court to Mike Thomas who quickly dribbles twice and moves up the floor, finding himself sandwiched between two Carroll defenders he leans and fires a shot from about 45 feet…it bounces on the rim and falls in. Carroll students were already rushing the court to celebrate. It was an improbable shot, but even more improbable was that all this happened in less than 2 seconds. (Later, watching the tape, Carroll coaches were able to count to 4-one-thousand (since there was no view of the clock) after Dupree got the rebound.) I believe Pat has the audio file somewhere. If the clock operator is reading this, I’d just like to see him or her say that the clock started on time with a straight face. It was one of the greatest games and shots I’ve ever seen, but Carroll won if it was regulation length.
Sorry, I meant 79-77
Last year’s SCAC Men’s Basketball Tournament. Austin Brown of DePauw’s 61-footer at the buzzer to win conference title for the Tigers. It was the ESPN Play of the Day. And listening to Mike & Mike of ESPN radio talk about Wes Anderson’s call was priceless.
http://www.depauw.edu/av/bballtourney/winner2006.mov
My vote is for the Chad Kratzer shot from out of bounds.
As my boss said to me that night, “It was the only time I’ve ever seen a shot not count because was too far.”
Toph, indeed, we do have that clip.
Also, actually, we have the Kratzer clip. 🙂
The most improbable shot that I’ve witnessed actually was TWO shots, on successive nights by UWSP in the first National Championship run. UWSP, up 47-30 against Puget Sound with the ball at about half-court and about .6 seconds to go, Jon Krull shot the ball from just behind the three point line and nailed it, bringing the lead to 50-30. Point would go ahead and win the game 100-79.
The next night, Point played in an almost empty gym in front of approximately 250 fans against Lawrence University (the closest school in the entire country to UWSP) at UPS’ Memorial Field House in what is probably one of the best basketball games noone saw. Lawrence was up 40-36, having nailed 8/10 from the 3 pt line and 62.5% from the field, with about .5 seconds until half, and Tamaris Relerford took an inbound pass and heaved it from just over the half court line and nailed it, cutting the lead to 40-39. Now, this game ended up going to OT as Nick Bennett hit an absolutely in-your-face three from about 5 feet beyond the arc to send it to OT. Without the half court bomb, the game doesn’t go to OT and Point doesn’t head to Salem, and Kalsow doesn’t have the opportunity to hit his shot for the National Championship (hardly improbable… I knew it was good when Kalsow got the ball in his hands!).
And, even thought it wouldn’t have counted, Crotty heaved the in-bounds pass with just .2 seconds to go in the National Championship game that bounces off the rim right after time expires.
Pat-
Oh, you didn’t use my clip. I’m a little hurt. 🙂
I meant to add that it doesn’t matter, all you can hear from me is “Oh no!”
That’s probably why. 🙂
My favorite part, if it’s the clip I’m thinking of, is…
“The fans…they’ve stormed the court…and they’re throwing bottles!”
Yikes…
It is that clip, and that was my partner (who was also handling the pbp)…I don’t remember any bottles being thrown, though.
Any call involving “and they’re throwing bottles” is a keeper.
This year Lake Forest College upset then 12th ranked Washington University in St.Louis as Nicole Rivera hit a 55 footer to send the game into overtime. Check it out at midwestconference.org (women’s basketball)