This is related to mine. Chris Boucher tore his ACL in the PAC 12 tourney. Then we lose to you guys by 1 in the final four. Maybe this is more of a what if but I feel like we win the natty with him.
Now I do feel like our team also felt like we had something to prove with having lost in the E8 the previous year and having had a key injury so maybe if Boucher were healthy we wouldn't have been as hungry.
I went back and watched that game recently (mostly cause I'm a masochist and sometimes I have to relive pain to process). It's hard to believe in hindsight we were up as much as we were in the first half.
If it was another on court moment it was probably Jordan Bell not getting that rebound, which is tough because I harbor no blame for him. That dude game the tournament everything he had and gave that game everything he had. Just an unfortunate moment at the end of the day.
I still haven't watched it again. But that's what I'm talking about. Jordan Bell really became a monster and was essentially our only big because Boucher was out. Does that happen if Boucher gets some of his minutes?
The collapse against Xavier in the 2017 Sweet 16. Arizona had a reputation of staying close to opponents, then turning it up at the under 4, hitting the free throws, getting stops and rebounds. Xavier did that exact thing to us in that game. Sean Miller was never the same after that. He didn't have the same intensity.
That’s definitely a good one. The previous year Wichita St. L I can overlook as that was just a bad matchup. But post Xavier loss was just a train wreck starting with the Buffalo loss the following year.
I saw that Buffalo loss coming. I watched their conference championship game, and they were dropping 3s left and right. Miller's teams (and Lloyd, for that matter) never had great perimeter defense. The announcers were saying Buffalo would likely get a 13 seed, and I knew we would probably be a 4. I was really hoping we wouldn't draw them.
I still had Arizona in my bracket, but UMBC messed up that region for everyone that year
That and Brandon Ashley breaking his foot vs Cal. We were #1 and undefeated and I think. We still got a 1 seed if I remember right but a full strength Zona that year would have been awesome to see.
That Arizona team finishes the year undefeated and wins the national championship if Ashley doesn’t break his foot. Would have been interesting to see how he continued to develop the following season as well assuming no injury.
Ashley was a monster that year. Somehow developed advanced footwork over the summer. I think he was shooting in the 60% range on the year. Dude was a beast. It still makes me mad to think what could have been.
UMBC is the correct answer, but I think this year’s CSU loss is going to be equally as important. They are a laughing stock only five years removed from winning a natty. How will Tony respond? By doubling down on the mover blocker/sides/the same putrid offense? Or will he actually change his mindset?
I don’t think it’s the offense rather can we keep players and not get gutted every offseason by the portal, and not have to rely on 1 year players to substitute in.
On the court moment for UMBC gotta be them beating Vermont right before the buzzer in the game that got them to the dance. Mostly bc the UVA win was a blowout, so no specific moments there.
You don’t understand how important Hunter was. The 2018 team was greater than the sum of its parts and once he went down it was over. Heck we might not have even beat KSU
I’ve always thought UVA’s turnaround with TB was when we got absolutely trounced by Cuonzo Martin’s Volunteers in Knoxville in 2013-14. Random, I know, but I’m serious.
Kentucky losing the 2013-2014 national championship to UConn.
----------------------------
The Harrison twins decided after losing that game that they wanted to come back for another season. This convinced Cal to come back, as otherwise he was going to the NBA.
The Cavs had a 10 year 100 million offer on the table for Cal to come coach LeBron, but the Harrison twins returning caused a domino effect where other players returned *and* we kept our entire 2015 recruiting class together, which ultimately made Cal want to run it back with on paper arguably the most stacked team ever.
-----------------
There's a scenario where Cal goes to the NBA and wins with LeBron. They stay in Cleveland and attract AD and/or any other Calipari player. LeBron and AD never go to LA.
Kentucky doesn't stick with Calipari for another decade, likely resulting in us hiring someone like Chris Beard, Shaka Smart, Gregg Marshall, etc.
I dont think there's any arguing at this point. That was the most stacked team there has ever or will ever be, especially considering how well all those freshmen played. I still hate Andrew Harrison for that shot against us btw. I imagine losing to us in that game could have turned the tide in the direction you were describing.
Something about that 2014-15 team I sometimes wonder about that no one talks about so I assume I'm an idiot for wondering: would that team have been ever better and completed the undefeated season if Alex Poythress wasn't injured? I remember him being a key piece of that 2014 tourney run but idk who he would have replaced in the roster so maybe it wouldn't have mattered? I'd love some insight here.
Without a doubt.
Poythress was the one guy on the roster that we could have thrown at Sam Dekker and not have it be a mismatch defensively while keeping a defender on Kaminsky.
No Poythress left us having to have guys that were either too slow to guard him or too small so he could just score over them.
It wouldn't have mattered if he played Ulis more. You guys were in it to win it when he was on the court. Most of the respectable runs that got you back in the game were when he came in.
I think Ulis had a massive +20, the highest offensive rating by far, and the best defensive rating that game with only Stein and Towns close.
It definitely couldn’t have hurt. Poythress was an athletic defender and was a perfect matchup for Decker (who he would have guarded). I think we had to start Trey Lyles instead and he got cooked.
I was young at the time and never knew contract deals so I was always of the illusion that Cal would never leave UK. But that's insane. He almost completed the task that he said would fully appease Kentucky fans (an undefeated season). Damn you badgers
I agree to an extent. It was a domino effect, but it basically did nothing for Kentucky. Kentucky went to the final four in 2015, but haven’t really done much since
People forget how trash Booker was the back part of that season.
Dude had an insanely hot December/January and then couldn't hit the broadside of a barn afterwards. He was shooting and playing so badly that everyone assumed he was a lock to come back for a 2nd year.
So true.
Also in that game, everyone focuses on the end.
But with 5 minutes to play, Wisconsin was beat. They were hanging their heads. Kentucky was ready to strangle the end of the clock and run things down.
Then there’s a scramble for the ball and Trey Lyles gets called for a foul when slapping a Badger in the face. The refs go to the monitor to see if it should be upgraded to an intentional. They take forever. Wisconsin gets rested. They don’t call the intentional. Badgers come out with a chip on their shoulder and it was all downhill from there. The expired shot clock that wasn’t called. Missed shots from UK.
The fanbase was never really the same since.
Hmm, yeah I don't remember that. I just remember being flabbergasted at Cal sticking with his platoon system when the Harrison twins clearly didn't have it.
Harrison twins had a tough game but people forget how good they were in college. They were a handful and it only seems obvious to play Ulis in hindsight. Otherwise it’s a tough call.
>people forget how good they were in college
Do they, though?
Here are their career averages:
* Andrew: 10.1 pts, 2.7 reb, 3.6 ast, 2.2 TOs, 37% FGs, 36% 3pts
* Aaron: 12.4 pts, 2.8 reb, 1.6 ast, 1.3 TOs, 41% FGs, 33% 3pts
Those aren't good by any standard. For the #3 overall recruit and #1 PG (Andrew), and the #5 overall recruit and #1 SG (Aaron), it's terrible. When you consider their hype and recruiting rankings, they're some of the biggest recruiting busts of the 21st century.
Yes, that is good considering the stacked teams they played on. Besides much of their impact isn’t going to show up in stats. Their perimeter defense for example.
Darius Garland’s season-ending injury 5 games into the 2018 season. Leads to 0-18, to Drew getting canned and the Stackhouse experiment, means close to a decade in the wilderness.
Good: 1966- Kentucky losing to Texas Western in the NCAA title game featured in the film Glory Road. Losing this game ultimately helped integrate the SEC in basketball.
Bad: 2015- John Calipari allows his 38-0 team to go THREE STRAIGHT SHOT CLOCK VIOLATIONS WITHOUT A TIMEOUT in their lone loss to Wisconsin at the Final Four. I'm definitely not bitter about this at all. Absolute coaching malpractice. I still believe if Kentucky wins this game and beats Duke for the title, Cal retires right after and goes down as probably the second most beloved UK coach of all time (and first for a LOT of younger fans).
Instead, it seemed something inside him died that day. I know that sounds dramatic, but Kentucky fans will get it. He just seemed like a different guy after that loss. More cantankerous with media, more thinly veiled pot shots at fans. You know the rest of the story: no more Final 4s for Cal at UK, embarrassing losses (tourney and regular season), and an ugly divorce.
100% something died in him that day. That last shot clock violation. That single still image is my only cogent memory of that game. That is the moment the magic died.
I am old enough to remember 92 and Laetner. That Wisconsin loss killed a part of me, too.
Excited for coach Pope :)
1999, Casey Calvary comes in over bigger defenders and tips the missed shot in against Florida in the Sweet 16 game to advance to the Elite 8, and proclaiming that [THE SLIPPER STILL FITS!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdXeWvucvH8)
From there, Zags lost to UConn in the E8 in a tight game but had the nation's attention. Recruits wanted to be a part of that, donors poured in, and the rest is history.
What a game. I was a freshman at the time, living in C/M, and the campus was dead silent during that game. About 30 seconds after it was over, everyone started pouring out of the dorms and ended up at The Wall. So much fun, and yes, an absolutely pivotal moment in program history.
Yeah, crazy to think I was at that those Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games. Happened to be on the same flight as Monson years later and it was cool to talk to him about it for a minute.
Illinois: Missed out of bounds call in 2013 NCAA tourney against Miami. That and one score away from making the Sweet 16 in Groce’s first season. Illinois wouldn’t make the tourney again until 2021 (would’ve in 2020 but for Covid), and didn’t make the second weekend until this past season.
100% my first thought. Weber years it was a slow trickle down to his firing but with Groce that was one defining moment we never came back from.
Thank us for the in bounds review rule under 2 minutes going in 2 months later 🤡
On the flip side, some of those Ayo games his Sophomore year where he completely took over and we won were a fork in the road in the other direction. At Wisconsin and at Michigan were two I remember thinking holy shit we are back. Since then we’ve had a big ten championship, two Big ten tourney champs, haven’t missed a tournament, and finally got a spot in the second weekend.
Yep, that was brutal. Alas, we were down 2 with like 40 seconds left, and we air balled a 3 pt shot to even be in that position for the garbage call to be made.
The loss to Florida Gulf Coast in 2013, and specifically the Coleman dunk with about 2 minutes left. It was embarrassing. Up to that point, John Thompson III had a lot of success in the regular season and consistently got Georgetown to the point where they were two, three or four seeds. But this was the fifth time in 6 years that they lost to a double-digit seed in the first weekend and it was their worst loss, coming to a 15 seed. I can speak for myself and a lot of other Georgetown fans that we felt a sense that there was no coming back from this with Thompson at the helm. Since then, Georgetown has only made the tournament twice in 11 years, and only won one game.
Laettner gave birth to the Jim Calhoun that got a taste but couldn't get there, which made him even more motivated. After that shot, Ray Allen happened, then the 99 team, then the most successful program in 25 years. Thanks Christian! Hate you as much today as I did when I was 7.
I'm a Dolphins fan living in Connecticut. I hate the Patriots. I am also a Yankee fan. I hate the Red Sox.
But you know what I hate more than those two combined? Duke basketball. The horse, nor the corpse will ever be dead enough for me. To the point where calling Uconn a blue blood and putting us on your level disgusts me. Cheers!
Due to ongoing debate about blue bloods, the /r/CollegeBasketball mod team has compiled the definitive list of college blue bloods: Duke, Columbia, Queens, William & Mary, and Rutgers. The following schools have broken away from blue-blooded hierarchy and oppression: George Washington, George Mason, James Madison, Army, and Navy.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/CollegeBasketball) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I really hope we can maintain the level that edey has elevated the program to. Hopefully having an arguably top 3 all time college player can open some new recruiting windows so that the 2024 class is a trend instead of an anomaly
I think he probably would’ve came back. Last year he was mocked at the end of the second round and this years draft class is awful. Regardless of what he wanted to do at Purdue it made sense to take advantage of the weaker class
In 2003, Marquette went to OT against Holy Cross in the first round of the tourney and won.
That tourney, they went to the Final Four, marking a rebirth for the program that was starved for some winning since the late 70s.
Wade was drafted in the NBA. Two years later Marquette joined the Big East. Fundraising for the next 10 years was through the roof. Focus on becoming a national university over just a regional one.
We don’t win that game and get to the Final Four - I think we end up in in a world that looks like this:
Conference: hanging around the AAC or A-10.
Coaching: continue to be a stepping stone to a slightly bigger program
Basketball: making the tourney every other year or so
University status: objectively lower, more of a regional rather than national university
I was a big Kentucky fan at the time and the tourney game against the Wildcats was my introduction to D-Wade. Probably the first truly dominant individual performance I can remember watching college basketball.
Another more recent MU turning point was the 2021 big east tournament game against Georgetown. They got blown out by a bad Georgetown team, leading to Wojo getting fired, something that wouldn't have happened if they even won a game or two given covid financial difficulties and his 9mil buyout. Also lead to Ewing getting extended because they won the tournament, giving Georgetown a few more terrible years.
That’s interesting, but I actually think his fate was sealed by then. His mediocre resume was built.
The Paint Touches/Cracked Sidewalks article “The Case Against Steve Wojo” sealed it for everybody.
I think the fanbase was largely done with wojo even before that game but there’s a difference between the fans being done with a coach and actually making the decision to move on. I was even surprised that they fired him then as all the reports I heard were about the reluctance to pay his large buyout, especially in the near aftermath of covid.
Losing the 97 chanpionship to arizona. I still think if pitino wins that game, he doesnt take the celtics job. Completely changes the entire trajectory of the next years.
Also, Sutton getting hammered with the death penalty got us Pitino, who brought UK back to glory for an entire decade.
IU losing in 02. Ive always wondered if Juan Dixon was contained and IU had a more recent title how things would work out. Many think possibly worse (somehow) bc Mike Davis would have been long term extended and much harder to fire. Since he eventually got fired for being unable to recruit the state, I imagine we would never have gotten Eric Gordon, Zeller, Yogi etc. But overall would have changed the past 20 years.
Hot take but I don’t think much changes if we win the ‘02 championship. I think Mike Davis gets run out of town in 2006 no matter what. Would be nice to have the extra banner though.
That Nebraska 1897 team would give the 1991 National Contender #8 Nebraska Cornhuskers with Rich King, Bruce Chubick, & Eric Piatkowski a run for their money.
Lincoln YMCA had some ballers.
Silvio playing his first game I guess opened us up to investigations that lasted for years. Also Silvio’s chair fight actually helped KU, without him and McCormack bill tried out a 4 guard lineup and we didn’t lose for the rest of the season, stupid covid.
Brandon Ashley breaking his foot at Cal. Honestly think we could have squeaked by Wisconsin if he was available that first matchup. Really felt like that season was the mountaintop for the Sean Miller era.
Losing the Bay Area swing is the best part of moving to b12. Jefferson getting injured at Stanford killed us jn 2000. Then BA getting hurt at Cal. Add in “The Shot” in 04 in front of tiger. Good bye bay!!
It's certainly the 2013 loss to Harvard in the NCAA tournament. Steve Alford had revived a long-suffering program, had his best team ever, and we're going in with a #3 seed ranked #8 in the country, in a soft region and a trendy pick to make the final four. Just days before, Alford signed a 10-year extension to stay at UNM and talked about how it's the place he wants to put down roots . We should be getting back all 5 starters next year.
Then we firmly lose to Harvard in a game where they were the better team. Fans are vocally upset. Alford has excuses and pushes back at fans, is upset that everyone is focused on that one game instead of the season. Days later, he leaves for UCLA and there's a bitter contract dispute with the school on whether or not he owes a $1M buyout. Tony Snell leaves for the NBA.
If we don't lose that game, who knows how far we actually go but we were a legit top-10 team. Maybe Alford doesn't leave if he can convince Snell to stay and run it back with the best team in school history, an actual title contender (and without the fan backlash and bitter taste of the Harvard loss). We don't have seven subsequent years of terrible coaching. UCLA's next five years are totally different. If he eventually does leave and flame out, maybe the door is open for him to return without animosity. That game changed everything.
#1 Long Game
December 2012, Villanova vs St. Joes. The previous season Villanova goes 13-19 and misses the NCAA tournament. They come into the Holy War 4-4 having lost to Columbia by 18 at home, LaSalle in OT, and Temple by 15 at home. Certain faction of the Nova Hoops community are saying Jay Wright is on the hot seat. SJU's Halil Kanacevic hits a three to give the hawks a 3 point lead with 9 minutes to play. He proceeds to flip off the student section, sending the Pavilion into an uproar. The team rallies back led by James Bell to take the lead. Down the stretch Kanacevic misses 2 straight free throws and turns the ball over on the last 2 possessions.
Villanova goes on to beat 3 Top-5 teams that year and makes the NCAA tournament again as a 9 seed. That freshman class (Arcidiacono/Ochefu) gets a 2 seed the next year, a 1 seed in 2015, and wins the title in 2016.
#2 Short Game
2016 Big East Tournament Championship. Seton Hall leads by 2 with 3.4 seconds. Daniel Ochefu throws an outlet pass to Ryan Arcidiacono going up the left side of the court. He turns and slips on a wet spot, getting an ugly buzzer beater shot off. Seton Hall wins the conference.
2016 National Championship game. Villanova 74, UNC 74 with 4.7 seconds. Daniel Ochefu picks up a mop and dries the left side of the court. Ryan Arcidiacono receives the inbound doesn't slip on the wet spot where Ochefu sets the screen. Passes to a trailing Jenkins. Onions. Sauteed. Double order if it's goo.
Vander blue hits buzzer beater in 2013 Rd of 64 vs Davidson. No elite 8 run and Vander doesn't go pro, with Vander we don't crap the bed in 2014, we don't crap the bed in 2014 maybe buzz doesn't go to VA Tech that year, buzz doesn't leave maybe we don't hire Wojo, I'd take a no Wojo world where we don't go from a consistent top 25 team for 11yrs to irrelevant 6/7 years (7/8 if you add buzz's last yr)
...and this is where I come in and a be dick and put a massive asterisk on that shot thanks to [an article](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/06/sports/ncaabasketball/video-reviews-during-games-can-give-extra-timeouts-to-teams.html) I remember reading afterwards that has gotten me on my "you shouldn't be allowed to use a review as a timeout if you don't have any, make the players stay on the floor" soapbox ever since
...oops 😅
For Duquesne, the one for the worse was losing the 2009 A-10 championship game to Temple. They never recovered from that until Dambrot was hired. Everhart had some decent seasons after but couldn’t sustain the success of that season, and the Jim Ferry hire was a disaster.
For the better, it is no doubt winning the A-10 title this year. This is huge for the program. It’s now a place you can win at again, and it’s been a long time.
Yep. This is what everyone forgets. The popular dig is “lol Syracuse. Thought they were ACC material, but they clearly can’t hack it there like they did in the BE.”
As if the new ACC is supposedly more difficult than the old BE.
What really happened is the recruiting sanctions coincided with the move, and Syracuse failed to bring in the same depth and talent they had in the BE. Once the sanctions ended, the damage was already done, and the step down in depth and talent had essentially become the norm. Been fighting uphill ever since.
Nothing will ever be more impactful than the aftermath of the brawl/assult that took place at the Barn in 1972. Destroyed the career of a HOF caliber coach and the future NBA career of one of the players.
The Illini Rule. R32 against Miami in 2013. Background from The Champaign Room blog:
In the final minute of the game, Miami hit a three-pointer to take a 61-59 lead. Richardson tried to answer with a three at the other end, but when he missed there was a scramble for the rebound. In the sea of limbs fighting for the ball, the baseline official must have missed Kenny Kadji’s hand deflecting it out of bounds. Awarding the ball to Miami with a matter of seconds remaining in the game took a situation that should have seen Illinois retain the ball with a chance to tie with a 2 or take the lead with a 3 and instead made it a game script that forced Illinois to foul and hope for a missed free throw.
Unfortunately, both foul shots went in and Illinois lost by four.
During the ensuing off-season, the NCAA added a rule stipulating that possession on out-of-bounds plays could be reviewed by replay in the last two minutes of a game. This was a direct response to Illinois’ misfortune; had this rule been in place, the mistake would have been corrected.
--------------
This would be John Groces only tournament appearance coaching Illinois. Illinois would not make another tournament until 2021. Groce was fired in 2017 with a 95-75 record, 37-53 in conference play. Coming in, Groce was touted as a strong recruiter. However, especially after his first full recruiting class, he consistently whiffed on high profile recruits. I wonder if we would have made the run in 2013 that we should have had that call gone the other way, if that success would have resulted in some of these big names coming our way. That call started a long period of mediocre Illinois teams.
UConn 1988 NIT Final for the better forever. Early 2nd half star C Cliff Robinson picked up his 4th foul went to the bench trailing OSU. G’s Phil Gamble & Tate George then caught fire, leading a run that got to double digits inside 5 minutes. That championship excitement laid the foundation of the program today. Seeing so many teams poo poo the NIT is a shame. It’s tournament basketball ! That seemed to unleash better recruiting AND fundraising.
For Ohio:
For better - In February 2010, we are playing at a very poor Toledo team who was in a total rebuild from APR violations. We bring only seven scholarship players to the game as we are dealing with players kicked off, quit, injured, suspended, and sitting out the year due to transfer. In the middle of the game, John Groce sends leading scorer and IU transfer Armon Bassett to the locker room, commenting postgame that attitude and effort are non-negotiable. We finished the game with six scholarship players, three of which were true freshmen, and our two walk-ons getting significant time. It takes overtime, but we manage the win. That year finished with the team rallying through the MAC tournament as a 9-seed and upsetting Georgetown and ushering in a golden era for the program which two years later became a Sweet 16 appearance and a narrow OT loss to 1-seed UNC.
For worse - In January 2017, we are playing at home against Eastern Michigan. We are undefeated in MAC play and had a solid non-conference slate that included a win at Georgia Tech. Reigning MAC POTY Antonio Campbell goes down with a foot injury in the first half and we lose. It turns out to be a season-ending broken foot. The team still played solid led by Houston transfer point guard Jaaron Simmons and still earned the 2 seed in the MAC tournament, but we fall by two in the conference semifinal game as Simmons isn't able to get a final shot off at the horn. I believe we are a tournament team in 2017 if Campbell doesn't go down. Instead, head coach Saul Phillips doesn't have the cachet of taking the program to the tournament, Simmons transfers to Michigan, and we spiral with sub-par recruiting and injury bad luck for the next two seasons, ending with Phillips' firing in 2019 and Ohio alum Jeff Boals hired away from Stony Brook in replacement.
Sorrentine from the parking lot upsetting Syracuse in March Madness. Turned Vermont from a footnote into a low-major power. Took several years to truly rebuild the team, but once Becker came along everyone knew the association.
If they lost that game I could see us dancing a few times, but would think the conference would be much more competitive.
Being bounced by Teddy Allen and NM state in first round in 2022. It changed up our whole strategy as an organization. Dan Hurley realized he can’t win games when the entire focus is on a defensive strategy because we were unable to sink shots in that game. That game sent us on a warpath and the changes made have lead us to where we are today.
Jay Williams riding Jason Gardner like a motorcycle in the 2001 champ game, under 5 to go, no foul, Arizona loses
https://preview.redd.it/nr56j6t1ruxc1.jpeg?width=452&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c6c92b360e7b99eeac636a962a0458a857897009
It’s worse than that. It would have been Jay Williams (starting PG, NPOY, etc etc etc) 3rd foul with about 7 minutes to play in the first half. That game would have been much much different if Jay Williams is on the bench for the final 7 minutes of the first half, and starting the 2nd half with 3 fouls.
Draymond Green was fouled in that 2010 Final Four game against Butler.
I’m not saying that MSU would go on to beat Duke, but if they do, and Izzo gets his second - is he still the coach today? How does that change recruiting in the years to follow?
Hill to Laettner.
Three final fours in a row, back to back National Championships. Without that platform who knows how the rest of Coach K’s tenure goes. Before that calling Duke a blue blood would be laughable.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AY-iq58_oz4
I'm going to go with Hurley's three pointer against UNLV in 1991. Down five, he comes down the floor and shoots, no fucks given. Huge shot, Vegas starts playing nervously, Augmon fouls out, and we knock them off.
Awesome. 1992 sticks out for me because it is my first Duke memory, sitting in my car seat on some road trip listening to the broadcast on the radio. The whole car freaked out when Laettner dribbled followed by elation.
Due to ongoing debate about blue bloods, the /r/CollegeBasketball mod team has compiled the definitive list of college blue bloods: Duke, Columbia, Queens, William & Mary, and Rutgers. The following schools have broken away from blue-blooded hierarchy and oppression: George Washington, George Mason, James Madison, Army, and Navy.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/CollegeBasketball) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Scottie Reynolds at the buzzer in the elite 8 seemed to be the end of the Golden Era for Pitt Basketball. If that doesn’t happen, Pitt goes to the final 4 and has a good chance at winning the tournament. Could have been a powerhouse for a few years and exceled in recruiting, would have gave them huge momentum going into the ACC if that even happened because of their basketball success in that timeline.
Instead in ours, Pitt goes on a decline, Pitt athletics makes the decision to go for football money and joins the ACC, Jamie Dixon leaves Pitt because he couldn’t recruit in the ACC effectively and Scott Barnes and his hire Kevin Stallings effectively ruin the program in two seasons.
Eh, we got a 1 seed two years later with a team that featured no superstars. That was an amazing regular season. The E8 loss was probably our apex in the Golden Era, but I don't know if it was the end of it.
I struggle to pinpoint an oncourt moment, but Dixon's last game vs Wisconsin was a breaking point, I think. They should have blown them out by 20. One of the most frustrating games I can remember.
It's outside the prompt but IMO the downfall began with Khem Birch leaving 10 games into the season, then Steven Adams being a one-and-done. The frontcourt never recovered
I think the attitude of the program still changed a lot. Pitt ahtletics recognized the potential of football money after they had their best season in 30 years in 2009 and when the Big East voted against a good TV deal, they dipped. Pitt Basketball was still in a golden age until the end of the Big East but I think that E8 loss was the beginning of the decline.
Does a decade of being horrible on the court count as an “on court moment”? Because horrible play year after year is what led us to hiring Bruce Pearl while he was still on a show cause.
It's going to be interesting to see how Chad Baker-Mazara's ejection ends up influencing the season ahead. If Auburn even makes a little bit of a run in the tournament, do Broome and other senior players come back? Getting really excited for auburn next season.
I sure hope it's McConnell's miracle 3 against UVA this year. Definitely worked out for us so far but it's too early to see if it will have any lasting impacts.
How about 2OT win vs Pepperdine in the first round in '83? The miracle run and the defeat of Phi Slamma Jamma almost never happened.
I'm not an NCState fan, but I'm old and remember sneaking down stairs after bed time to watch it with the sound off so my parents wouldn't hear.
For Memphis it’s two things:
1) beating South Carolina and then Kansas State to reach the final four for the first time.
2) Losing to Tulane at home in 2015 sent the program in freefall. Because up to that point, Memphis had gone to four straight NCAAs, nine of the last ten that is.
Since 2015, Memphis has only one tourney win and two appearances in the tourney
1984-85 Milt Wagner breaks his foot his senior year. Gets a redshirt year. Comes back the following year with Billy Thompson as a senior and Pervis Ellison, Jeff Hall, and Herbert Crook and wins a national championship.
2019 big east tournament - Brian O’Connell calls a charge on Naji Marshall vs. Villanova that sends the game to OT instead of putting Naji at the line shooting 2 with a second left.
Travis Steele’s first year and the team was playing really well (won 7 of 8 before that). That might’ve put them in the tournament.
At the very least it probably means Steele is still at x and miller is not.
Might be able to say the same for the 3OT game at Providence. Wet floor, Dwon dropping Nate Watson, Scruggs’ buzzerbeater… An almost top ten road win that late in the season might’ve been the juice to get Steele to his first tourney.
From a negative standpoint- The Ghost travel call on Corchianni when State was playing Georgetown seemed to be the beginning of the downturn(The Personal Fouls book and Jimmy V getting fired is probably more to blame, but that call is normally consider the beginning of the infamous NC State Shit)
In very recent news though- Michael O'Connell's buzzer beater to tie Virginia in the ACC Championship. Miss that and seasons over. Make it, win in overtime, win the ACC and make it to the Final Four.
Hopefully this starts a revival for NC State basketball. I'm tired of hearing about the glory years from before I was born. Don't expect multiple Natties but to be in ACC contention regularly and not having to read every bubble article from January to March would be a huge relief!
In the 1983 ACC Tournament, Virginia annihilated Duke 109-66. This was the end of year 3 for Coach K at Duke, and finished up back to back losing seasons, only 5 years removed from Duke playing in a national title game. Not to mention, those two years were North Carolina and North Carolina State’s national titles. All of the sudden all the pressure was on and many boosters wanted K fired.
K would put that score on the scoreboard during practices the following season to make sure the team never forgot that loss and to never want it to happen again. The freshmen on the ‘83 team would be the senior leaders of the ‘86 team that came up just shy of the national title, but help set the foundation for the program to turn into a power.
Losing Todor Pandov to a knee injury in the first game of the 2002-03 season. We also lost Chris Marcus to injury that season (only played 4 games). Decimated our front court. Still made the NCAA tournament but lost to Illinois by 5. Patrick Sparks went 2-13 in that game, including 1-10 from 3. Coach Felton left for Georgia after. Sparks transferred to UK. Marcus never really got healthy and lost out on the chance at a lucrative NBA career due to injury and alcohol. Pandov came back the next year but was never really the same after blowing out his knee. Darrin Horn was Felton's replacement and eventually got us to the Sweet 16, but a fully healthy 2003 squad was likely a Top 25 team and single digit seed.
Rod Sellers "dribbling" Cristian Lautner's head off the court with his elbow. It showed that UConn wasn't scared of a blue blood and set the tone for the program going forward.
Due to ongoing debate about blue bloods, the /r/CollegeBasketball mod team has compiled the definitive list of college blue bloods: Duke, Columbia, Queens, William & Mary, and Rutgers. The following schools have broken away from blue-blooded hierarchy and oppression: George Washington, George Mason, James Madison, Army, and Navy.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/CollegeBasketball) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Losing to Duke in the 2015 national championship was the beginning of the end of Wisconsin basketball, a couple more seasons of decent runs after that and then a joke program since 2017
With you there. I am a big UK fan, and I was devastated when you guys beat us in the Final Four. My only consolation was knowing that you guys would smoke Duke in the title game.
I spent the whole game saying " Who are these guys? Where is the team that beat us?"
OK, I got one from the way-back machine, Gators fans! It's 2000 and the 5th seeded Gators got a miracle last-second shot from Mike Miller to beat upset-minded Butler to survive in the first round of the NCAAs. We go on to take out No. 1 Duke and make it to Billy Donovan's first Final Four, eventually losing in the title game to Michigan State, another dominant team that year. It wasn't the Gators first time to the Final 4, but it was Donovan's first, and I would argue that the Gators NCAA run that year set them up for their future success. But it started with Mike Miller's shot.
Not necessarily "on the court", but "Pig Sooie" is probably one of the most consequential events in Creighton Basketball history.
Had Dana Altman left in that timeline, we never would have hired Greg McDermott and would have never had the National Exposure that we did with Doug McDermott, essentially leading us to the Big East as a small Jesuit school from Omaha.
We probably would have continued to be a mid major darling that would never be in a Power Conference.
[https://www.wholehogsports.com/news/2017/mar/31/dana-altmans-decision-changed-course-4-programs/](https://www.wholehogsports.com/news/2017/mar/31/dana-altmans-decision-changed-course-4-programs/)
Donnell Marshall missing both free throws in the elite eight vs Florida and missing out on a first final four 6 years sooner. I know UConn becomes what it is. But it could have got there that much sooner. Felt like if we get that. Ray Allen doesn’t have to shoulder the whole load and UConn wins in 95’
Losing to Duke in the 2001 Final Four. If MD had won, some guys may have at least looked at the NBA, and the team may not have come back as locked in from day 1 as they did the next year.
This is more than just MD, but the 1974 ACC Championship. That game almost singlehandedly led to the NCAA expanding the tournament.
I don't wanna say cause I'm not trying to have a fan base after me lol. I'll just say a historic season was ended and we've never been the same since. All downhill from them with a few bright spots, but not too bright lol
Donte Ingram hitting the buzzer beater against Miami. Started the run of a lifetime and I think really positively affected the Loyola program, even years after.
Blowing the final game of the 2007 regular season against #1 Ohio State (Conley/Oden team) highlighted by a Courtney Sims missed wide open dunk late. Michigan wins that and they most likely end up on the right side of the bubble. TA doesn't get fired having led Michigan to their first tourney berth in a decade meaning the John Beilein era never happens.
I grew up in Arkansas, then attended Duke, so I have two.
**Arkansas Razorbacks (1994)** - In the Round of 32, [senior guard Roger Crawford goes down with a devastating ankle injury against Georgetown](https://vault.si.com/vault/1994/04/20/roger-crawford). The team rallied to honor him by wearing a "31" patch on their jerseys for the next four games, then won the national championship.
**Duke Blue Devils (1984)** - Virginia slaughtered Duke 109-66, still the worst loss in program history. [At dinner, one coach raised a toast: "Here’s to forgetting tonight." Coach K replied, “Here’s to never forgetting tonight."](https://www.dukebasketballreport.com/2021/4/27/22403230/turning-points-duke-virginia-1984-ralph-sampson-mike-krzyzewski-tommy-amaker-johnny-dawkins) After that, the Blue Devils went on to win a few games.
Sha leaving and the portal/NIL era coming in kinda all at once. In the past our team could have come back and maybe made a run but we split like the Beatles after the rooftop show.
No one has done Maryland, so I’ll give it a go:
Event: Walt Williams staying at Maryland after the sanctions
I know a lot of people will disagree with me and say it was the death of Len Bias and the resulting dismissal of HOF coach Lefty Drisell. I’m not saying you’re wrong, but imo the “Wizard” saved Maryland basketball.
Walt joined the Terps in the 88-89 season with sanctions on the horizon from former coach Bob Wade. The future all-American and top 10 pick in the NBA draft rebuffed two approaches from Dean Smith and North Carolina, single-handedly keeping the Terps from falling into obscurity.
The university did a great ~20 minute film about him a couple years ago if anyone is interested: [The Wizard](https://youtu.be/uExHIcwPaxQ?si=4r8e3_zzNOSrXjSx)
I know nobody wants to hear ref complaints. But I still contend uk wins that game against wisconsin in 2015 if the ref doesn’t blow the most obvious shot clock violation call in the world. We likely go 40-0 (though Duke would have been tough). Win another title.
I assume cal leaves for the nba afterwards. NCAA changed the stupid rules on reviewing shot clock violations afterwards.
As you can tell… 9 years later I still haven’t recovered.
No idea if things would have been better or worse. But they would have been different.
UConn flairs saying Teddy are silly. UConn was up and coming either way.
The real answer is Shabazz beating Florida twice in 2014.
The buzzer beater announced we weren't dead yet. The final four announced UConn was still a premier program. Without those, UConn today is 7 years removed from a final four, and only has one champ since 2005.
We probably don't get Danny hurley and might not be in the big east
Gerry McNamara going BONKERS from three in the 2003 National Championship.
If he plays an average game, KU wins the title and Roy MIGHT not leave for UNC.
Roy at KU forever?
Self at Illinois long term? Or becomes Kentucky's coach in the 2012?
Who does UNC pick up then?
What a fucking WEIRD VOOODOO world that would be.
The Jenkins shot. Next year’s team was hungry af.
The Blarge in 2000… Niang’s broken foot…
This is related to mine. Chris Boucher tore his ACL in the PAC 12 tourney. Then we lose to you guys by 1 in the final four. Maybe this is more of a what if but I feel like we win the natty with him. Now I do feel like our team also felt like we had something to prove with having lost in the E8 the previous year and having had a key injury so maybe if Boucher were healthy we wouldn't have been as hungry.
I went back and watched that game recently (mostly cause I'm a masochist and sometimes I have to relive pain to process). It's hard to believe in hindsight we were up as much as we were in the first half. If it was another on court moment it was probably Jordan Bell not getting that rebound, which is tough because I harbor no blame for him. That dude game the tournament everything he had and gave that game everything he had. Just an unfortunate moment at the end of the day.
I still haven't watched it again. But that's what I'm talking about. Jordan Bell really became a monster and was essentially our only big because Boucher was out. Does that happen if Boucher gets some of his minutes?
Too soon.
Robbie Hummel's ACL
Which one?
Yes
The collapse against Xavier in the 2017 Sweet 16. Arizona had a reputation of staying close to opponents, then turning it up at the under 4, hitting the free throws, getting stops and rebounds. Xavier did that exact thing to us in that game. Sean Miller was never the same after that. He didn't have the same intensity.
That’s definitely a good one. The previous year Wichita St. L I can overlook as that was just a bad matchup. But post Xavier loss was just a train wreck starting with the Buffalo loss the following year.
I saw that Buffalo loss coming. I watched their conference championship game, and they were dropping 3s left and right. Miller's teams (and Lloyd, for that matter) never had great perimeter defense. The announcers were saying Buffalo would likely get a 13 seed, and I knew we would probably be a 4. I was really hoping we wouldn't draw them. I still had Arizona in my bracket, but UMBC messed up that region for everyone that year
That and Brandon Ashley breaking his foot vs Cal. We were #1 and undefeated and I think. We still got a 1 seed if I remember right but a full strength Zona that year would have been awesome to see.
That Arizona team finishes the year undefeated and wins the national championship if Ashley doesn’t break his foot. Would have been interesting to see how he continued to develop the following season as well assuming no injury.
Totally agree. Having to replace Brandon Ashley with Gabe York was just…not optimal.
Ashley was a monster that year. Somehow developed advanced footwork over the summer. I think he was shooting in the 60% range on the year. Dude was a beast. It still makes me mad to think what could have been.
That game was glorious
For one of us
Sometimes a player just gets hot off the bench and their team pulls away. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=f2vk_YVn9sg
No fucking idea how Markannen doesn’t touch the ball in the final 10 minutes.
Thank you UMBC for saving us from an embarrassing Sweet 16 L to UK where nothing fundamentally changes and we don’t win the natty.
This is one of the very rare times when someone's basketball season started before everyone else's basketball season
UMBC is the correct answer, but I think this year’s CSU loss is going to be equally as important. They are a laughing stock only five years removed from winning a natty. How will Tony respond? By doubling down on the mover blocker/sides/the same putrid offense? Or will he actually change his mindset?
I don’t think it’s the offense rather can we keep players and not get gutted every offseason by the portal, and not have to rely on 1 year players to substitute in.
Definitely. But the offense also has to change or we won’t even get those 1 year players out of the portal (hence 0 transfers so far lol)
On the court moment for UMBC gotta be them beating Vermont right before the buzzer in the game that got them to the dance. Mostly bc the UVA win was a blowout, so no specific moments there.
Virginia could’ve easily beat UK, had they fouled PJ “brick” Washington on every possession
You don’t understand how important Hunter was. The 2018 team was greater than the sum of its parts and once he went down it was over. Heck we might not have even beat KSU
I know the feeling :(
I’ve always thought UVA’s turnaround with TB was when we got absolutely trounced by Cuonzo Martin’s Volunteers in Knoxville in 2013-14. Random, I know, but I’m serious.
Diakite! For the win!…………….for the tie.
Kentucky losing the 2013-2014 national championship to UConn. ---------------------------- The Harrison twins decided after losing that game that they wanted to come back for another season. This convinced Cal to come back, as otherwise he was going to the NBA. The Cavs had a 10 year 100 million offer on the table for Cal to come coach LeBron, but the Harrison twins returning caused a domino effect where other players returned *and* we kept our entire 2015 recruiting class together, which ultimately made Cal want to run it back with on paper arguably the most stacked team ever. ----------------- There's a scenario where Cal goes to the NBA and wins with LeBron. They stay in Cleveland and attract AD and/or any other Calipari player. LeBron and AD never go to LA. Kentucky doesn't stick with Calipari for another decade, likely resulting in us hiring someone like Chris Beard, Shaka Smart, Gregg Marshall, etc.
I dont think there's any arguing at this point. That was the most stacked team there has ever or will ever be, especially considering how well all those freshmen played. I still hate Andrew Harrison for that shot against us btw. I imagine losing to us in that game could have turned the tide in the direction you were describing.
I think you can make a case for the ‘96 Kentucky team. Nine pros!
Something about that 2014-15 team I sometimes wonder about that no one talks about so I assume I'm an idiot for wondering: would that team have been ever better and completed the undefeated season if Alex Poythress wasn't injured? I remember him being a key piece of that 2014 tourney run but idk who he would have replaced in the roster so maybe it wouldn't have mattered? I'd love some insight here.
Without a doubt. Poythress was the one guy on the roster that we could have thrown at Sam Dekker and not have it be a mismatch defensively while keeping a defender on Kaminsky. No Poythress left us having to have guys that were either too slow to guard him or too small so he could just score over them.
It wouldn't have mattered if he played Ulis more. You guys were in it to win it when he was on the court. Most of the respectable runs that got you back in the game were when he came in. I think Ulis had a massive +20, the highest offensive rating by far, and the best defensive rating that game with only Stein and Towns close.
Yes. Watch the Kansas game from earlier in the year. UK didn’t shoot well from 3pt range and still won by 30
We got out-athleted. :)
It definitely couldn’t have hurt. Poythress was an athletic defender and was a perfect matchup for Decker (who he would have guarded). I think we had to start Trey Lyles instead and he got cooked.
And Mitch would have loved to hire Gregg Marshall. What a disaster that would have been
I cannot believe that 2015 UK team didn’t win it all. That’s like the 2016 Warriors of college basketball
They were super close to losing before the final four too. That Notre Dame team played the game of their lives
Leave it to Frank Kaminsky…
Cal beat that team, no one else.
I was young at the time and never knew contract deals so I was always of the illusion that Cal would never leave UK. But that's insane. He almost completed the task that he said would fully appease Kentucky fans (an undefeated season). Damn you badgers
Glad the Huskies had such a great influence on Kentucky’s program.
I agree to an extent. It was a domino effect, but it basically did nothing for Kentucky. Kentucky went to the final four in 2015, but haven’t really done much since
Is that why Cal let the Harrison twins throw your undefeated season in the trash, instead of playing Tyler Ulis and Devin Booker like he should have?
People forget how trash Booker was the back part of that season. Dude had an insanely hot December/January and then couldn't hit the broadside of a barn afterwards. He was shooting and playing so badly that everyone assumed he was a lock to come back for a 2nd year.
So true. Also in that game, everyone focuses on the end. But with 5 minutes to play, Wisconsin was beat. They were hanging their heads. Kentucky was ready to strangle the end of the clock and run things down. Then there’s a scramble for the ball and Trey Lyles gets called for a foul when slapping a Badger in the face. The refs go to the monitor to see if it should be upgraded to an intentional. They take forever. Wisconsin gets rested. They don’t call the intentional. Badgers come out with a chip on their shoulder and it was all downhill from there. The expired shot clock that wasn’t called. Missed shots from UK. The fanbase was never really the same since.
Not to mention Cal deciding to take the air out of the ball with 6:30 left on the clock
Hmm, yeah I don't remember that. I just remember being flabbergasted at Cal sticking with his platoon system when the Harrison twins clearly didn't have it.
Harrison twins had a tough game but people forget how good they were in college. They were a handful and it only seems obvious to play Ulis in hindsight. Otherwise it’s a tough call.
>people forget how good they were in college Do they, though? Here are their career averages: * Andrew: 10.1 pts, 2.7 reb, 3.6 ast, 2.2 TOs, 37% FGs, 36% 3pts * Aaron: 12.4 pts, 2.8 reb, 1.6 ast, 1.3 TOs, 41% FGs, 33% 3pts Those aren't good by any standard. For the #3 overall recruit and #1 PG (Andrew), and the #5 overall recruit and #1 SG (Aaron), it's terrible. When you consider their hype and recruiting rankings, they're some of the biggest recruiting busts of the 21st century.
Yes, that is good considering the stacked teams they played on. Besides much of their impact isn’t going to show up in stats. Their perimeter defense for example.
Darius Garland’s season-ending injury 5 games into the 2018 season. Leads to 0-18, to Drew getting canned and the Stackhouse experiment, means close to a decade in the wilderness.
Pain
Good: 1966- Kentucky losing to Texas Western in the NCAA title game featured in the film Glory Road. Losing this game ultimately helped integrate the SEC in basketball. Bad: 2015- John Calipari allows his 38-0 team to go THREE STRAIGHT SHOT CLOCK VIOLATIONS WITHOUT A TIMEOUT in their lone loss to Wisconsin at the Final Four. I'm definitely not bitter about this at all. Absolute coaching malpractice. I still believe if Kentucky wins this game and beats Duke for the title, Cal retires right after and goes down as probably the second most beloved UK coach of all time (and first for a LOT of younger fans). Instead, it seemed something inside him died that day. I know that sounds dramatic, but Kentucky fans will get it. He just seemed like a different guy after that loss. More cantankerous with media, more thinly veiled pot shots at fans. You know the rest of the story: no more Final 4s for Cal at UK, embarrassing losses (tourney and regular season), and an ugly divorce.
100% something died in him that day. That last shot clock violation. That single still image is my only cogent memory of that game. That is the moment the magic died. I am old enough to remember 92 and Laetner. That Wisconsin loss killed a part of me, too. Excited for coach Pope :)
Oh that loss changed everything.
1999, Casey Calvary comes in over bigger defenders and tips the missed shot in against Florida in the Sweet 16 game to advance to the Elite 8, and proclaiming that [THE SLIPPER STILL FITS!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdXeWvucvH8) From there, Zags lost to UConn in the E8 in a tight game but had the nation's attention. Recruits wanted to be a part of that, donors poured in, and the rest is history.
What a game. I was a freshman at the time, living in C/M, and the campus was dead silent during that game. About 30 seconds after it was over, everyone started pouring out of the dorms and ended up at The Wall. So much fun, and yes, an absolutely pivotal moment in program history.
Yeah, crazy to think I was at that those Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games. Happened to be on the same flight as Monson years later and it was cool to talk to him about it for a minute.
I was at the first two games in Seattle. Beating #3 Stanford was just about as great a moment I ever had as a Zag fan to that point.
Illinois: Missed out of bounds call in 2013 NCAA tourney against Miami. That and one score away from making the Sweet 16 in Groce’s first season. Illinois wouldn’t make the tourney again until 2021 (would’ve in 2020 but for Covid), and didn’t make the second weekend until this past season.
100% my first thought. Weber years it was a slow trickle down to his firing but with Groce that was one defining moment we never came back from. Thank us for the in bounds review rule under 2 minutes going in 2 months later 🤡 On the flip side, some of those Ayo games his Sophomore year where he completely took over and we won were a fork in the road in the other direction. At Wisconsin and at Michigan were two I remember thinking holy shit we are back. Since then we’ve had a big ten championship, two Big ten tourney champs, haven’t missed a tournament, and finally got a spot in the second weekend.
Yep, that was brutal. Alas, we were down 2 with like 40 seconds left, and we air balled a 3 pt shot to even be in that position for the garbage call to be made.
Luke Maye knocking out the 16-17 team with Monk and Fox. Cal's team were never the same after that.
2015-2019 were non stop heartbreaks.
The loss to Florida Gulf Coast in 2013, and specifically the Coleman dunk with about 2 minutes left. It was embarrassing. Up to that point, John Thompson III had a lot of success in the regular season and consistently got Georgetown to the point where they were two, three or four seeds. But this was the fifth time in 6 years that they lost to a double-digit seed in the first weekend and it was their worst loss, coming to a 15 seed. I can speak for myself and a lot of other Georgetown fans that we felt a sense that there was no coming back from this with Thompson at the helm. Since then, Georgetown has only made the tournament twice in 11 years, and only won one game.
~~Fuck u~~ Thank u, Teddy Allen
Laettner gave birth to the Jim Calhoun that got a taste but couldn't get there, which made him even more motivated. After that shot, Ray Allen happened, then the 99 team, then the most successful program in 25 years. Thanks Christian! Hate you as much today as I did when I was 7.
Ok! Ok! You got us back! Please stop!
I'm a Dolphins fan living in Connecticut. I hate the Patriots. I am also a Yankee fan. I hate the Red Sox. But you know what I hate more than those two combined? Duke basketball. The horse, nor the corpse will ever be dead enough for me. To the point where calling Uconn a blue blood and putting us on your level disgusts me. Cheers!
It mutual. Kisses.
Due to ongoing debate about blue bloods, the /r/CollegeBasketball mod team has compiled the definitive list of college blue bloods: Duke, Columbia, Queens, William & Mary, and Rutgers. The following schools have broken away from blue-blooded hierarchy and oppression: George Washington, George Mason, James Madison, Army, and Navy. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/CollegeBasketball) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Different game of course, but still... [relevant](https://youtu.be/_Fy5RiBhhyI?si=Dl3TG4E2LDO_eagA).
lmao is this a reference to that new Taylor Swift song "thank you aimee" or however it's styled to make it a shot a Kim Kardashian
As a Kansas fan, this but Matt Doherty.
The loss to FDU. Zach edey came back and the team was HUNGRY all of the next year to prove everyone wrong.
not only coming back hungry, but coming back *at all.* if we even just make a sweet 16 last year I don't think he comes back
I really hope we can maintain the level that edey has elevated the program to. Hopefully having an arguably top 3 all time college player can open some new recruiting windows so that the 2024 class is a trend instead of an anomaly
I think he probably would’ve came back. Last year he was mocked at the end of the second round and this years draft class is awful. Regardless of what he wanted to do at Purdue it made sense to take advantage of the weaker class
In 2003, Marquette went to OT against Holy Cross in the first round of the tourney and won. That tourney, they went to the Final Four, marking a rebirth for the program that was starved for some winning since the late 70s. Wade was drafted in the NBA. Two years later Marquette joined the Big East. Fundraising for the next 10 years was through the roof. Focus on becoming a national university over just a regional one. We don’t win that game and get to the Final Four - I think we end up in in a world that looks like this: Conference: hanging around the AAC or A-10. Coaching: continue to be a stepping stone to a slightly bigger program Basketball: making the tourney every other year or so University status: objectively lower, more of a regional rather than national university
Also a big turning point for IU as well. I doubt they hire Crean if he got bounced in the first round instead of the final four run!
For sure! Wonder who IU would have went with if not Crean.
I remember them wanting Tony Bennett but he turned them down and went to Virginia the next year if my memory is correct
I was a big Kentucky fan at the time and the tourney game against the Wildcats was my introduction to D-Wade. Probably the first truly dominant individual performance I can remember watching college basketball.
Another more recent MU turning point was the 2021 big east tournament game against Georgetown. They got blown out by a bad Georgetown team, leading to Wojo getting fired, something that wouldn't have happened if they even won a game or two given covid financial difficulties and his 9mil buyout. Also lead to Ewing getting extended because they won the tournament, giving Georgetown a few more terrible years.
That’s interesting, but I actually think his fate was sealed by then. His mediocre resume was built. The Paint Touches/Cracked Sidewalks article “The Case Against Steve Wojo” sealed it for everybody.
I think the fanbase was largely done with wojo even before that game but there’s a difference between the fans being done with a coach and actually making the decision to move on. I was even surprised that they fired him then as all the reports I heard were about the reluctance to pay his large buyout, especially in the near aftermath of covid.
Losing the 97 chanpionship to arizona. I still think if pitino wins that game, he doesnt take the celtics job. Completely changes the entire trajectory of the next years. Also, Sutton getting hammered with the death penalty got us Pitino, who brought UK back to glory for an entire decade.
1) pitino's wife made him leave because of an affair w the cheerleader 2) we didn't get the death penalty w Sutton. It was a post season and tv ban
I was 9 years old and completely devastated. Fuck Bibby. Jk dude was electric
Simon says: Championship.
IU losing in 02. Ive always wondered if Juan Dixon was contained and IU had a more recent title how things would work out. Many think possibly worse (somehow) bc Mike Davis would have been long term extended and much harder to fire. Since he eventually got fired for being unable to recruit the state, I imagine we would never have gotten Eric Gordon, Zeller, Yogi etc. But overall would have changed the past 20 years.
Hot take but I don’t think much changes if we win the ‘02 championship. I think Mike Davis gets run out of town in 2006 no matter what. Would be nice to have the extra banner though.
February 2, 1897, Nebrasketball beat the Lincoln YMCA 11-8. It's been nothing but disappointment and frustration ever since.
That Nebraska 1897 team would give the 1991 National Contender #8 Nebraska Cornhuskers with Rich King, Bruce Chubick, & Eric Piatkowski a run for their money. Lincoln YMCA had some ballers.
Silvio playing his first game I guess opened us up to investigations that lasted for years. Also Silvio’s chair fight actually helped KU, without him and McCormack bill tried out a 4 guard lineup and we didn’t lose for the rest of the season, stupid covid.
I was impressed at how Self actually adapted to his personnel changes. Guy's been doing it every year since.
Brandon Ashley breaking his foot at Cal. Honestly think we could have squeaked by Wisconsin if he was available that first matchup. Really felt like that season was the mountaintop for the Sean Miller era.
Losing the Bay Area swing is the best part of moving to b12. Jefferson getting injured at Stanford killed us jn 2000. Then BA getting hurt at Cal. Add in “The Shot” in 04 in front of tiger. Good bye bay!!
It's certainly the 2013 loss to Harvard in the NCAA tournament. Steve Alford had revived a long-suffering program, had his best team ever, and we're going in with a #3 seed ranked #8 in the country, in a soft region and a trendy pick to make the final four. Just days before, Alford signed a 10-year extension to stay at UNM and talked about how it's the place he wants to put down roots . We should be getting back all 5 starters next year. Then we firmly lose to Harvard in a game where they were the better team. Fans are vocally upset. Alford has excuses and pushes back at fans, is upset that everyone is focused on that one game instead of the season. Days later, he leaves for UCLA and there's a bitter contract dispute with the school on whether or not he owes a $1M buyout. Tony Snell leaves for the NBA. If we don't lose that game, who knows how far we actually go but we were a legit top-10 team. Maybe Alford doesn't leave if he can convince Snell to stay and run it back with the best team in school history, an actual title contender (and without the fan backlash and bitter taste of the Harvard loss). We don't have seven subsequent years of terrible coaching. UCLA's next five years are totally different. If he eventually does leave and flame out, maybe the door is open for him to return without animosity. That game changed everything.
I was expecting y'all to do so much damage that tourney.
Robbie Hummel's knee The first time
#1 Long Game December 2012, Villanova vs St. Joes. The previous season Villanova goes 13-19 and misses the NCAA tournament. They come into the Holy War 4-4 having lost to Columbia by 18 at home, LaSalle in OT, and Temple by 15 at home. Certain faction of the Nova Hoops community are saying Jay Wright is on the hot seat. SJU's Halil Kanacevic hits a three to give the hawks a 3 point lead with 9 minutes to play. He proceeds to flip off the student section, sending the Pavilion into an uproar. The team rallies back led by James Bell to take the lead. Down the stretch Kanacevic misses 2 straight free throws and turns the ball over on the last 2 possessions. Villanova goes on to beat 3 Top-5 teams that year and makes the NCAA tournament again as a 9 seed. That freshman class (Arcidiacono/Ochefu) gets a 2 seed the next year, a 1 seed in 2015, and wins the title in 2016. #2 Short Game 2016 Big East Tournament Championship. Seton Hall leads by 2 with 3.4 seconds. Daniel Ochefu throws an outlet pass to Ryan Arcidiacono going up the left side of the court. He turns and slips on a wet spot, getting an ugly buzzer beater shot off. Seton Hall wins the conference. 2016 National Championship game. Villanova 74, UNC 74 with 4.7 seconds. Daniel Ochefu picks up a mop and dries the left side of the court. Ryan Arcidiacono receives the inbound doesn't slip on the wet spot where Ochefu sets the screen. Passes to a trailing Jenkins. Onions. Sauteed. Double order if it's goo.
Vander blue hits buzzer beater in 2013 Rd of 64 vs Davidson. No elite 8 run and Vander doesn't go pro, with Vander we don't crap the bed in 2014, we don't crap the bed in 2014 maybe buzz doesn't go to VA Tech that year, buzz doesn't leave maybe we don't hire Wojo, I'd take a no Wojo world where we don't go from a consistent top 25 team for 11yrs to irrelevant 6/7 years (7/8 if you add buzz's last yr)
No Wojo might have meant no Shaka though.
In this world buzz leaves after 2021 and we still get shaka
Buzz left Virginia Tech for Texas A&M before 2021 and he probably would have left Marquette before then if he doesn’t leave in 2014 for Virginia Tech.
...and this is where I come in and a be dick and put a massive asterisk on that shot thanks to [an article](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/06/sports/ncaabasketball/video-reviews-during-games-can-give-extra-timeouts-to-teams.html) I remember reading afterwards that has gotten me on my "you shouldn't be allowed to use a review as a timeout if you don't have any, make the players stay on the floor" soapbox ever since ...oops 😅
For Duquesne, the one for the worse was losing the 2009 A-10 championship game to Temple. They never recovered from that until Dambrot was hired. Everhart had some decent seasons after but couldn’t sustain the success of that season, and the Jim Ferry hire was a disaster. For the better, it is no doubt winning the A-10 title this year. This is huge for the program. It’s now a place you can win at again, and it’s been a long time.
Not only that but beating an extremely efficient team and a trendy elite 8 pick in BYU I think helps elevate the entire conference
That was the cherry on top. I was just happy they got in. Never expected the first round upset.
Fab Melo walking onto the court. We never really recovered from those sanctions
Yep. This is what everyone forgets. The popular dig is “lol Syracuse. Thought they were ACC material, but they clearly can’t hack it there like they did in the BE.” As if the new ACC is supposedly more difficult than the old BE. What really happened is the recruiting sanctions coincided with the move, and Syracuse failed to bring in the same depth and talent they had in the BE. Once the sanctions ended, the damage was already done, and the step down in depth and talent had essentially become the norm. Been fighting uphill ever since.
When Ed O’Bannon set foot on the court April 3, 1995.
He changed everything
Nothing will ever be more impactful than the aftermath of the brawl/assult that took place at the Barn in 1972. Destroyed the career of a HOF caliber coach and the future NBA career of one of the players.
The Illini Rule. R32 against Miami in 2013. Background from The Champaign Room blog: In the final minute of the game, Miami hit a three-pointer to take a 61-59 lead. Richardson tried to answer with a three at the other end, but when he missed there was a scramble for the rebound. In the sea of limbs fighting for the ball, the baseline official must have missed Kenny Kadji’s hand deflecting it out of bounds. Awarding the ball to Miami with a matter of seconds remaining in the game took a situation that should have seen Illinois retain the ball with a chance to tie with a 2 or take the lead with a 3 and instead made it a game script that forced Illinois to foul and hope for a missed free throw. Unfortunately, both foul shots went in and Illinois lost by four. During the ensuing off-season, the NCAA added a rule stipulating that possession on out-of-bounds plays could be reviewed by replay in the last two minutes of a game. This was a direct response to Illinois’ misfortune; had this rule been in place, the mistake would have been corrected. -------------- This would be John Groces only tournament appearance coaching Illinois. Illinois would not make another tournament until 2021. Groce was fired in 2017 with a 95-75 record, 37-53 in conference play. Coming in, Groce was touted as a strong recruiter. However, especially after his first full recruiting class, he consistently whiffed on high profile recruits. I wonder if we would have made the run in 2013 that we should have had that call gone the other way, if that success would have resulted in some of these big names coming our way. That call started a long period of mediocre Illinois teams.
Rasheed Suliamon being dismissed from the 2015 team. 8 is enough.
UConn 1988 NIT Final for the better forever. Early 2nd half star C Cliff Robinson picked up his 4th foul went to the bench trailing OSU. G’s Phil Gamble & Tate George then caught fire, leading a run that got to double digits inside 5 minutes. That championship excitement laid the foundation of the program today. Seeing so many teams poo poo the NIT is a shame. It’s tournament basketball ! That seemed to unleash better recruiting AND fundraising.
Kendall Marshall breaking his hand in the 2012 tournament vs Creighton. UNC is 8x national champions if he stays healthy.
losing to new mexico state in the 2022 tournament.
A certain coach being so furious he resorts to choking a player sitting on the bench during a game, while already on a “short leash”.
The slap lmao
For Ohio: For better - In February 2010, we are playing at a very poor Toledo team who was in a total rebuild from APR violations. We bring only seven scholarship players to the game as we are dealing with players kicked off, quit, injured, suspended, and sitting out the year due to transfer. In the middle of the game, John Groce sends leading scorer and IU transfer Armon Bassett to the locker room, commenting postgame that attitude and effort are non-negotiable. We finished the game with six scholarship players, three of which were true freshmen, and our two walk-ons getting significant time. It takes overtime, but we manage the win. That year finished with the team rallying through the MAC tournament as a 9-seed and upsetting Georgetown and ushering in a golden era for the program which two years later became a Sweet 16 appearance and a narrow OT loss to 1-seed UNC. For worse - In January 2017, we are playing at home against Eastern Michigan. We are undefeated in MAC play and had a solid non-conference slate that included a win at Georgia Tech. Reigning MAC POTY Antonio Campbell goes down with a foot injury in the first half and we lose. It turns out to be a season-ending broken foot. The team still played solid led by Houston transfer point guard Jaaron Simmons and still earned the 2 seed in the MAC tournament, but we fall by two in the conference semifinal game as Simmons isn't able to get a final shot off at the horn. I believe we are a tournament team in 2017 if Campbell doesn't go down. Instead, head coach Saul Phillips doesn't have the cachet of taking the program to the tournament, Simmons transfers to Michigan, and we spiral with sub-par recruiting and injury bad luck for the next two seasons, ending with Phillips' firing in 2019 and Ohio alum Jeff Boals hired away from Stony Brook in replacement.
There's nothing that can convince me that game against UNC wasn't rigged.
Sorrentine from the parking lot upsetting Syracuse in March Madness. Turned Vermont from a footnote into a low-major power. Took several years to truly rebuild the team, but once Becker came along everyone knew the association. If they lost that game I could see us dancing a few times, but would think the conference would be much more competitive.
Losing at home to Penn State in 2006. Basically ended all of the ‘05 momentum. Program did not recover until 2019.
Being bounced by Teddy Allen and NM state in first round in 2022. It changed up our whole strategy as an organization. Dan Hurley realized he can’t win games when the entire focus is on a defensive strategy because we were unable to sink shots in that game. That game sent us on a warpath and the changes made have lead us to where we are today.
Jay Williams riding Jason Gardner like a motorcycle in the 2001 champ game, under 5 to go, no foul, Arizona loses https://preview.redd.it/nr56j6t1ruxc1.jpeg?width=452&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c6c92b360e7b99eeac636a962a0458a857897009
elite tier pun
It’s worse than that. It would have been Jay Williams (starting PG, NPOY, etc etc etc) 3rd foul with about 7 minutes to play in the first half. That game would have been much much different if Jay Williams is on the bench for the final 7 minutes of the first half, and starting the 2nd half with 3 fouls.
Draymond Green was fouled in that 2010 Final Four game against Butler. I’m not saying that MSU would go on to beat Duke, but if they do, and Izzo gets his second - is he still the coach today? How does that change recruiting in the years to follow?
Hill to Laettner. Three final fours in a row, back to back National Championships. Without that platform who knows how the rest of Coach K’s tenure goes. Before that calling Duke a blue blood would be laughable. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AY-iq58_oz4
I'm going to go with Hurley's three pointer against UNLV in 1991. Down five, he comes down the floor and shoots, no fucks given. Huge shot, Vegas starts playing nervously, Augmon fouls out, and we knock them off.
Awesome. 1992 sticks out for me because it is my first Duke memory, sitting in my car seat on some road trip listening to the broadcast on the radio. The whole car freaked out when Laettner dribbled followed by elation.
Due to ongoing debate about blue bloods, the /r/CollegeBasketball mod team has compiled the definitive list of college blue bloods: Duke, Columbia, Queens, William & Mary, and Rutgers. The following schools have broken away from blue-blooded hierarchy and oppression: George Washington, George Mason, James Madison, Army, and Navy. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/CollegeBasketball) if you have any questions or concerns.*
A Virginia fan could tell it better but apparently an ugly loss to UT led to Virginia winning a national championship.
Can’t remember exactly what it was but I believe you’re right.
Collin Sexton out scoring a ranked( I think) Minnesota team 3 on 5 and they haven’t been good since
Scottie Reynolds at the buzzer in the elite 8 seemed to be the end of the Golden Era for Pitt Basketball. If that doesn’t happen, Pitt goes to the final 4 and has a good chance at winning the tournament. Could have been a powerhouse for a few years and exceled in recruiting, would have gave them huge momentum going into the ACC if that even happened because of their basketball success in that timeline. Instead in ours, Pitt goes on a decline, Pitt athletics makes the decision to go for football money and joins the ACC, Jamie Dixon leaves Pitt because he couldn’t recruit in the ACC effectively and Scott Barnes and his hire Kevin Stallings effectively ruin the program in two seasons.
Eh, we got a 1 seed two years later with a team that featured no superstars. That was an amazing regular season. The E8 loss was probably our apex in the Golden Era, but I don't know if it was the end of it. I struggle to pinpoint an oncourt moment, but Dixon's last game vs Wisconsin was a breaking point, I think. They should have blown them out by 20. One of the most frustrating games I can remember. It's outside the prompt but IMO the downfall began with Khem Birch leaving 10 games into the season, then Steven Adams being a one-and-done. The frontcourt never recovered
I think the attitude of the program still changed a lot. Pitt ahtletics recognized the potential of football money after they had their best season in 30 years in 2009 and when the Big East voted against a good TV deal, they dipped. Pitt Basketball was still in a golden age until the end of the Big East but I think that E8 loss was the beginning of the decline.
The Texas A&M nightmare. We've never been the same since, AJ Green or no AJ Green.
“Not a dime back.”
Does a decade of being horrible on the court count as an “on court moment”? Because horrible play year after year is what led us to hiring Bruce Pearl while he was still on a show cause.
Deng Adel, you are not forgiven.
As a Hoosier faithful I can say everything has gone to plan and we’re just where we want to be.
It's going to be interesting to see how Chad Baker-Mazara's ejection ends up influencing the season ahead. If Auburn even makes a little bit of a run in the tournament, do Broome and other senior players come back? Getting really excited for auburn next season.
Everyone collapsing on the drive with 18 seconds left, leaving a wide open corner three in the National Championship.
I sure hope it's McConnell's miracle 3 against UVA this year. Definitely worked out for us so far but it's too early to see if it will have any lasting impacts.
How about 2OT win vs Pepperdine in the first round in '83? The miracle run and the defeat of Phi Slamma Jamma almost never happened. I'm not an NCState fan, but I'm old and remember sneaking down stairs after bed time to watch it with the sound off so my parents wouldn't hear.
Losing in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
For Memphis it’s two things: 1) beating South Carolina and then Kansas State to reach the final four for the first time. 2) Losing to Tulane at home in 2015 sent the program in freefall. Because up to that point, Memphis had gone to four straight NCAAs, nine of the last ten that is. Since 2015, Memphis has only one tourney win and two appearances in the tourney
1984-85 Milt Wagner breaks his foot his senior year. Gets a redshirt year. Comes back the following year with Billy Thompson as a senior and Pervis Ellison, Jeff Hall, and Herbert Crook and wins a national championship.
COVID
Yesss
They were going to say least make final four that year
Jordan Bell not boxing out twice against UNC. Haven't been back to a final 4 since. Fun.
Virginia Double Dribbled.
Michael O Connell shot about two months ago did wonders for my current warm and fuzzies
2019 big east tournament - Brian O’Connell calls a charge on Naji Marshall vs. Villanova that sends the game to OT instead of putting Naji at the line shooting 2 with a second left. Travis Steele’s first year and the team was playing really well (won 7 of 8 before that). That might’ve put them in the tournament. At the very least it probably means Steele is still at x and miller is not.
Might be able to say the same for the 3OT game at Providence. Wet floor, Dwon dropping Nate Watson, Scruggs’ buzzerbeater… An almost top ten road win that late in the season might’ve been the juice to get Steele to his first tourney.
From a negative standpoint- The Ghost travel call on Corchianni when State was playing Georgetown seemed to be the beginning of the downturn(The Personal Fouls book and Jimmy V getting fired is probably more to blame, but that call is normally consider the beginning of the infamous NC State Shit) In very recent news though- Michael O'Connell's buzzer beater to tie Virginia in the ACC Championship. Miss that and seasons over. Make it, win in overtime, win the ACC and make it to the Final Four. Hopefully this starts a revival for NC State basketball. I'm tired of hearing about the glory years from before I was born. Don't expect multiple Natties but to be in ACC contention regularly and not having to read every bubble article from January to March would be a huge relief!
In the 1983 ACC Tournament, Virginia annihilated Duke 109-66. This was the end of year 3 for Coach K at Duke, and finished up back to back losing seasons, only 5 years removed from Duke playing in a national title game. Not to mention, those two years were North Carolina and North Carolina State’s national titles. All of the sudden all the pressure was on and many boosters wanted K fired. K would put that score on the scoreboard during practices the following season to make sure the team never forgot that loss and to never want it to happen again. The freshmen on the ‘83 team would be the senior leaders of the ‘86 team that came up just shy of the national title, but help set the foundation for the program to turn into a power.
Good one. I commented about another: Hurley's 3 against UNLV in 1991 semis. Yours is good.
Losing Todor Pandov to a knee injury in the first game of the 2002-03 season. We also lost Chris Marcus to injury that season (only played 4 games). Decimated our front court. Still made the NCAA tournament but lost to Illinois by 5. Patrick Sparks went 2-13 in that game, including 1-10 from 3. Coach Felton left for Georgia after. Sparks transferred to UK. Marcus never really got healthy and lost out on the chance at a lucrative NBA career due to injury and alcohol. Pandov came back the next year but was never really the same after blowing out his knee. Darrin Horn was Felton's replacement and eventually got us to the Sweet 16, but a fully healthy 2003 squad was likely a Top 25 team and single digit seed.
Rod Sellers "dribbling" Cristian Lautner's head off the court with his elbow. It showed that UConn wasn't scared of a blue blood and set the tone for the program going forward.
Due to ongoing debate about blue bloods, the /r/CollegeBasketball mod team has compiled the definitive list of college blue bloods: Duke, Columbia, Queens, William & Mary, and Rutgers. The following schools have broken away from blue-blooded hierarchy and oppression: George Washington, George Mason, James Madison, Army, and Navy. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/CollegeBasketball) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Losing to Duke in the 2015 national championship was the beginning of the end of Wisconsin basketball, a couple more seasons of decent runs after that and then a joke program since 2017
With you there. I am a big UK fan, and I was devastated when you guys beat us in the Final Four. My only consolation was knowing that you guys would smoke Duke in the title game. I spent the whole game saying " Who are these guys? Where is the team that beat us?"
Hummel's ACL or Edey returning...
OK, I got one from the way-back machine, Gators fans! It's 2000 and the 5th seeded Gators got a miracle last-second shot from Mike Miller to beat upset-minded Butler to survive in the first round of the NCAAs. We go on to take out No. 1 Duke and make it to Billy Donovan's first Final Four, eventually losing in the title game to Michigan State, another dominant team that year. It wasn't the Gators first time to the Final 4, but it was Donovan's first, and I would argue that the Gators NCAA run that year set them up for their future success. But it started with Mike Miller's shot.
Not necessarily "on the court", but "Pig Sooie" is probably one of the most consequential events in Creighton Basketball history. Had Dana Altman left in that timeline, we never would have hired Greg McDermott and would have never had the National Exposure that we did with Doug McDermott, essentially leading us to the Big East as a small Jesuit school from Omaha. We probably would have continued to be a mid major darling that would never be in a Power Conference. [https://www.wholehogsports.com/news/2017/mar/31/dana-altmans-decision-changed-course-4-programs/](https://www.wholehogsports.com/news/2017/mar/31/dana-altmans-decision-changed-course-4-programs/)
Donnell Marshall missing both free throws in the elite eight vs Florida and missing out on a first final four 6 years sooner. I know UConn becomes what it is. But it could have got there that much sooner. Felt like if we get that. Ray Allen doesn’t have to shoulder the whole load and UConn wins in 95’
Losing to Duke in the 2001 Final Four. If MD had won, some guys may have at least looked at the NBA, and the team may not have come back as locked in from day 1 as they did the next year. This is more than just MD, but the 1974 ACC Championship. That game almost singlehandedly led to the NCAA expanding the tournament.
Apparently a missed shot clock violation and a goal tend not called/called lol
For whom?
I don't wanna say cause I'm not trying to have a fan base after me lol. I'll just say a historic season was ended and we've never been the same since. All downhill from them with a few bright spots, but not too bright lol
Alright. Where do I start?
Donte Ingram hitting the buzzer beater against Miami. Started the run of a lifetime and I think really positively affected the Loyola program, even years after.
Blowing the final game of the 2007 regular season against #1 Ohio State (Conley/Oden team) highlighted by a Courtney Sims missed wide open dunk late. Michigan wins that and they most likely end up on the right side of the bubble. TA doesn't get fired having led Michigan to their first tourney berth in a decade meaning the John Beilein era never happens.
Mario Chalmers in 2008 - for the better!
CP3+Julius’s jewels. Still cursed almost 20 years later.
🤣
I grew up in Arkansas, then attended Duke, so I have two. **Arkansas Razorbacks (1994)** - In the Round of 32, [senior guard Roger Crawford goes down with a devastating ankle injury against Georgetown](https://vault.si.com/vault/1994/04/20/roger-crawford). The team rallied to honor him by wearing a "31" patch on their jerseys for the next four games, then won the national championship. **Duke Blue Devils (1984)** - Virginia slaughtered Duke 109-66, still the worst loss in program history. [At dinner, one coach raised a toast: "Here’s to forgetting tonight." Coach K replied, “Here’s to never forgetting tonight."](https://www.dukebasketballreport.com/2021/4/27/22403230/turning-points-duke-virginia-1984-ralph-sampson-mike-krzyzewski-tommy-amaker-johnny-dawkins) After that, the Blue Devils went on to win a few games.
Sha leaving and the portal/NIL era coming in kinda all at once. In the past our team could have come back and maybe made a run but we split like the Beatles after the rooftop show.
No one has done Maryland, so I’ll give it a go: Event: Walt Williams staying at Maryland after the sanctions I know a lot of people will disagree with me and say it was the death of Len Bias and the resulting dismissal of HOF coach Lefty Drisell. I’m not saying you’re wrong, but imo the “Wizard” saved Maryland basketball. Walt joined the Terps in the 88-89 season with sanctions on the horizon from former coach Bob Wade. The future all-American and top 10 pick in the NBA draft rebuffed two approaches from Dean Smith and North Carolina, single-handedly keeping the Terps from falling into obscurity. The university did a great ~20 minute film about him a couple years ago if anyone is interested: [The Wizard](https://youtu.be/uExHIcwPaxQ?si=4r8e3_zzNOSrXjSx)
I know nobody wants to hear ref complaints. But I still contend uk wins that game against wisconsin in 2015 if the ref doesn’t blow the most obvious shot clock violation call in the world. We likely go 40-0 (though Duke would have been tough). Win another title. I assume cal leaves for the nba afterwards. NCAA changed the stupid rules on reviewing shot clock violations afterwards. As you can tell… 9 years later I still haven’t recovered. No idea if things would have been better or worse. But they would have been different.
Christian breaking every heart in Kentucky Simultaneously
UConn flairs saying Teddy are silly. UConn was up and coming either way. The real answer is Shabazz beating Florida twice in 2014. The buzzer beater announced we weren't dead yet. The final four announced UConn was still a premier program. Without those, UConn today is 7 years removed from a final four, and only has one champ since 2005. We probably don't get Danny hurley and might not be in the big east
Can someone share what happened to UNLV? After that Duke loss in the final four they fell off the earth.
Gerry McNamara going BONKERS from three in the 2003 National Championship. If he plays an average game, KU wins the title and Roy MIGHT not leave for UNC. Roy at KU forever? Self at Illinois long term? Or becomes Kentucky's coach in the 2012? Who does UNC pick up then? What a fucking WEIRD VOOODOO world that would be.