Hey there sport junkies! Today is one of the most exciting days in all of sports....March Madness begins tomorrow. So in honour of the tourney that creates so many memories and names that will go down in history or in my case, brought up whenever basketball is talked about, here are the Top 5 Tourney Moments! Enjoy!
#5- Christian Laettner, 1992- Duke Vs. Kentucky
Ok this play has a few questions that still have me baffled, but before I answer let me set the scene. Duke is down one in the dying seconds. Duke's Grant Hill hits the big lug Laettner with a 3/4 court pass. Laettner drains the fade away and Duke would go on to win the National Championship. What baffles me is who is the jack knob to not guard the inbound pass and why the f*** is Leattner that wide open?Do not kid me wrong, Laettner got the ball off in time and made a very athletic and difficult shot. This highlight is shown about 30 times every weekend throughout the tournament.
#4-Ali Farokhmanesh, 2010- Northern Iowa Vs. Kansas
Not only is this beauty's name one of the toughest to pronounce, Farokhmanesh showed how a sweet stroke can be deadly for a sleeper like Northern Iowa. Northern Iowa is up 63-62 with under a minute to play. As N. Iowa inbounds the rock, Farokhmanesh gets his sniper like paws on them. Instead of dribbling in and knocking down a simple jumper he shows the world the size of his stones by dropping a 3 ball in the face of two Kansas defenders. What makes this play even more magical is the charge that is drawn 10 seconds later. Farokhmanesh and N. Iowa would go on to the elite 8 and run out of gas against Michigan State and perennial winning coach Tom Izzo. I wish I could move this play up in the list but you'll see why it can't.
#3- Mateen Cleaves, 2000- Michigan State Vs. Florida
Born in the D, Mateen Cleaves attended Michigan State and led them to the National Championship game. Everything was coming full circle for this scrappy but very talented guard when all of a sudden Cleaves breaks his ankle late in the first half. Cleaves could not walk and needed assistance moving. Now here is guy who missed 13 games that year due to a fractured foot and now this happens. Cleaves would come back from the locker room to a thunderous eruption from the fans. Cleaves went on to play on one leg leading Michigan State to their second championship and first since 1979. The pure guts and determination from Cleaves leaves me with shivers and for that I give you Jim Nantz!
#2- Larry Bird and Ervin "Magic" Johnson, 1979- Iowa State Vs. Michigan State
Considered by many the greatest match up in March Madness history Larry Bird and Magic Johnson would introduce the world to the first round of many bouts between the two. Both would go on to Hall of Fame careers and enjoy success in the NBA but it all started in the 1979 National Championship game. Bird led the Sycamores against the Spartans which featured the 6'7" guard Magic Johnson. From the get go, both Bird and Johnson lit it up with Johnson's Spartans taking home the title with a final score of 75-64. To top things off, Windsor's Mike Brkovich of W.D. Lowe was in the starting five and allowed Magic and Greg Kelser their one on one match ups because of his timely and rarely off jump shot. Now could you imagine is their was a three point line?!?!
#1- Lorenzo Charles, 1983- N.C. State vs. Houston
Talk about a mismatch if I have ever seen one. N.C State's Jim Valvano leads his Wolfpack against Guy Lewis and the famous "Phi Slama Jama" featuring Clyde "the Glide" Drexler and Hakeem "the Dream" Olajuwon, both future NBA Hall of Famers. These Cougars slammed everything and anything into the 18 inches of opening. They were an act and Jimmy V had his work cut out for him. The Wolfpack hung around but in the dying seconds of the game, Dereck Wittenburg gets caught in a half court press and throws up a desperation attempt. Lorenzo Charles, who is in the worst spot on the basketball court (directly underneath the basket) has a gift drop into his hands and he dunks it home with no time left on the clock. What is most memorable is Jim Valvano running onto the court looking for someone to hug which he eventually did. Like Jimmy V would later say in his imfamous 1993 ESPY Speech, "Don't give up, don't ever give up!".
That is it for me folks, I hoped you enjoyed it! Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Cheers!
No comments:
Post a Comment