Ali Farokhmanesh, aka The Sultan of Swish, helps Northern Iowa upset Kansas

I don't think that I was the only one that assumed Kansas was going to win this game.

I'm not talking about in the pregame either.

I'm talking about after Northern Iowa had controlled the first 30 minutes of the game. I'm talking about after the Panthers had built a lead that grew as big as 12. I'm talking about after a Johnny Moran three with 4:07 left in this game put an end to a Jayhawk run and pushed the Panther lead back to 59-53. I'm talking about after an Adam Koch dunk in traffic made the score 63-56 with 1:17 left on the clock.

The biggest shot of Ali Farokhmanesh's life.
(photo credit: Gazette Online)

The Panthers, for 30 minutes, looked so poised and so composed, immune to the pressures of playing the No. 1 team in the country in March.

They controlled the pace of the game, calmly running their offense and protecting the ball. They routinely found the open man and, more importantly, hit shots when they were there. Defensively, they took the Jayhawks out of everything they wanted to do, stymieing an offense that was as efficient as any in the country this season.

That all changed in the last 10 minutes.

Kansas, clearly the more athletic team (and its not even close), threw on a press that rattled the Panthers. Instead of a slow-paced battle based on the ability to execute on both ends, the game turned into a haggard, up-and-down, glorified AAU game.

UNI lost their ability to play with the poise that allowed them to build the lead.

And the Jayhawks took full advantage.

The Panthers were unable to get the ball over half court. Every pass seemed destined to end up in the Jayhawks hands. There was no chance UNI was going to be able to hang on to this game.

That all changed thanks to the "Sultan of Swish".

Before I go any further, let me rewind to Thursday. UNI and UNLV were locked in a great game that was overshadowed by a day's worth of fantastic finishes. UNI had blown a late nine point lead against the Rebels, allowing UNLV to tie the game on an Oscar Bellfield three. On the ensuing possession, the Panthers didn't call a timeout, instead working the ball around UNLV's pressure before Ali Farokhmanesh found himself open 28 feet from the basket.

Yes, he was 28 feet from the hoop. Yes, he was open.

So he fired.

Swish.

Farokhmanesh buried the three with 4.9 seconds left and UNI would hold on to beat the Rebels and advance to face Kansas.

Fast-forwarding back to today, Kansas had scored six points in the blink of an eye to trim a 63-56 deficit to 63-62 on a Sherron Collins floater with just 42 seconds left on the clock. Following a Bill Self timeout, Kansas put their press back on. If you don't call Cedar Falls home, you probably expected the worst.

But Northern Iowa broke the press. Jake Koch inbounded the ball to Adam Koch, who avoided a trap sending the ball right back to his brother. Jake nearly threw the ball away as he hit Kwadzo Ahelegbe who then found Farokhmanesh up the sideline. Farokhmanesh was wide open on the three point line and, well, as they say, the rest is history:



Now lets call a spade, a spade.

That shot was idiotic.

Up one, 35 seconds left in the game, 28 on the shot clock, no offensive rebounders.

Simply put, you DO NOT take that shot.

But the "Sultan of Swish" did. And he swished it.

It takes stones to take that shot. It takes stones to make that shot. Shots like that are the reason that March Madness is called March "Madness". Shots like that are what makes this month the best month of the year. Shots like that are what makes legends out of Iranian-Americans playing for a mid-major team in a state known for their corn, not their hoops.

Farokhmanesh is not going to be on an NBA roster. Ever. A six-foot-nothing guard that can't do much other than shoot it is not a pro prospect. He doesn't have agents knocking down his door. Draft Express not only doesn't have a profile for Farokhmanesh, they probably have never heard of him.

Ten years down the road, there may be 30 guys playing in this tournament that will be cashing NBA checks.

But Farokhmanesh's shot -- well, shots -- are going to be what people remember from this tournament.

And if they're not, then we all have something to look forward too.