Which buzzer-beater was better?

The 2011-2012 season isn't over just yet. But it's quite possible that we've already seen it's two most-signature moments.

Indiana wasn't supposed to beat Kentucky. Sure, it was at Assembly Hall, but this Hoosiers team was still a year away, right? Yeah, Kentucky and Indiana are two legacy programs, but even with Assembly Hall on the brink of eruption, there was no way Indiana was going to beat the Wildcats.

Duke dropped back-to-back home games against Florida State and Miami. The Blue Devils had no superstar leader. Austin Rivers, their all-world freshman, was struggling. People started to doubt Duke. Hell, Duke started to doubt Duke. The North Carolina Tar Heels just had to much size, too much talent, too much everything. Duke was going to keep the game close, but North Carolina would win.

Then Christian Watford happened.





Then Austin Rivers happened.



But which was better?

That question is much more difficult to answer than you may think.

If you are a fan of Kentucky or North Carolina, it's probably a bit easier.

But really, which was better?

The conventional wisdom will suggest that River's shot was best, as it should. That's a shot that kids in North Carolina emulate in the backyards, in their driveways, and on the playground. That's a shot that will forever be stored in the highlight videos for future Tobacco Road showdowns. His team was trailing late, somebody needed to step up. That shot will be replayed, re-aired and rehashed from now until forever.

But Rivers' shot was nailed in the unfriendly confines of The Dean Dome. His shot wasn't set up, rushed or hurried, there were certain elements of "the moment" that were lacking from this shot.

What Watford's shot lacks in historical significance, it makes up for in "spur-of-the-moment" pandemonium.

His shot was the result of a nice drive to the basket by Verdell Jones. His release had just a hint of "step back" to it. When his shot went through, he struck a pose. A beautiful, beautiful pose. Then there was the court-storming. If you ever want to know when/why/and how to storm a court, use that video as a guideline. It was magical. It was marvelous. It was the perfect court storm.

But both of these shots explain why sports are better than any movie or any TV show. You can't script it. You don't want it scripted. The best things in life happen when you least expect it.

So maybe Watford's was better, and maybe Rivers' was better.

And maybe, when it's all said and done, there will be another moment, one we don't know is going to happen, one we can't explain, that will trump both of these shots. Continue reading...

Everybody hurts

Yesterday, it seemed like every time I checked my twitter feed, there was more news about a playing getting injured. By the time last night's games were over, four significant contributors to potential NCAA Tournament teams were on the mend. These are their stories:

• Scotty Hopson, Tennessee: Hopson injured his left ankle yesterday in practice. He says he will be fine, but with a game tomorrow night against Auburn it will be interesting to hear about how much pain he is in today. He was placed in a protective boot and left Thompson-Boling Arena on crutches, but that doesn't necessarily tell us the extent of the injury. Often times, teams do that for preventative measures. Just as worrisome is that Tobias Harris is also dealing with an ankle injury. Will the Vols be down their two best players?

• Justin Brownlee, St. John's: Brownlee has a non-displaced hairline fracture in the distal phalange of his left thumb. I don't know what that means, but I do know that Brownlee injured the thumb against Duke and returned to the game. He finished with 20 points, nine boards, and six assists, so maybe the injury isn't all that bad. He won't miss any game time, but he will have to wear a fiber glass splint.


• Jeff Brooks, Penn State: The Nittany Lions most important player not named Talor Battle crumbled to the floor in a neap in late in the first half of last night's loss to Illinois. Brooks separated his right shoulder, and the Nits simply did not look like the same team without him on the floor. David Jones texted the Penn State trainer, who responded: "Real variable but usually at least two weeks or more. Previous injury, bone contusions, tendon injury all add to the time out from the ligament problem."


• Christian Watford, Indiana: First, it was Maurice Creek, whose season ended when he fractured his patella. Then, it was Verdell Jones, who has missed the last three games with a bum knee. And now its Watford, who could miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery for a hand he broke against Michigan State on Sunday.
  

Continue reading...