What makes a great game?
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Greatest games in the Self era: 1) 2008 Championship over Memphis. 2) 2008 Final 4 victory over UNC. 3) 2012 Final 4 victory over Ohio State. 4) 2012 final Border War victory over Mizzery. 5) Final 4 victory over Duke. #1 is an obvious choice. I believer any Final 4 victory trumps an Elite 8 victory. And i still get chills watching the AMAZING comeback at home against Mizzery. T-Rob’s block…OMG! Just my opinion.
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Crimsonorblue22 said:
Maybe someone can find it, at work now. Kept from being a put back.
@wissox It is just visible at the end of the GIF @BShark posted–you see Svi direct the ball to the left (his right).
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Your stuff is great, we are lucky to have you on this board as well as the countless others that make this place great!
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@Jayhawk-in-OKC I like we keep adding to the list! Makes me soooo happy! Soooo many great players in those games! I also think of the guys in between that lead to those wins.
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The thing that made this game great was simply tons of talent on the floor, on the sidelines and the game stayed close throughout. Neither team ever got a big lead. The game never got boring. Neither team ever had clear control of the game. Every time it seemed like one team would take control, the other team made a big play.
Great officiating calls mixed in with really bizarre ones. Coaching and overcoaching (Duke switching into a 1-3-1 for a few possessions).
Lucky plays on both sides. Bad plays followed by great plays. A guy on each team having the game of his life (Duval vs. Newman). An unexpected hero (Silvio).
And ultimately, a villain. Duke would have been better off having Duval take that last shot in regulation, but Coach K went with Allen instead. That may be the single biggest decision. Allen is no better than the fourth best player on that team, yet Duke put the ball in his hands, and he almost converted. ALMOST.
Game play that is good enough to make it watchable, but with enough errors to keep you on the edge of your seat.
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@StLJhawk As a Dallas Cowboy fan it would be like watching Dwight Clark’s “The Catch” over and over and over…every year the NFL playoffs came around…over and over and over and over…Makes me want to puke! I still hate watching that replay!
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@wissox Don’t be misled, both teams are hated around the college hoops world. The only two fan bases that like Duke and KU are …Duke and KU.
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The Grayson miss certainly made my heart skip a beat. Maybe multiple beats as it rolled around a couple of times and I actually thought it was in not once but twice!
But hey, that is the way basketball works. Sometimes the ball goes in and sometimes it rolls out. We got a bit lucky on this particular shot but we have been unlucky on others. When Trey Burke was hitting 40 foot 3’s against us in the epic 2013 loss a couple of those could have been off by an inch and we grab a rebound and the game is over. In the Villanova game 2 years ago we were up 6 points and Wayne had a wide open 3 that just rimmed out. That would have put us up 9 very late in the game and instead it was in and out and they came down and hit a 3. These things happen! One missed shot does not make a game.
Look at the other side of the draw. Michigan and Loyola both needed buzzer beaters to stay alive in early round games. 1 inch the other way and neither team is dancing.
In a sick and twisted way I am thrilled that Grayson is the guy who missed the shot. It means more that it was his downfall and not Trent or Duval as he has a 4 year history of being a bad sportsman and in general I don’t think he is a person of high integrity.
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@nuleafjhawk unc was pulling for us! More duke haters
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Any game I can’t figure out what both coaches are doing over half the time while I’m watching. This is the common thread for me. Most games are pretty transparent. But Self and K schooled me for at least 2/3s of the game. Amazing to watch.
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I look at Coach K the past couple of years and I’m wondering why he is still coaching. It is clear as the sky on a sunny day that he doesn’t feel well. Yesterday, he looked like he was completely nauseated and drained during the entire game. Glazed eyes, high forehead sweat, frustrated expression (noticed I said “expression” and not “expressions”… he had the same expression all game). And he just looked plain-old worn out!
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Is it just me or did it look at the half time interview that Coach K had a red bruise under his right eye?
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Jayhawk-in-OKC said:
@StLJhawk As a Dallas Cowboy fan it would be like watching Dwight Clark’s “The Catch” over and over and over…every year the NFL playoffs came around…over and over and over and over…Makes me want to puke! I still hate watching that replay!
And Kentucky has to watch Christian Laettners shot over and over and see advertisements for 30 for 30’s and cbs specials on it. All for a shot that got their team to the final four. Mario’s shot was so much bigger because there is no 2008 championship if he misses.
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@joeloveshawks It’s not sick and twisted that you were glad Grayson missed. It’s healthy and sane that you were glad he missed.
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Can’t argue with you there
And yes how could I forget the Villanova game… Wayne’s shot was uncontested… I though for sure it was going in. But their guards drained big time key shots late and we didn’t. Season over. Were they a better team than us? No. But They were better than us at the end of the game.
And yes indeed The ball bounces in crazy ways in the tourney… in 2008, Stephen curry with Davidson misses a three at the buzzer and we survive. (And I hear he’s a pretty good outside shooter. ) Then Derrick rose misses some key free throws… was it 3 of them? which keeps us In Reach of a last second trey that does go in. The margin of victory and thus history is SLIM
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@Bosthawk Our memories fool us. Actually, Curry didn’t take the last shot. Their other guard did, Jason Richardson.
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@mayjay Really ? Thanks for the clarification! That’s why this site is awesome… I do remember it being a real nail biter though
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@Bosthawk They got a lot of criticism for that choice. I just always remember because it reminded me so much of Kirk passing up the shot in 2003.
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@JayHawkFanToo Hollywood would change it like they did for another movie with a KU regional final…
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@mayjay Or Jacque passing up the shot in 1997.
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Well Curry passed to Jason if that helps?!?
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That’s what I must have remembered…? That curry was involved and I was petrified of him…
Now if we do win it all this year, Grayson’s In and out shot will defintely enter the the lore of great moments In KU B-ball history.
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@joeloveshawks most of your post seems to make the point that one shot can make the game.
Obviously, not ultimately, but sht missed or made was a hinge for several games you mention.
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@mayjay I think I remember reading they were coached to make sure Curry doesn’t take that last shot. Someone D’d up Steph big time.
