My 10 Most Iconic Final Four Plays
It’s Friday, you know what that means! Time for another Press Break list.
The 2021 Final Four marks 30 years of Final Fours my old self has watched. I still vividly remember taking in the ‘91 Final Four, the first I recall taking in and actually absorbing what I was seeing.
My family went on an Easter weekend trip, and we watched Duke’s historic upset of UNLV in a hotel room. The Blue Devils came into that game as the Buffalo Bills-before-they-were-the-Buffalo Bills, having reached the Final Four in ‘86, ‘88, ‘89 and ‘90 with no championships to show for it.
And, as is customary of any game not involving one’s team, my parents cheered hard for Duke. Oh, how things change.
So it’s 30 years later, I am a father myself, and have followed every Final Four since. I have even had the privilege of covering a few, a true professional bucket-list experience.
As a reminder, the following is completely subjective and not only is conversation welcome, but encouraged.
10. Toby Bailey’s reverse dunk (1995)
Twenty-three years before Donte DiVincenzo used the National Championship Game into a springboard from Villanova role player into rising NBA talent, Toby Bailey set the bar on breakout title-game performances for young role players.
The enduring moment of his 26-point outpouring in UCLA’s last championship win came on an outlet pass that, after leaking out for a fast-break opportunity, Bailey took and leaped from just inside the paint to throw down with a beautiful reverse.
9. Mike Bibby’s banked 3-pointer (1997)
Arizona’s unprecedented run to the 1997 national championship featured wins over three No. 1 seeds. The young Wildcats came into their own during that March, but not without some good fortune on their side.
They needed a big, second-half rally to beat South Alabama in the 1st Round and forced overtime with Providence on an A.J. Bramlett blocked shot in the Elite Eight. Of all the fortunate bounces, the one that might best encapsulate the Wildcats’ lone national championship came in the semifinal against North Carolina when Mike Bibby ignited a first-half run with a banked-in 3-pointer from the top of the key.
The play doubled as an unintentional homage to 1994 when Damon Stoudamire banked in a 3-pointer from just inside midcourt before halftime of UA’s national semifinal loss to Arkansas.
8. Marcus Paige ties it up (2016)
Were it not for what followed (spoiler alert), Marcus Paige’s hanging, off-balanced 3-pointer to tie the 2016 National Championship Game would be remembered as one of the greatest shots in Final Four history.
I know it’s polarizing when I start getting into my love of Japanese pro-wrestling, so I’ll keep the analogy brief: One of my favorite moments in New Japan Pro Wrestling history is, at the conclusion of the inaugural G1 Climax, the fans at Ryogoku Sumo Hall greet Masahiro Chono’s win over Keiji Mutoh with celebratory tosses of their seat cushions.
It’s a surreal scene, and was absolutely awe-striking to see the same in person while covering the 2016 Final Four in Houston.
7. Grant Hill’s alley-oop dunk (1991)
In much the same way the Miracle on Ice 1980 Olympic hockey win over the Soviet Union wasn’t the actual finale, Duke’s 1991 defeat of UNLV came in the semifinals and overshadowed the championship matchup.
Kansas was no walk-over opponent for Duke in ‘91 despite the relatively forgotten pairing. However, at least one play has endured the last 30 years and become synonymous with March Madness.
*This* dunk right here captures why, even after Duke had solidified itself as college basketball’s villain just a year later, kids like me were rocking Pistons No. 33 jerseys.
6 Mario Chalmers forces OT (2008)
Because it wasn’t a game-winning shot, Mario Chalmers’ 3-pointer doesn’t get the love it deserves with much of the prevailing conversation 13 years later focused on Memphis’ free-throw shooting.
Until almost a decade later, though, this was perhaps the most clutch bucket in the national title game since Keith Smart’s corner jumper in 1987.
5. Hakim Warrick’s block (2003)
As referenced in the previous newsletter on Roy Williams’ illustrious career, the legendary head coach could have claimed his first national title and one in his Kansas run if not for Hakim Warrick coming through with maybe the most significant defensive play in Final Four history.
Don’t ask me why, but for years I had Mandela Effect’d myself into remembering this shot as having been taken by Kirk Hinrich.
Anyway, Warrick made a terrific play that gave Syracuse its coveted national championship, and put a fitting cap on the greatest freshman season ever for his teammate, Carmelo Anthony.
4. Gordon Hayward’s heave (2010)
Rarely does a shot that didn’t fall earn legendary status, but that’s the case for Gordon Hayward’s Hail Mary attempt at the conclusion of the 2010 National Championship Game.
All the conditions make this so memorable. Ten years later, Butler had Florida dead-to-rights in the 1st Round before Mike Miller and Teddy Dupay took over. UF had been floundering somewhat as a program in the years between Lon Kruger’s Final Four team in ‘94, and the breakout 2000 team. It’s interesting to contemplate how much leeway Billy Donovan would have had with that 1st Round loss, and if the Gators dynasty would have emerged.
As for Butler, it was a budding mid-major knocking on the door for the decade between 2000 and 2010, including a Preseason NIT title in 2007. The 2010 season set the groundwork for Butler getting into the Big East not long thereafter.
Pair a Cinderella with the game’s biggest heel, then have a 3/4-court buzzer-beater rim out, and it’s unforgettable. I watched this with two of my best friends; I think we all collectively lost it from the release to the rim.
Had it gone down? Greatest finish in basketball history.
3. Scotty Thurman from downtown (1994)
Nolan Richardson is such a hugely important figure in coaching history, and his prominence was cemented in 1994 with a national championship. His tenure at Tulsa turned the program into something of a Cradle of Coaches in the ‘80s and ‘90s, with Tubby Smith and Bill Self following him.
At Arkansas, he almost immediately turned the Razorbacks around and built a national powerhouse with a signature style of play. 40 Minutes of Hell was revolutionary and exciting, and it reached its apex in 1994.
After knocking on the door with a Final Four appearance in 1990, and an incredible ‘91 season that included a game with UNLV that’s an all-timer, the ‘94 Razorbacks looked like the best team in the nation.
But Duke, with Grant Hill and other holdovers from previous title teams, knew how to win on the biggest stage. What ensued is what I still consider one of the five best title games in my 30 years watching the Final Four.
Watch Thurman’s off-the-ball movement on the possession. He needed just a sliver of daylight to get free for the game-winning shot.
2. Chris Webber’s timeout (1993)
The Fab Five may be the most influential team to never win it all, but the Wolverines were oh-so-close in 1993. After an incredible national semifinal against Kentucky, wherein Jalen Rose outdueled Jamal Mashburn, Michigan looked primed for the program’s second national title in four years.
Chris Webber was an absolute monster in 1992-93, averaging 19.2 points, 10 rebounds, 2.5 blocked shots and more than a steal per game. But his illustrious college career will always be associated first and foremost with this moment.
Although for the wrong reasons, this moment is iconic. I can still envision my dad knocking over his TV tray when this happened in real time.
1. Kris Jenkins’ buzzer-beater (2016)
With the possible exception of Lorenzo Charles’ put-back dunk to claim North Carolina State’s 1983 championship, this is the greatest final play in Final Four history.
I’ll cop to a level of personal bias. This was the first Final Four I worked, and the experience alone made me feel like a kid again. You might recall the two semifinals were atrocious, including a historically lopsided Villanova-Oklahoma game.
Over dinner on the off-day Sunday, I said to a friend that if the championship was a dud, I could live with that. Just getting to be in Reliant Stadium, covering a Final Four, was an experience that I’ll never forget.
Fortunately, I got to witness an all-time classic.
Unfortunately, my work from that weekend is gone to the ether of the internet, the publication now defunct and me foolishly writing directly into the CMS. Among the stories I wrote that weekend was on Kris Jenkins and his efforts to shed weight in order to gain more playing time.
The piece ran that Monday morning.
While the articles from that weekend are gone, I kept all my recordings (I keep all my interviews for a variety of reasons). Referring back to the postgame interviews, here are a few observations from that night:
Jalen Brunson - “Honestly, I knew we were winning no matter what, if it was going in at the buzzer or overtime.”
Baker Dunleavy - “[Jenkins] put in the work. He went through a lot. There were a lot of early mornings with our strength and conditioning coach…He spent so much time having to be uncomfortable. I’m glad when a guy agrees to buy in like that, the results meet expectations.”
Jim Nantz - “It is the best I’ve ever seen in the championship — and I’ve been around for awhile.”
I feel vindicated putting this at No. 1 with Jim Nantz’s assessment to back me up. So, here’s my vantage point from the baseline media seating:
And here’s the much better quality:
To wrap it up, as the NCAA Tournament does with “One Shining Moment,” this is Villanova watching the buzzer-beater during the OSM montage:
