The Shot (Valparaiso University)
Encyclopedia
For supporters of Valparaiso University
's Crusaders
, "The Shot" refers to a play that occurred in the first round of the 1998 NCAA Tournament
. The play came in Valpo's game against the University of Mississippi
Rebels
at The Myriad
in Oklahoma City
on March 13, 1998, and won the #13 seed Crusaders the game over #4 seed Ole Miss by a point. The game was part of a Valparaiso Cinderella run in the tournament that ended in the Sweet Sixteen when the Crusaders lost to Rhode Island
.
, Valpo's star guard and son of coach Homer Drew
, missed a three pointer with approximately five seconds left, and after Mississippi grabbed the rebound Valparaiso fouled Ole Miss' Ansu Sesay
to stop the clock and send the 74% free-throw shooter to the line.
Although Sesay had made three of his previous five attempts at the charity stripe, he missed the first of two. Coach Drew then called his last time out before Sesay could take his second free throw, in order to draw up a play for the Crusaders' last possession. When play resumed Sesay missed his second free throw, and after a battle for the loose ball Valparaiso was awarded possession after Ole Miss guard Keith Carter knocked the ball out of bounds. This left Valpo with 2.5 seconds to get off a shot, and forced inbounder Jaime Sykes to put the ball in play from the far end of the court.
. The ball went in just as time expired, giving Valpo a 70-69 win and eliminating Ole Miss from the tournament.
"The Shot" was named the fifth most memorable moment in CBS's coverage of the NCAA tournament by sports analyst Gary Parrish in a front page article for CBS SportsLine. ESPN ranked Valparaiso's 1998 run as #3 on its "Classic Cinderellas" list, with "The Shot" as a large part of the reason why it ranked as high as it did.
had the game-winning call on CBS
:
Valparaiso announcer Todd Ickow was courtside for the radio broadcast, almost directly behind Drew on press row as he made the call:
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso University, known colloquially as Valpo, is a regionally accredited private university located in the city of Valparaiso in the U.S. state of Indiana. Founded in 1859, it consists of five undergraduate colleges, a graduate school, a nursing school and a law school...
's Crusaders
Valparaiso Crusaders
The Valparaiso University Crusaders compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I .Valparaiso competes in the Horizon League in all sports except for football, which is not sponsored by the conference. The football team is a member of the Pioneer Football League. On May 27,...
, "The Shot" refers to a play that occurred in the first round of the 1998 NCAA Tournament
1998 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1998 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1998, and ended with the championship game on March 30 at the Alamodome in San Antonio,...
. The play came in Valpo's game against the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
Rebels
Ole Miss Rebels
University of Mississippi sports teams, originally known as the "Mississippi Flood" , were re-named the Rebels in 1936 and compete in the twelve-member Southeastern Conference of the NCAA's Division I. The school's colors are cardinal red and navy blue , purposely chosen to mirror the school...
at The Myriad
Cox Convention Center
The Cox Business Services Convention Center is a multi-purpose complex, located in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma....
in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
on March 13, 1998, and won the #13 seed Crusaders the game over #4 seed Ole Miss by a point. The game was part of a Valparaiso Cinderella run in the tournament that ended in the Sweet Sixteen when the Crusaders lost to Rhode Island
University of Rhode Island
The University of Rhode Island is the principal public research university in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Its main campus is located in Kingston. Additional campuses include the Feinstein Campus in Providence, the Narragansett Bay Campus in Narragansett, and the W. Alton Jones Campus in West...
.
Buildup
Although Ole Miss was a much higher seed than Valparaiso and was expected to win easily and advance to the second round, the Crusaders gave the Rebels a tough game throughout and were within two points at 69-67 with less than ten seconds remaining. Bryce DrewBryce Drew
Bryce Homer Drew is the head coach, and a former member, of the Valparaiso University Crusader men's basketball team...
, Valpo's star guard and son of coach Homer Drew
Homer Drew
Homer Drew is a former American college basketball coach, most recently for Valparaiso University Crusaders men's basketball team. His younger son, Bryce Drew, succeeded him as the head coach in May 2011...
, missed a three pointer with approximately five seconds left, and after Mississippi grabbed the rebound Valparaiso fouled Ole Miss' Ansu Sesay
Ansu Sesay
Ansu Martin Sesay is an American professional basketball player, formerly in the NBA.-High school and college career:Sesay attended Willowridge High School in Houston, Texas...
to stop the clock and send the 74% free-throw shooter to the line.
Although Sesay had made three of his previous five attempts at the charity stripe, he missed the first of two. Coach Drew then called his last time out before Sesay could take his second free throw, in order to draw up a play for the Crusaders' last possession. When play resumed Sesay missed his second free throw, and after a battle for the loose ball Valparaiso was awarded possession after Ole Miss guard Keith Carter knocked the ball out of bounds. This left Valpo with 2.5 seconds to get off a shot, and forced inbounder Jaime Sykes to put the ball in play from the far end of the court.
The play
The Crusaders' play for this situation was known as "Pacer". Sykes threw the inbounds pass over the midcourt line, where Bill Jenkins outjumped a Rebel defender for the ball. He immediately tapped it over to a running Drew, who let fly with a 23-foot 3-point shotThree-point field goal
A three-point field goal is a field goal in a basketball game, made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc radiating from the basket...
. The ball went in just as time expired, giving Valpo a 70-69 win and eliminating Ole Miss from the tournament.
"The Shot" was named the fifth most memorable moment in CBS's coverage of the NCAA tournament by sports analyst Gary Parrish in a front page article for CBS SportsLine. ESPN ranked Valparaiso's 1998 run as #3 on its "Classic Cinderellas" list, with "The Shot" as a large part of the reason why it ranked as high as it did.
The Call
Veteran broadcaster Ted RobinsonTed Robinson
Ted Robinson is the name of:*Ted Robinson , Golf course architect*Ted Robinson , American sportscaster...
had the game-winning call on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
:
Valparaiso announcer Todd Ickow was courtside for the radio broadcast, almost directly behind Drew on press row as he made the call: