Christian Laettner's Vitamin Water ad led me to "The Shot" on YouTube, which got me lost in a bunch clips uploaded by CBS and the NCAA of old NCAA Tournament games.
The extended clip from the Duke-Kentucky game leads to a great trivia question: How many current Division I head coaches were involved in that classic Duke-Kentucky game?
Answer: Eight — Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, Duke assistant Mike Brey (Notre Dame), Duke assistant Tommy Amaker (Harvard), Kentucky coach Rick Pitino (Louisville), Kentucky assistant Billy Donovan (Florida), Kentucky assistant Herb Sendek (Arizona State), Kentucky guard Travis Ford (Oklahoma State), Kentucky guard John Pelphrey (Arkansas) and Kentucky guard Sean Woods (Mississippi Valley State).
Comments
Extreme Minutia
Wed, 03/25/2009 - 09:29 — heelsno1It must be an extremely slow news day in order for you to drag out the famous shot by Laettner the Luck Box (which has already been shown countless times). Everyone talks about Laettner's buzzer beater, but the inbounds pass was far more athletic and impressive than the game-winning shot. Have you ever tried to throw a basketball 3/4 the length of the court to a precise spot. That type of accurate passing takes more skill than hitting a turnaround jumper from the top of the key. First of all, how often does a college team even practice that pass versus shooting jumpshots? Without that phenomenal pass, there is no turnaround jumper by Laettner and Kentucky advances to the Final Four rather than Duke. Since you are so much into sports trivia, who made the historic pass and why is more not said about the passer?
Luck.
Wed, 03/25/2009 - 11:02 — DuvallYes, if only basketball history had found a place for that "G. Hill" youngster. Truly an injustice.
I'm just glad that heelsno1 is here to put this play in perspective. Sure, a casual fan would be impressed by a turnaround jumpshot against two defenders with 2.1 seconds with a trip to the Final Four and a chance to repeat as national champions on the line that would complete a 30-point perfect shooting day (10-10 from the floor, 10-10 from the line), but the more perceptive fan can tell that it was just luck.
Perception
Wed, 03/25/2009 - 13:50 — heelsno1Good... then we can agree that Grant Hill was a better athlete than Laettner. Just look at their pro careers. Laettner clearly peaked as a Blue Devil.
By the way, did you catch a glimpse of MJ as a fan during the regular season finale against Duke? Now there is an absolute superstar who was phenomenal in college and the NBA.
Sure, but we're assessing
Wed, 03/25/2009 - 16:39 — DuvallSure, but we're assessing plays, not athletes. And there's more to being a ballplayer than athleticism anyway. Who cares about the NBA?
Jordan's college years were before my time, but I'm given to understand that he was a pretty good college player. Almost as good as Christian Laettner.
Unreal
Wed, 03/25/2009 - 17:02 — heelsno1In addition to UCLA's Kareem (aka Lew Alcindor), MJ is reputed by virtually every source to be one of the most impactful players ever to play the game in college or the pros.
Christian Laettner is overrated by biased Dookies. He is not even the best Duke player ever. My vote would go to Grant Hill, Dawkins, Art Heyman or JJ before thinking of Laettner.
Impactful?
Wed, 03/25/2009 - 17:30 — DuvallWe can't all be as unbiased as "heelsno1", but you have to question how "impactful" a player was who could not impact his team to more than one Final Four. Honestly, Dan Dakich?
Sure, Jordan is probably the greatest NBA player of all time. But we're not talking about the NBA.
The Passer
Wed, 03/25/2009 - 10:45 — trickydickpksGrant Hill made the inbounds pass. I thought everyone knew that.
The best part about the Laettner/Hill play is that every March, Tar Heel Fans have to watch it over, and over, and over again.
ha ha.
Go Devils!
Seven?
Wed, 03/25/2009 - 09:02 — DuvallI think you mean eight. And apparently it's at least nine, because Sean Woods ("It went in, okay, but that was a *terrible* shot.") is coaching at Mississippi Valley State.
You wanna pick the next question?
Wed, 03/25/2009 - 09:34 — jpg (author)I don't know the answer to my own. Thanks.
— JPG
That's OK, JP
Wed, 03/25/2009 - 11:29 — JPDOhioHowever, in the future, you should stay away from trivia questions that require math. It has been established with undeniable certainty that you cannot count.