Northwestern secures first ever NCAA Tournament berth with last second stunner

Northwestern cemented its first ever NCAA Tournament bid in spectacular fashion, toppling Michigan with an unlikely buzzer-beater. With the game tied 65 to 65, and just 1.7 seconds remaining, the Wildcats threw a Hail Mary and got an easy layup as time expired. 

The real hero here is the inbounds pass guy. At Northwestern, even the bigs are smart. It is, after all, the only private school in the Big 10 and it’ll cost you a cool $65,000 a year (if you’re not on the basketball team) to go there, making it one of the most expensive schools in the country.

Watch him launch the basketball about 90 feet down the court and the ensuing pandemonium as the crowd celebrates. Don’t feel too bad for Michigan, perennial Dancers that they are; they’re projected to be around a 9 seed.

The value of a good outlet pass can’t be overstated. Northwestern might have gotten a bit lucky with this one, but a wise man once said luck is where preparation and opportunity meet.

You know who’s not lucky? The Big Fundamental. Lucky don’t get you five rings. His outlet passes are a thing of beauty. Check out this montage of his best passes with baby-makin’ music slappin’ in the background (sound needed to fully appreciate):

People sleep on Tim Duncan because his personality’s about as exciting as a wet bag of carrots but he’s won more than anyone. During his 19-year tenure with the Spurs, they had a .710 winning percentage. That’s the highest winning percentage for any major American sports team during that time, outstripping even the dastardly New England Patriots (.704 winning percentage). He and Greg Popovich won 1,001 games together, the most of any player-coach duo in NBA history. Nobody wins more than Tim Duncan, nobody.

Duncan is arguably the greatest power forward to ever play the game. Unprecedented success, scandal-free; the consummate professional. Where do you think he belongs on the list of all-time bigs?

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