The 25 biggest ‘What ifs’ of the last 25 seasons
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Myron Medcalf, ESPN
- Personnel WriterJul 12, 2023, 08:00 AM ET Close Covers college basketball
- Joined ESPN.com in 2011
- Graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato
The males’s college basketball offseason uses an opportunity not just to review the previous season, however to look back at classic minutes in the game’s history. But sometimes those discussions are made complex by a limitless time frame. How can one compare players or teams from the 1980s to players or groups from the previous couple of years? The game has actually changed– significantly– which makes it challenging to have any rewarding conversations.Which is why we have actually decided to release a series that focuses only on the previous 25 years of men’s college basketball. Any group, player, coach or minute that became part of the sport between the 1998-99 and 2022-23 seasons is eligible. The rest? That’s another person’s problem.For this 2nd installation of the series, we’ve put together a list of the most significant”What if? “minutes in college basketball over the previous 25 years.For some schools, an injury changed a season or even the entire program. For others, it was a missed out on– or a made– shot or a choice made by a high-profile recruit.Either method, all fan bases know the discomfort of the “What if?” game. But we’re not here to simply bring up bad memories.
We’re here to help you recover. Here are the leading minutes that might have altered the sport for much better, or even worse, in the previous 25 seasons.What if … Sure, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer had every reason to pick the pros over college in 2003, however in 2015 he informed Diana Taurasi and
Sue Bird on “The Bird & Taurasi Program”that he would have selected North Carolina or Duke(if he could not select his beloved Ohio State)had he decided not to turn professional. Could you picture James during that 2003-04 season? He would have either played next to J.J. Redick, Duke’s all-time leading scorer, or increased the core of a Tar Heels squad that won a nationwide title a year later on. Whew. … Gordon Hayward had actually struck the game-winner versus Duke in the
2010 national title game There is potentially no higher”What if?”minute than the sight of the previous Butler star almost linking on a half-court winner at the end of regulation in the 2010 nationwide title game versus Duke, only for it to clank off the front of the rim. If he ‘d made the consent jump shot, Butler would have finished the game’s very first real David-over-Goliath victory in the championship game and changed the history of the sport … Steph Curry had taken the last shot against Kansas in the 2008 Elite Eight With seconds delegated play in Davidson’s 59-57 loss, Curry passed on an objected to 3-pointer and rather
dished to colleague Jason Richards, who missed the prospective winning 3. If Curry had taken and made that shot(he was 4-for-16 from beyond the arc that night)versus the eventual NCAA champion, he may have chosen to turn pro that year, rather of the list below year, and been drafted by a group not called the Golden State Warriors … Kenyon Martin had actually been healthy for the 2000 NCAA tournament Martin was averaging 18.9 PPG
, 9.7 RPG and 3.5 BPG when he suffered a damaged leg throughout the Conference U.S.A. tournament quarterfinals in 2000, an injury that cost Cincinnati a front runner in the competition and a chance at the program’s 3rd nationwide title. The Bearcats got outrebounded in a loss to Tulsa in the second round, leaving their fans to question how a healthy Martin would have altered their fortunes that year … Refs had effectively called the nasty, rather of a travel, versus Allan Ray in the 2006 Sweet 16 against UNC
After his group’s miraculous return in the final minutes of the game, and down 66-63, the former Villanova star drove to the basket and scored, after it appeared he ‘d likewise been fouled. Rather of giving Ray the container and the complimentary toss– a possibility to tie the score with 10 seconds to play– officials called a taking a trip offense, clearing the method for the Tar Heels to eventually win everything. All video evidence, however, reveals Ray taking just two actions. … Kendall Marshall
had not broken his wrist throughout the 2012 NCAA competition Whatever changed for North Carolina when its star point player suffered a season-ending wrist injury during a double-digit win over Creighton in the 2nd round. The Tar Heels lost to Kansas in the Elite 8, never getting a chance at a rematch against ultimate champ Kentucky– which beat UNC by a point previously in the season … Memphis hadn’t gone cold from the complimentary toss line in the 2008 national title game Before Mario Chalmers struck the wonderful trey that sent the Kansas-Memphis nationwide title match to overtime in 2008, Memphis couldn’t find a way to make a totally free toss. The Tigers missed 4 of five in the last 75 seconds of regulation prior to losing in overtime … Brandon Ashley had been healthy in 2014 The Arizona star was averaging 11.5 PPG and 5.8 RPG when he suffered a season-ending foot injury on Feb. 1,
2014, during an upset loss at Cal. Would he have been a consider assisting Arizona– likewise including future pros Aaron Gordon, Nick Johnson, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and T.J. McConnell– beat Wisconsin in the Elite 8, to reach the Final 4? We’ll never understand … Roy Williams had stayed at Kansas After Kansas ’81-78 loss to Syracuse in the 2003 national title game,
Williams stated “I might provide a f– about North Carolina today”when inquired about the possibility of leaving the Jayhawks for the Tar Heels. Clearly contrasted about the chance to return to his university, Williams ultimately chose UNC, and Kansas hired Expense Self– two significant relocations that have resulted in multiple nationwide titles for both programs … Authorities had actually called a shot clock infraction against Wisconsin in the 2015 Final 4 With 2:41 to play in Kentucky’s 71-64 loss to Wisconsin, Badgers star
Nigel Hayes scored on a putback that appeared to find the rim after the shot clock had actually hit no. Although officiating had actually been slammed throughout the contest– see: the no-call when Trey Lyles smacked Wisconsin’s Josh Gasser previously in the game– Hayes’bucket connected ball game at 60 and Kentucky never gained back the lead. … Robbie Hummel had been healthy for the 2010
postseason Throughout the 2009-10 season, Purdue stars Robbie Hummel(15.7 PPG), E’Twaun Moore(16.4 PPG)and JaJuan Johnson (15.5 PPG)formed the strongest trio in the Big 10 and college basketball. That is until Hummel suffered a season-ending ACL tear a month prior to the NCAA tournament, which rushed Purdue’s national title hopes and ended among the most appealing seasons in the school’s males’s basketball history … Billy Donovan had actually taken the Orlando Magic task in 2007 Two months after he led Florida to its 2nd consecutive championship game, Donovan
accepted the NBA task, prior to altering his mind a few days later and returning to Gainesville. Over the next eight seasons, Donovan would catch three SEC routine season titles, 3 SEC Coach of the Year honors, 3 more Elite 8 appearances and another journey to the Final Four in 2014 before he left for the NBA … John Wall had actually picked North Carolina Earlier this year, the former NBA All-Star told the” Run Your Race “podcast
that he thought about signing with North Carolina over
Kentucky for college up until an unfavorable encounter with Tar Heels legend Tyler Hansbrough made him change his mind. Hansbrough refuted Wall’s claims, but whatever the reason, John Calipari’s trajectory at Kentucky would have been very different without Wall, who averaged 16.6 PPG during his single season in Lexington and helped the Wildcats reach the Elite Eight that year.Editor’s Picks 2 Related … Fab Melo had been eligible for the 2012 NCAA competition In the 30 games that the late Fab Melo(7.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 2.9 BPG )played throughout the 2011-12 season, Syracuse
was undefeated.
The Orange
‘s 3 losses that season– including a loss to Ohio State in the Elite Eight– lacked Melo, who had been suspended due to scholastic problems. Syracuse fans will never ever understand how far their team may have gone that year if Melo had actually been available(that season’s wins were likewise later left by the NCAA due to an academic examination)… Jodie Meeks had actually remained and played for John Calipari’s first Kentucky group Meeks turned pro after balancing 23.7 PPG for Kentucky in the 2008-09 season and secured second team All-American honors.
Meeks made $30 million in the NBA, however a go back to Kentucky for his senior season would have given Calipari’s original Kentucky team the sharpshooter(Meeks made 41% of his 3-point attempts in the 2008-09 season )it desperately needed and a potential driver for a championship game run … UConn had not heard Duke was the favorite for the 1999 nationwide title game The Blue Devils had won 32 successive games when they entered this nationwide title matchup as nearly double-digit favorites to cut down
the webs. The huge spread– together with chatter Huskies players found out about local outlets
selling championship game equipment for Duke even before the game began– functioned as motivation for a UConn group that managed among the best upsets in college basketball history to record the 1999 nationwide title.Top stories of the week from Get special access to countless premium short articles a year from leading writers. – MLB draft favorites: Leading sleepers “- Pelton: Who won the NBA
offseason?” – New 2025 CFB recruiting rankings”More ESPN+content”… Wichita State had actually been provided a much better attract the 2014 NCAA competition An unbeaten Wichita
State team(34-0 )was rewarded on Selection Sunday with a second-round match against a Kentucky team stacked with NBA talent. Surprises fans believed the committee’s decision was penalty for its non-Power 5 schedule.
After defeating WSU 78-76, Kentucky would reach the Last 4 … Gonzaga hadn’t blown a 17-point lead against UCLA in the 2006 Sugary food 16 Gonzaga led by 17 late in the first half and by 14 midway through the 2nd. However UCLA’s comeback– coined “Heartbreak City”– robbed the Bulldogs of a journey to the Elite 8 that may have raised Mark Couple of’s profile and triggered him to think about other coaching opportunities earlier in his profession … Brandon Davies had been enabled to play in
the 2011 NCAA tournament The BYU standout (11.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG in 2010-11) was ruled
disqualified by the school for an” honor code”violation on the same day that the program was ranked No. 3 in The Associated Press survey, a few weeks prior to the tournament. Jimmer Fredette and Co. finished the rest of the season 5-3, a stretch that consisted of an 83-74 overtime loss to Florida in the Sugary food 16
… Samir Doughty had not been required a nasty versus Kyle Man in the 2019 Final Four As Auburn led 62-60 with 0.6 seconds on the clock, Doughty put his hands up, advance and made small contact with Man behind the line. Officials called a foul, the Virginia star hit all three free throws, and the Tigers lost their chance to play in the nationwide title game, in among the most questionable developments in NCAA tournament history.
… Expense Self had not missed out on the 2023 NCAA tournament The long time Kansas head coach had actually led his group to a 9-2 surface in its last 11 games of the routine season and a top-five surface in the AP poll. Kansas seemed placed to vie for its second successive national championship until Self’s health obstacles sidelined him for both the Huge 12 and the NCAA competitions, where the Jayhawks lost to Arkansas 72-71 in the 2nd round … The NCAA had held a 2020 NCAA tournament The obstacles around COVID-19 affected several seasons
in college basketball, but the elimination of the 2020
NCAA competition produced an extraordinary minute in college basketball history. Groups such as Kansas, Gonzaga, Baylor, Dayton (which ended its season on a 20-game winning streak)and other competitors that year have all been delegated wonder what would have taken place if COVID hadn’t cost the sport its postseason tournament … Jon Scheyer had actually gone to Illinois Long prior to he was a second-team All-American who led the Blue Devils to the 2010 national championship and then their head coach, Scheyer was a luxury prospect from Illinois who thought about staying at home. Although then-Illinois head coach Bruce Weber’s bro was Scheyer’s head coach in high school, the skilled guard selected to bet Coach K, a decision that might have assisted Illinois prevent a lukewarm chapter after its 2005 national title game appearance … The NBA’s age limit hadn’t compelled players to go to college In 2005, the league announced it