Now that history has played out, and we can say that neither Aaron Harrison's last-second shot vs. Wisconsin in 2014, nor Jalen Suggs last second shot vs. UCLA was the moment that led to a championship, it is interesting to compare them. This is in no way an attempt to downplay what a great shot Suggs made. Maybe, if anything, it is to resurrect a bit the Harrison shot which somehow seems to already be fading a bit in the universe of great clutch FF shots...
1. Degree of difficulty: Suggs' shot was by far the tougher shot, further out and coming off a dribble. Give him a 10. Harrison's shot was pretty damn far out when you go back and look at it, and was sort of a broken play. Give him an 8.
2. Do-Or-Die Factor: Suggs' shot won the game. That's pretty significant. Give him a 9. But Harrison's shot kept the game from being lost. Kentucky was behind. Miss the shot and the season is over. Give him a 10.
3. Pressurized Performance. UCLA tied the game with 3.3 seconds to go. Gonzaga raced up the floor and Suggs timed the shot perfectly. Again, because the score was tied and teams were racing up the court, it is hard to say how much pressure he felt. 9. Kentucky was attacking a half-court defensive set. The play became a bit broken and the ball couldn't be gotten inside. Harrison must have felt the clock ebbing away, and knew when he saw his brother out of options that he was getting it with zero time to spare. 10.
4. Tournament context. Suggs was clear and away Gonzaga's shining star all the way to the Final Game. But most of the games were blow-outs. He only had the one extraordinary play. 8. Harrison's collection of shots versus Louisville, Michigan and Wisconsin can be viewed as a set, and I firmly believe have never been matched by a single player in NCAA tournament history - not any one shot, but the set of three. One of the frustrations in Kentucky losing in the finals: I really believe if Kentucky wins, Harrison's performance would rightly be seen as in the very top tier of NCAA tournament performances in history. Instead, it feels already a bit undervalued. 10.
Anyway, just some fun on a slow day. If you feel obliged to accuse me of bashing Suggs or Gonzaga, be aware I'm not inclined to respond.
1. Degree of difficulty: Suggs' shot was by far the tougher shot, further out and coming off a dribble. Give him a 10. Harrison's shot was pretty damn far out when you go back and look at it, and was sort of a broken play. Give him an 8.
2. Do-Or-Die Factor: Suggs' shot won the game. That's pretty significant. Give him a 9. But Harrison's shot kept the game from being lost. Kentucky was behind. Miss the shot and the season is over. Give him a 10.
3. Pressurized Performance. UCLA tied the game with 3.3 seconds to go. Gonzaga raced up the floor and Suggs timed the shot perfectly. Again, because the score was tied and teams were racing up the court, it is hard to say how much pressure he felt. 9. Kentucky was attacking a half-court defensive set. The play became a bit broken and the ball couldn't be gotten inside. Harrison must have felt the clock ebbing away, and knew when he saw his brother out of options that he was getting it with zero time to spare. 10.
4. Tournament context. Suggs was clear and away Gonzaga's shining star all the way to the Final Game. But most of the games were blow-outs. He only had the one extraordinary play. 8. Harrison's collection of shots versus Louisville, Michigan and Wisconsin can be viewed as a set, and I firmly believe have never been matched by a single player in NCAA tournament history - not any one shot, but the set of three. One of the frustrations in Kentucky losing in the finals: I really believe if Kentucky wins, Harrison's performance would rightly be seen as in the very top tier of NCAA tournament performances in history. Instead, it feels already a bit undervalued. 10.
Anyway, just some fun on a slow day. If you feel obliged to accuse me of bashing Suggs or Gonzaga, be aware I'm not inclined to respond.
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