Most spectacular play in UConn history

[Mike Honcho]

Spectacular -- not necessarily clutch. Just something that you saw and could not believe your eyes that it happened. Bonus points for video (to copy YouTube video at a specific time, just right click at that time and choose Copy video URL at current time. It'll add something like this to the URL: #t=50s).

Here are a couple:

Kemba - vs Gtown 2011. At the top of the key, pivoted to create space from his defender, threw the ball off the backboard, grabbed his own rebound and put it in.

Caron - vs PC 2002? Ball is going out of bounds near mid-court and in one fluid motion, Caron saves it and makes a behind the back pass to a streaking Tony Robertson for a layup.

Honorable mentions:

Tony Robertson breaking out of his slump with two THUNDEROUS tomahawks in consecutive plays against BC. (I know there's a video for this somewhere but I can't find it)

Scotty Burrell who jumped over Wake Forest's Rodney Rogers and took the ball away as the ducking Rogers held it over his head. 1991

Emeka Okafor, during an overtime game versus Villanova and up just 1, recovered from stumbling to block a dunk to win the game. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15281-2004Feb28.html He had already blocked a shot at the end of regulation to send it into OT.

AJ Price vs Marquette 2009 -- The play by play guy had just finished announcing that Jerel Mcneal was the DPOY two years ago in the Big East, when AJ just terrorized him with an ankle-breaking cross-over, pointed at him, then drained an 18-footer. AJ had 36 and JC got his 800th win at #10 Marquette.

Clearly, Kemba's step back GW over Pitt and The Shot are up there too.

 

[prankster]

It's Late! It's Great! It's Tate!

 

[Dogbreath2U]

Yep, the most spectacular has to be the Tate basket IMHO. Depends on how you define "spectacular," but that was a one in a million play.

 

[upstater]

No surprise that Tony Robertson is included in two of the plays... Tony's jam was the best UConn jam I've ever seen.

but I would add two spectacular plays by Kemba against Kentucky in the F4.

The block from behind on the breakaway... and the unbelievable body control he showed in going out of bounds to snag a ball for his team.

Two of Stanley Robinson's: 1. gravity defying jam against Texas, and his drive and jam against Michigan St. late in the F4.

also, 4:15 of this video:

 

[Gurleyman]

Extra points if it is your avatar? Granted the switch made it a mismatch, but making a guy fall down on a game-winner is something I've never seen before or since. The gasp of anticipation in the MSG crowd when the ball is in the air was one of the most unique crowd soundtracks too.

Emeka's off-handed block against Alabama was pretty remarkable, and for athleticism, Stanley's follow-up dunk against Michigan State with a minute to go is up there.

 

[aboogieee]

CARDIAC KEMBA!

 

[alexd]

1991 or 1992...Toraino Walker vs. Nova at Gampel...a one handed put back slam from the side of the rim off a missed three.....unreal play. I can still hear the ESPN commentator..."TORAINO!!!....put that one on your VCR folks and keep it!!!"

 

[RichCTBB]

Emeka Okafor, during an overtime game versus Villanova and up just 1, recovered from stumbling to block a dunk to win the game. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15281-2004Feb28.html He had already blocked a shot at the end of regulation to send it into OT.

Is there any video of this play? I've been searching for years!!

 

[mauconnfan]

There's only one answer............

Hubie B: "....YEEESSSSSSSS..."

 

[Mike Honcho]

Is there any video of this play? I've been searching for years!!

I just searched for a good 30 minutes - couldn't find anything. I did find this on ESPN though: http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=240590222

Emeka Okafor trailed Randy Foye by a step, slipped when he jumped and still managed to block the shot and clinch a victory.

Okafor, the nation's leading shot blocker, lived up to the billing, blocking shots by Foye at the end of regulation and again at the end of overtime to lead No. 8 Connecticut over Villanova 75-74 on Saturday.

"Nobody in the country can change a game like that," Huskies coach Jim Calhoun said of Okafor, who played through back spasms. "He showed why he's the best defensive player in the country. Emeka Okafor comes along once in a lifetime."

Josh Boone put in a rebound of a miss by Ben Gordon with 5.5 seconds left in overtime to give the Huskies a 75-74 lead before Okafor sealed the win.

Gordon had 21 points and Okafor added 17 for the Huskies (23-5, 11-3 Big East), who have won four straight since consecutive losses to Notre Dame and Pittsburgh dropped them from No. 5 to eighth. Connecticut has been ranked No. 1 a season-high eight weeks this season.

"That was the best block I ever saw," Gordon said of Okafor's game-saving swat.

Okafor knew he had to stop Foye once teammate Taliek Brown was picked off the play.

"I tried to anticipate it, but my foot slipped and I just got my hand on it," Okafor said.

 

[whaler11]

You hit on mine in your post. Burrell against Wake.

 

[Woodson]

A thread like this is just a reminder of how lucky we've been as UConn fans. So many awesome plays over the years. Some that haven't been mentioned, 3 pointer by Taliek in the garden to beat Pitt. Fortunate to be there, it was an awesome experience. Ray's winner over GTown.

Kemba had about 20 holy shiiiiit plays alone, for me the winner over Pitt is my personal favorite in UConn history.

 

[Mike Honcho]

Extra points if it is your avatar? Granted the switch made it a mismatch, but making a guy fall down on a game-winner is something I've never seen before or since. The gasp of anticipation in the MSG crowd when the ball is in the air was one of the most unique crowd soundtracks too.

Emeka's off-handed block against Alabama was pretty remarkable, and for athleticism, Stanley's follow-up dunk against Michigan State with a minute to go is up there.

Ugh. Too bad Stanley's follow-up dunk was followed by a long outlet pass over the top of our defense for an easy layup and the game. That dunk made it a 3 point game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=QId34C2kz8Y#t=413s

 

[Horatio]

1. Tate's shot against Clemson is sacred.

2. Rays juggle shot against Iversons Georgetown .

3. Caron's violent dunk at the end of his last game (vs Maryland)

4. Kembas crossover against Pitt at MSG.

5. Sticks dunk and 15 second scream against Michigan st. In the 2009 final 4.

6 . About 10-15 plays by Dyson and Super Tone that I can't recall at this moment .

7. And this act of complete violence.........

 

[Horatio]

 

[CAHUSKY]

1991 or 1992...Toraino Walker vs. Nova at Gampel...a one handed put back slam from the side of the rim off a missed three.....unreal play. I can still hear the ESPN commentator..."TORAINO!!!....put that one on your VCR folks and keep it!!!"

That's the most spectacular Uconn play I witnessed in person. I was a junior that year and it was absolutely unreal.

 

[selles]

Against Cal, second round of the tourney 1990. Steal under our basket, 3 passes, slam by Burrell. I think there was only 1 dribble.

 

[SoCalCanine]

Extra points if it is your avatar?

I just noticed we have very similar avatars, milli-seconds in time from each other. That makes me wonder, how many others have avatars of this play? I would guess it to be pretty popular. I have always loved the full shot mine is taken from, it has the feeling of of a classical painting, the looks on the faces are priceless, from the folks in the stands to the players on the floor. The look of abject terror in the face of the Pitt guy who had just had his ankles broken and is collapsed on the floor, still inhabits my happiest of dreams , whether sleeping or awake!!! You can see he just KNOWS its going in, and it hasn't even left Kemba's hands yet!!!

 

[Kitaman]

Burrell/Tate always, and that was so long ago. The 'spectacular play' includes Scotty's pass. So that was a two-fer; greatest pass ever and greatest shot ever. An incredible play!

Oh and Rip's buzzer beater against Washington wasn't bad.

 

[Gurleyman]

I just noticed we have very similar avatars, milli-seconds in time from each other. That makes me wonder, how many others have avatars of this play? I would guess it to be pretty popular. I have always loved the full shot mine is taken from, it has the feeling of of a classical painting, the looks on the faces are priceless, from the folks in the stands to the players on the floor. The look of abject terror in the face of the Pitt guy who had just had his ankles broken and is collapsed on the floor, still inhabits my happiest of dreams , whether sleeping or awake!!! You can see he just KNOWS its going in, and it hasn't even left Kemba's hands yet!!!

My favorite joke of the full wide shot where you can see everything is that it was clear that McGhee was determined not to let Oriakhi's knees beat them. He had that passing lane totally covered.

Although my favorite quote was Wanamaker saying he didn't come to help after the switch because he didn't want to leave Jamal Coombs-McDaniel open. So you leave your big man on an island to guard the NPOY because a scrub averaging 5 ppg worries you? That's like when you can only save one thing from your burning house, and you go for the toaster, because you're really worried about making toast.

 

[Bezzz]

I just noticed we have very similar avatars, milli-seconds in time from each other. That makes me wonder, how many others have avatars of this play? I would guess it to be pretty popular. I have always loved the full shot mine is taken from, it has the feeling of of a classical painting, the looks on the faces are priceless, from the folks in the stands to the players on the floor. The look of abject terror in the face of the Pitt guy who had just had his ankles broken and is collapsed on the floor, still inhabits my happiest of dreams , whether sleeping or awake!!! You can see he just KNOWS its going in, and it hasn't even left Kemba's hands yet!!!

I've got the avatar also...I think I had mine first FWIW.

 

[Mike Honcho]

Tony Robertson breaking out of his slump with two THUNDEROUS tomahawks in consecutive plays against BC. (I know there's a video for this somewhere but I can't find it)

Here it is. I had it saved on my computer so I uploaded it to youtube. I think this is a marat production.

 

[Dove]

2 moments hit the brain right away. The great Tate shot and...

Trajan trippin'. The emotion that erupted when he ate the crumpled to the floor was ecstasy. What Tate's shot resulted in was excited awesomeness.

 

[SoCalCanine]

I've got the avatar also...I think I had mine first FWIW.

Well, I'll concede first place to you, but mine is my FIRST and ONLY avatar! I'm so inept on computers, but this tableaux inspired me to figure out how to do it! I wonder what will make me switch it????

 

[Devland]

Dom Perno stealing the ball from Bill Bradley needs some mention. At the time it was huge.

http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2012/11/27/sports/doc50b56e7f15c53197425323.txt