March Madness is packed with exciting moments, like last year’s Villanova buzzer beater, but the regular season had some mind-blowing moments as well.
Week after week, college basketball came up with something to make us get up out of our chairs and into the surrender cobra position. Before the big dance hits this week and takes all the glory, let’s take a moment to appreciate some of the top plays for this year’s regular season.
Dillon Brooks, Oregon Ducks
Oregon Ducks and Canadian Dillon Brooks doesn’t shy away from the big moment. Brooks had offseason foot surgery and was sidelined the first three games of the season, but that didn’t prevent the star from receiving the Pac-12 Play of the Year award. The Mississauga native helped lead the Ducks to a 29-5 record including a couple shots that will be remembered for a long time.
Dererk Pardon, Northwestern Wildcats
Perhaps the most significant play of the 2016-17 season, Chicago area Northwestern decided to join the Chicago Cubs in making history. Of course the greatest play in Northwestern basketball history happened in March. On March 1st, the Wildcats made history by recording a school-record 21st win and becoming a lock for its first ever NCAA Tournament appearance after this gutsy play.
John Gillon, Syracuse Orange
Coming off a Final Four appearance, the Syracuse Orange did not transfer that momentum into the 2016-17 season. Unfortunately, the Orange failed to make the NCAA tournament; instead they are the #1 seed in the NIT. This season wasn’t a total disaster for Boeheim’s squad, as this drilled this buzzer beater against Duke.
Malik Monk, Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky freshman and phenom, Malik Monk, has lived up to the hype all season long. The Wildcats leading scorer made his name loud and clear in the college basketball world and will most likely continue to do so deep into March Madness. During the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas, Monk made a one-handed save and pass that will make your jaw drop.
Donovan Mitchell, Louisville Cardinals
Alley-oops always seem to make their way on a basketball fan’s top play list. The one that probably stands out to most is the lob delivered by Louisville’s guard from the three-point line. Luckily for the defense, no one got dunked on, but the rim took a huge beating.
Jarrett Allen, Texas Longhorns
There haven’t been many highlights this year for Shaka Smart’s Texas longhorns. His squad finished last in the Big 12 with a 4-12 record but perhaps one positive memory from this season is Jarrett Allen’s “texas-sized” hammer dunk.
Miles Bridges, Michigan State Spartans
It would be a shame to leave out Miles Bridges from this list. The Michigan State Freshman superstar has provided highlights all season long with his spectacular athletic ability. Bridges missed seven games during the regular season but his return game against Rutgers showed zero sign of any ankle injury.
With the tournament starting tomorrow, it is almost time to sit back, relax and watch the madness unfold. Here’s to hoping for another fantastic ending to the college hoops season.
