Missing March Insanity: Remembering when 13- seed Ohio nearly shocked North Carolina in Sweet 16

Exists one shot you want, more than any other, would have gone in?

Mine’s simple: It’s D.J. Cooper’s desperate half- court heave at the end of policy versus in the Sweet 16 on March 23,2012 Ohio advances over North Carolina if he makes it.

That would have provided my alma a 66-63 success and a journey to the Elite 8. It would have been on the brief list of biggest buzzer-beaters of perpetuity, and it would have marked the first time a 13- seed beat a No. 1 seed in the Sweet 16.

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As far as I’m worried, it would have been the best shot of perpetuity.

That is what I miss out on most today. We ought to be coming off the first weekend of the 2020 men’s basketball competition, a four-day rush that would have produced this year’s version of the Sweet16 Possibly a team seeded 12 or lower would be the talk of the competition.

Ohio was that team in2012 You do not remember them as much, since No. 13 La Salle and No. 15 Florida Gulf Coast (likewise called “Dunk City”) made that run to the Sweet 16 the following season.

Ohio still maximized their minute. They beat No. 4 Michigan in the first round and No. 12 South Florida in the secondround My college roomie J.D. and I discussed making the journey to St. Louis for the North Carolina game, however the work schedule didn’t line up.

That was OKAY. I lived in Charlotte at the time, and I delighted in frustrating North Carolina fans throughout the week. Tar Heels point guard Kendall Marshall was out, and I was positive the Bobcats were going to do more than simply make it agame I talked a lot garbage to the UNC fans, the majority of whom had no concept who Cooper was or where to discover Ohio University on a map.

“Who is Harrison Barnes again? Tyler Zeller is good?”

I believed the Bobcats were going to win all week. That is the power of a Cinderellarun It makes teams– and their fans– feel invincible.

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Naturally, Barnes and Zeller were great. Zeller had 20 points and 22 rebounds and controlled the firsthalf Barnes was having an off night, however that altered when it mattered most. The Tar Heels led 29-22 at halftime, however it felt like 52-22

The second half, nevertheless, was all Bobcats. Ohio struck 8 of 13 from 3-point variety. Walter Offutt provided the Bobcats a 42-41 lead with 10: 23 left. I took a photo on my phone and sent it to my roomie. I am delighted there are no recordings of me in my living-room for the final 10 minutes of policy.

Naturally, a lot of Ohio fans would take the consent complimentary toss Offutt missed out on in overtime as their shot. Offutt had 26 points that night. I would still take Cooper’s heave, which followed Harrison Barnes was removed in the final seconds. Ohio coach John Groce leaned with the ball in the air.

I believed it wasin Biggest shot of perpetuity. Well, it struck the side of the requirement.

Barnes liquidated Ohio in overtime. North Carolina won 73-65, and we were delegated question may have been.

I saw Zeller and Barnes in the locker spaces while covering Cavaliers playoff games a couple of years later on, and it took whatever in my power not to state something. Those 2 have actually played in numerous big games, that it would not most likely have actually been on their radar. Groce left for Illinois prior to taking the Akron task. The Zips likely would have been in the competition this year.

8 years later on, it’s still on my mind. Ohio has actually made 6 competition looks in my life time. Gary Trent– likewise called “The Shaq of the MAC”– assisted make it fascinating versus Bobby Knight-led Indiana in1994 The Bobcats beat Georgetown in the first round in 2010 in a 97-83 blowout. That is the most dominant first-round upset of perpetuity.

The 2012 team, nevertheless, made a run that may never ever be duplicated. I can still hear Marv Albert state, “Barnes lost it … final second as Cooper fires. .”

I still want that shot wentin I do not believe there will be a shot rather like that once again.

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