In all honesty, every year of college
basketball is a great one, and 2005 was no different. Below, CHN
writers list their favorite moments of the past calendar year. Tomorrow
we'll discuss what we'd like to see happen in 2006.
Jeff Borzello
Favorite Moments: The upsets in
the NCAA Tournament--Bucknell over Kansas, UW-Milwaukee making it to the
Sweet 16 (mainly because I predicted it).
The main MOMENT, however, would
be Denham Brown winning the Maui Invitational for Connecticut, or the Sean
Dockery halfcourt shot for Duke.
Matthew Braine
My favorite moment was during a
Hofstra vs. St. John's game in Hofstra Arena. In what was featured on
ESPN's top plays, Hofstra guard Loren Stokes was presumably beat, having
the ball stolen from him by a St. John's player. However, with the game
tight, Stokes shifted the momentum back into Hofstra's hands by hustling
back and blocking the layup against the backboard with great tenacity,
surging the win into Hofstra's hands.
Michael Dugan
Illinois' comeback against
Arizona in last year's tourney
Jeff Fox
Favorite moment was J.J.
Redick's 41 point performance versus Texas this season.
Raphielle Johnson
My favorite
moment in college basketball the past year was...regional semifinal/ final
weekend, March 24th-27th. It was arguably the best
weekend in the history of college basketball.
Ed Matisik
Bucknell upsets Kansas.
Shane Sharp
The Kentucky/MSU regional final, and Patrick Sparks
"little three-pointer that could" in the end of regulation.
Shawn Siegel
My favorite moment of the past year had to be when CHN
was visited by a whopping 39,188 people on the day of the NBA Draft.
On the court, it had to be the epic Gonzaga/Michigabn State game out in
Maui. Morrison's 43 was obviously awesome, but Ager's 7 three's was
equally impressive. The team's even shot a sparkling 53 of 57 from the
line (93%).
Adam Stanco
It was all everyone wanted before the start of the 2005
NCAA Tournament... The two best teams in college basketball meeting for a
national title.
Who wouldn't want a plethora of NBA talent on both sides of a national
championship game? Dee Brown, Deron Williams, Luther Head, Raymond Felton,
Rashad McCants, and Sean May. Even Marvin Williams, the lottery pick who
didn't even start.
And after Illinois and UNC survived the scares and snaked through the
bracket, they faced each other in fantastic game for all the Final Four
marbles.
Yet, despite the anticipation and the talent and the huge stage, somehow the
clash between the Illini and Tar Heels was second-best.
Adam Morrison's performance against Michigan State in the Maui Invitational
was practically perfect. In a gym known for dehydrating anyone who enters,
the shaggy, gangly kid put forth an awesome display of desire and
determination.
43 points worth of sweat.
The offensive explosion immediately boosted Morrison to NCAA royalty. The
game was special and Morrison's charisma was the main reason why.
Twenty years from now, I'll fainly remember the 2005 National Championship,
but I'll always smile at the sparkling memory of Adam Morrison's brilliance
in a tiny Hawaiian gym.
