Some plays you instantly know are highlights that will be replayed for decades.
Valparaiso winning on Bryce Drew's buzzer-beater 15 years ago in Oklahoma City is one of the most famous plays in NCAA Tournament history. It's a classic example of a Cinderella story that represents March Madness.
Drew draining an on-the-run 3-pointer off a 60-foot pass to upset Mississippi was a play everyone inside the Myriad — now the Cox Center — will remember the rest of their lives.
Valpo probably had around 1,000 fans make the trip from Indiana for the afternoon session. It wasn't a capacity crowd. Still, after Drew drained the shot, a unique roar filled the Myriad. The arena buzzed long after the final horn.
“Did-you-see-that?” moments are special.
Reporters discovered in postgame interviews the play was called Pacer. Drew talked about how he practiced making that type of shot since he was a young boy.
A veteran sports writer inevitably witnesses buzzer-beaters, game-winning touchdowns, etc. Several games stand out whether my beat was the Thunder, OU, OSU, Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers or high schools.
My personal list includes: John Elway's helicopter-spin run in the Broncos' first Super Bowl win; Don Dinkinger's missed call in the 1985 World Series; John Lucas' shot that helped lift Oklahoma State to the Final Four; the Sooners dogpiling after winning the College World Series.
But for one individual play, Bryce Drew's shot off a perfectly executed play called Pacer will always top my list.
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