Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It’s been 20 years since Christian Laettner’s turnaround jump shot buried Kentucky in the East Regional Final … and John Hall still hates his guts.
Just check out the shirt he wore to Saturday’s Kentucky-Iowa State game here at the KFC Yum! Center.
“I know I fell out of my chair when it went in,” Hall, 67, told SNY.tv of the 1992 shot.
“It was a good shot,” he added. “They beat us. It wasn’t meant to be.”
Twenty years later and Kentucky fans are still being reminded of “The Shot” here in Louisville.
Several times a day the overhead scoreboard puts up video and factoids about Laettner, his Duke career and the Blue Devils’ accomplishments.
No, it’s not some conspiracy by the scoreboard operators at Louisville which, ironically, is coached by the man who failed to tell his players to guard the in-bounds pass from Grant Hill on the Laettner shot.
It’s part of an NCAA Tournament-wide loop that runs at all sites and is part of national UPS campaign featuring the Laettner shot.
Still, Hall doesn’t like it.
“[They’re trying] to get our goat,” he said.
Hall must’ve been pumped when No. 2 Duke was upset Friday by No. 15 Norfolk State, preventing a potential rematch in the South Regional final in Atlanta, right?
Not really.
“I’d love to play them,” he said. “We’re gonna play them in November [in the Champions Classic].
“But I sure would like to get another chance [in the NCAA Tournament].”
Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It’s been 20 years since Christian Laettner’s turnaround jump shot buried Kentucky in the East Regional Final … and John Hall still hates his guts.
Just check out the shirt he wore to Saturday’s Kentucky-Iowa State game here at the KFC Yum! Center.
“I know I fell out of my chair when it went in,” Hall, 67, told SNY.tv of the 1992 shot.
“It was a good shot,” he added. “They beat us. It wasn’t meant to be.”
Twenty years later and Kentucky fans are still being reminded of “The Shot” here in Louisville.
Several times a day the overhead scoreboard puts up video and factoids about Laettner, his Duke career and the Blue Devils’ accomplishments.
No, it’s not some conspiracy by the scoreboard operators at Louisville which, ironically, is coached by the man who failed to tell his players to guard the in-bounds pass from Grant Hill on the Laettner shot.
It’s part of an NCAA Tournament-wide loop that runs at all sites and is part of national UPS campaign featuring the Laettner shot.
Still, Hall doesn’t like it.
“[They’re trying] to get our goat,” he said.
Hall must’ve been pumped when No. 2 Duke was upset Friday by No. 15 Norfolk State, preventing a potential rematch in the South Regional final in Atlanta, right?
Not really.
“I’d love to play them,” he said. “We’re gonna play them in November [in the Champions Classic].
“But I sure would like to get another chance [in the NCAA Tournament].”
