March Madness: 25 greatest buzzer-beaters in NCAA Tournament history
By Nick Villano
5. Paul Jesperson: No. 6 Texas vs. No. 11 Northern Iowa – 2016 Round of 64
Every so often, we see a shot that lives on more because of how great the shot itself was over the long-term consequences of the shot. Paul Jesperson took the inbounds pass just seconds after Texas’ Isaiah Taylor tied the game at 72.
He didn’t have much time to get the ball up the court so he just heaved it from half-court. That ball banks off the backboard and into the net, giving the Northern Iowa Panthers the win.
Is this shot hurt by the biggest collapse in March Madness history the very next game? Yes and no. There’s just not a lot that can make us forget this shot. The little known school facing the household name in Texas. They just watched their opponents take it down their throat for a game-tying bucket. They remained unphased, kept the game plan of not calling a timeout, and ran the ball as far as they could before asking for a miracle.
UNI became a household name after this shot. Jesperson transferred there after spending two seasons at Virginia. For most people, that’s a major downgrade, but for Jesperson, it gave him a chance to become a legend.
The half-court nature of this shot propels it up this list. The shot itself might be the best, or at least most entertaining on this list. A heave from half-court gets banked in off the backboard to win the first-round game. This is exactly the amount of fun we want from March Madness.