One of the defining characteristics of college basketball is its proclivity for wild endings. The sport is rife with them, so it takes something downright Shyamalan-ian to really make a mark. The conclusion of Saturday’s game between Rutgers and No. 21 Iowa provided enough twists and oddities to ensure a place in the hallowed Hall of College Hoops Endings That Are Worth Remembering.
Rutgers took the lead with 3.2 seconds on the clock after Gio Baker’s contested 3-pointer took two bizarre bounces—a high one off the front of the rim and then a soft one off the glass—before going in. Iowa heaved the ensuing inbounds up the court and it was tipped to Freshman Joe Wieskamp by the Hawkeyes’ bench. His desperation 3-pointer kissed the top-corner of the backboard and took an improbable angle into the basket.
It was a H-O-R-S-E shot, and the degree of difficulty was not lost on Iowa’s opponents. “If he shoots that shot a million times, that’s the only one that’s going in,” Rutgers guard Ron Harper Jr. said after the loss.
To Wieskamp’s credit, he told reporters postgame that he did not call “bank.”
