My View of Dwight Hardy's Dance

In a season already full of memorable moments for this St. John's men's basketball team, Dwight Hardy's twisting layup on the baseline to beat Pittsburgh is the latest installment of magic in Queens.

YouTube has a multitude of different angles of what has become known as "The Shot" around campus. There are angles from courtside, the student sections, and the nosebleeds, but I had a view that was unique from the rest at Madison Square Garden. Watch it here:




As the play-by-play announcer for the team on WSJU Radio, I was at the game, calling it on the radio alongside my color analyst Tim Dimas. The game was back and forth down the stretch and the energy in the Garden was electric. After Pitt's Travon Woodall hit a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left, that energy was momentarily drained. Pitt was now up 1 and had pushed the burden of victory onto St. John's, forcing them to make a basket to get the win.

During the timeouts that ensued, the crowd got on its feet and we had to stand up to see the court from our seat high in the North Press Box. These are the moments when it gets very tough to detach yourself from the university you attend become an unbiased member of the media. The feeling settles in at some point that your university's team has a chance to beat the 4th ranked team in the country and you are at the World's Most Famous Arena to witness it all.

As the teams broke from the timeout, I looked over at Tim and mouthed the word "Wow" because that was the only way I could think to describe it. It also set in that I would be on the call for one of the most significant moments in St. John's recent basketball history.

St. John's inbounded to Dwight Hardy and I could tell by the way the offense was moving, he wasn't giving the ball up. Dribbling to the right side and taking the soft screen from Justin Brownlee, it looked like he had an opening.

The seconds seemed to tick down slower than I could have ever imagined. On the call I said, "Hardy dribbles baseline, nothing there. He backs it out, spins, lays up...and he knocks it down! Dwight Hardy has hit a layup with 1.2 seconds remaining and St. John's takes the lead!"

The Garden was rocking and both Tim and I could barely contain ourselves. I was literally yelling into microphone over the roar of the crowd. Pitt missed on a half-court heave and the score was final, St. John's 60 - Pittsburgh 59.

I would have to say that is one of the most exciting moments of my life, and to think I could be a part of such a significant moment at such a young age is astounding. And, for the rest of my life, I will remember the day Dwight Hardy pirouetted along the baseline to beat the #4 team in the nation.