“Even Duke center Brian Zoubek thought it had a good chance. ‘My throat closed up, my heart dropped and it went in slow motion,’ he said.
“Duke forward Lance Thomas said, ‘The ball was in the air for three hours.’ ”
If you don’t know what the above is about, Butler’s Gordon Hayward launched a 55-foot shot as time ran out. It bounced off the backboard and rim, but did not go in. Had it done so, Butler would have won 62-61. As it was Duke won 61-59.
If you watch the replay, Zoubek actually briefly reacts (head in hands) as if the ball went in, before he realizes it didn’t.