It was just 15 hours after Connecticut’s instant-classic NCAA Tournament win over Duke, and Hall of Famer Grant Hill had barely slept. He got just four hours.
He wasn’t depressed about his alma mater, Duke, losing in dramatic fashion, and did attribute some of it to age, as he is 53. Really, he was in awe from the shock of witnessing it courtside and replayed the game in his mind all night.
So a simple question, “How are you doing?” elicited Hill to respond, “I’m good. I’m still in disbelief.”
He then let out his trademark laugh that is part of the presentation of CBS/TNT Sports’ top Men’s NCAA Tournament broadcast team of Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery and Hill that, in just its third season together, is quickly conjuring up comparisons to all-time great college hoops TV trios such as Dick Enberg, Billy Packer and Al McGuire.
“72-70, Duke, 10 seconds to go.” — Eagle on CBS
The trio nailed the final call, running a three-man weave to perfection in Sunday’s epic UConn 73-72 win over Duke that sent the Huskies to the Final Four. At the end of Sunday, it was the all-time Dukie, Hill, who stood out for what he said — and his history as a player that creates a link between Christian Laettner’s buzzer-beater 34 years ago against Kentucky to send the Blue Devils to the Final Four and Braylon Mullins’ sequel to “The Shot.”
“What a moment,” Hill said on the phone Monday morning. “That was incredible.
“I’m not sure I have ever been part of as chaotic but thrilling end. … This may be the new Laettner moment.”
“That ball deflected! And stolen by Mullins! Karaban! Two seconds! Mullins tosses it up!” — Eagle
(Screenshot from the CBS broadcast)
In 1992, with Verne Lundquist and Len Elmore on the call, Hill was famously allowed a free pocket on the far baseline by Kentucky coach Rick Pitino, who chose not to guard the in-bounds. Hill threw a perfect bomb to Laettner. Laettner dribbled once and nailed “The Shot.”
Lundquist said, “There is the pass to Laettner. Puts it up. Yes!!!!”
“First of all, it was cool that I was there at both from a selfish standpoint,” Hill said. “That Kentucky game was one thrilling play after another. Back and forth. That Kentucky team was certainly worthy of winning. Both teams were magnificent.
“This was different because it was an epic closing, an epic shot, but also kind of an epic meltdown.”
“Ohh!!!! It’s good! With point-three. UConn goes in front!” — Eagle
(Screenshot from the CBS broadcast)
“Utterly impossible! The deflection … the reaction … then the major … onions!” — Raftery
Hill is a Hall of Famer and a successful businessman, meaning he doesn’t have to be courtside to call college games. He is a partner in the Atlanta Hawks, the managing director of USA Basketball and a prominent Duke alum. But you don’t hear any bias in his calls.
“The freshman Braylon Mullins … Wow! … What a play! All Duke had to do was hold the ball there!” — Hill
The viral social media video featuring Hill and Raftery with a cameo from Eagle was a raw reaction.
“I think you are just trying to process what happened,” Hill said.
Hill said he is animated like that throughout the whole game and has to be careful not to tap Raftery on the arm too hard. He wanted to let Eagle have the runway for what Hill said was a “magnificent” call and then let Raftery “sprinkle his magic dust on it.”
(Screenshot from the CBS broadcast)
Eagle is the best basketball play-by-player today, while Raftery is an all-time analyst. Hill’s personality fits: He’s one of the greatest college players of all time and doesn’t lead with his ego, but instead with his joy for the game. It allows him to slide in with finer points of the game, making it so it doesn’t sound like they are fighting for the ball — a common issue in a three-person booth.
Hill’s point about Duke’s Cayden Boozer, made in the moment, identified one of the biggest postgame themes in real time.
(Screenshot from the CBS broadcast)
The difference between what happened Sunday and 34 years ago is that Hill thought Kentucky fans left knowing it was a classic, and that Duke just got the final word. That wasn’t the same on Saturday, when the Blue Devils had a 19-point lead.
“Like I said, I thought it was an epic finish, an epic moment and also an epic meltdown,” Hill said. “I don’t think you can say that Kentucky melted. It was brilliant play after brilliant play. This was a team showing heart, showing grit, showing championship culture and just competing to the very end and maybe better, similar, who knows? I’ll let the pundits and history judge, but I think we will be talking about that play for many years to come.”
“Absolutely!” — Raftery
“I’m still stunned,” Hill said.
While his analysis stood up, as he said what he felt about how Duke handled the game and that he was thrilled to be courtside, 34 years ago was still a little more fun for him.
“No question,” Hill said with a chuckle. “They both were incredible. I really do believe — I won’t say it replaces the Laettner shot, but we’ll be talking about this. There will be documentaries and features on this and anniversaries of this. Most importantly, it helps if UConn goes on to win the championship. Regardless, it is one of the great moments in the history of the tournament.”
