Talib Zanna says "It was a lucky shot." However ...

[MikeSU02]

It certainly is a tough, contested and lower percentage shot - but I wouldn't call it "lucky".

The fact that he had a semi-normal shooting form and got good lift from the floor makes it a more legitimate shot than a shot that is more "heave".

They had him bracketed, it was contested and it probably misses more than makes if you replay that situation. With that said, you have one of the most clutch performers in all of NCAA so far this year taking that shot.

It's the same thing with the shot at the end of the Duke game in regulation - that is a tough, tough shot, but it wasn't "lucky". Duke earned that make.

Skilled players make great plays. This isn't the YMCA league.

 

[marz09cuse]

Says the guy who had a 35 foot 3 ball, which missed the rim by an inch, land right in his hands for an easy two towards the end of the game. That wasn't luck or anything. Or the 61% free throw shooter hitting 8-9 from the line. That wasn't lucky or anything.

 

[Cowtown]

Notice how Ennis squared up his shoulders/body in mid-air, it was not like he just heaved up a prayer.

Yep, it's as good a look as you can ask for in that situation. Not unlike Suleimon's 3 in the Duke game. Another poster said, "Good players make good plays."

 

[Knicks411]

What do you think that shot is, maybe 20% for Ennis? Just being on the run and everything. He did get squared up. That's kind of the # I was thinking of.

If the shoe was on the other foot, I'm sure we'd have called it a lucky shot though.

 

[Col. Bleep]

Luck is the residue of design" - Branch Rickey.

TE didn't just close his eyes and toss the ball into the air.
All of Tyler Ennis' skill and poise in handling, shooting and knowing the game is the "design" behind that "lucky" shot.

 

[NineOneSeven]

Haha, unbelievable people.

A 35 footer at the buzzer, off the dribble with two guys nearby, without a straight on look?

The skill of the play was getting to that spot to give yourself a chance. The shot itself had a very high degree of luck. Is this really being discussed?

 

[MikeSU02]

And to be fair to the Pitt defenders, I think they were as close as they could get without being in danger of fouling. With the way the refs were calling the game at the end, I think if they even remotely touched Tyler, he would be shooting FTs.

 

[PhatOrange]

Zanna going 8 for 9 from the line was lucky.

took the words right out of my mouth. a 61% ft shooter going 8 of 9 and hitting two with 4 seconds left is lucky.

 

[RF2044]

You know what I have to say to Talib Zanna: sour grapes.

 

[SUFan44]

It was also luck that Patterson's airball went right to Zanna and led to a six-point lead with under 2 minutes left.

Get outta here Talib.

 

[Cowtown]

Haha, unbelievable people.

A 35 footer at the buzzer, off the dribble with two guys nearby, without a straight on look?

The skill of the play was getting to that spot to give yourself a chance. The shot itself had a very high degree of luck. Is this really being discussed?

"Skill?" Pitt was braindead in not denying Ennis the ball, especially after getting beaten up in the Carrier Dome. Everyone in the building knew SU wanted the ball to go to Ennis on the inbounds.

And every player has tried that shot in practice during shootarounds. It's not like he's never done it before. Was it low percentage? Sure. A freak? No. Hell, I'd even play "Bump" with that shot in practice once in a while just to change things up, but also just because you never know who's going to have to take it someday. Remember Terrence Roberts against Rutgers?

 

[tee1222]

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=haters gonna hate panda

Duhhhh. lol

Yo! Now, that's a magic show.

 

[Noexcuse]

Pitt players like to run their mouths evidently. Case in point their comments after they lost to UVA.

 

[HoustonCuse]

“They lucked a shot in to beat us. They can say whatever they want: If they think that’s a skilled shot, I’d be surprised,” Boeheim snapped. “They threw up a prayer tonight it got answered.”
--Jim Boeheim, 1/30/03 at Rutgers after losing to a Herve Lamizana last-second heave.

Yeah a little different. That shot went in off the glass. In other words, it missed by 2 feet.

 

[KCJax03]

Haha, unbelievable people.

A 35 footer at the buzzer, off the dribble with two guys nearby, without a straight on look?

The skill of the play was getting to that spot to give yourself a chance. The shot itself had a very high degree of luck. Is this really being discussed?

Of course there was luck involved, I believe what folks are getting at is that he did display a bit of skill as well. He got close enough to the basket to take an actual form shot as opposed to just heaving it towards the rim. Even at a low percentage, I'll bet he would knock that shot down with higher frequency then lets say I would. That performance gap can certainly be attributed to skill - can it not?

 

[HoustonCuse]

Pitt players like to run their mouths evidently. Case in point their comments after they lost to UVA.

They sure do. We've beaten them 4 out of 5 now. I understand them being pizzed. In their minds they chalk up 2 wins when they see us on the schedule. How long did they think they were going to maintain the fluke statistical anomaly of their recent, but now past, success against us? We've been playing them for 100+ years and for 7 or so of those years they got a few wins. Wow, must have been amazing for them but it is over now.

 

[HoustonCuse]

Haha, unbelievable people.

A 35 footer at the buzzer, off the dribble with two guys nearby, without a straight on look?

The skill of the play was getting to that spot to give yourself a chance. The shot itself had a very high degree of luck. Is this really being discussed?

What is the gold standard for luck based outcomes? The coin flip right? 50% chance. A 50% jump shooter in basketball is considered outstanding. A 50% hitter in baseball would break all records as the greatest to ever live or who could ever live. So what is luck in sports? If Ennis had thrown that from the ground or spinning and threw it behind his head (like Grant the other day), then yes luck. But he made a basketball move and took a legit basketball shot. It is no more lucky than any other difficult or deep shot.

 

[sufandu]

Doesn't matter. Luck won NC State the championship in '83, but they were still the champs. The only response necessary is, "Look at the score board. And when you're done looking at that, look at January 18th too." See you next year.

 

[longtimefan]

Haha, unbelievable people.

A 35 footer at the buzzer, off the dribble with two guys nearby, without a straight on look?

The skill of the play was getting to that spot to give yourself a chance. The shot itself had a very high degree of luck. Is this really being discussed?

You need to re-check the tape.

Ennis' footwork was excellent--got the left planted to lift. He squared his shoulders. In short, he used excellent shooting mechanics. And, he beat both defenders with a pair of crossovers.

There was clearly some luck involved, mostly because he launched from 36 feet, not 20. But, it was not a "heave" as the Pitt radio feed described it.

 

[njcuse]

Well that shot was lucky. a 6'10" center banking in a three was very lucky.

I was at that Rutgers game, and that was definitely a lucky shot. I doubt L. even took another three shot for the season.

 

[BonaCuse]

Come on. Lets not be too hard on the guy. After all, his role model is Jamie Freakin' Dixon who had a laundry list of excuses after the game in the Dome.

Excuses are like . Everyone has them, and they all stink.

 

[Flacusian]

When preparation meets opportunity it gives rise to the phenomenon generally referred to as "good luck".

 

[pfister1]

said with all the grace and subtlety of...

.

Another obvious foul on Grant...how did Stephens miss that one.

 

[jvbj01]

Who cares if it was luck or not? If there was a luckometer and it was determined to be luck, would we only get 1/2 of a win?

 

[JrodCuse]

Talking about all of this is great, but I'd rather let my eyes feast on it!