Who is the most clutch Syracuse basketball player in program history?

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[cuseinseattle]

I would go GMac then Pearl then Tyus probably. It's hard to do a top 15 list for something like this because multiple are just on there for 1 game or moment. To me clutch is coming through with the game on the line multiple times.

 

[stuckinbig11]

GMac

 

[rrlbees]

GMac is the obvious choice, but I love watching Pearl highlights. Such a unique player. The Dome will always be the house that Pearl built.

 

[Brooky03]

GMac.

It ain't close

 

[NineOneSeven]

Gmac. He also has 1.5 more seasons than Tyus so far, though.

But the 6 first half threes against Kansas, the 43 points against BYU, the game winner at gtown, and then stretch in the big east tournament where he made game winning plays in every single game...

That alone.

Nobody touches him.

 

[OttoMets]

Clutch?

Gotta be McNamara and Eric Dungey, tied for first place. Warriors. Students of the game. So clutch.

 

[rrlbees]

Clutch?

Gotta be McNamara and Eric Dungey, tied for first place. Warriors. Students of the game. So clutch.

Dungey plays basketball? Who knew?

 

[br801]

Clutch?

Gotta be McNamara and Eric Dungey, tied for first place. Warriors. Students of the game. So clutch.

You forgot coach on the floor/field.

 

[two3zone]

Gmac, this is like asking who the best coach in Syracuse history is.

 

[MSOrange]

Gotta be GMAC not matter how many times CuseFaninVT votes for Chukwu.

 

[reedny]

It wasn't just the BET run he had, or the first half at the NC's. I saw him hit a buzzer-3 to stun the Hoyas at at the Verizon one year. Kid had ice in his veins.
Edit: Wallace, Cipolla and Battle belong on the list too.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Gotta be GMAC not matter how many times CuseFaninVT votes for Chukwu.

See, now we're having fun with it.

And it's Gmac

 

[OttoMets]

No way I'm clicking on that Sub-Standard link, but hopefully Jason Cipolla earned a spot on this silly subjective list. At least two last-second game-winners or game-tiers is good for a two-year guy if we're grading on a "minutes played" curve.

 

[malpearl31]

The one thing I’ll say is that Billy Owens’ two free throws - given the circumstances (opponent, time and score, record crowd) - was one of the most clutch things I’ve ever seen in a big spot. Took some big cojones to knock those down... free throws were not really his strength.

 

[OttoMets]

In no particular order, buzzer-beaters (or close to it) that I remember:
Pearl beat BC and Georgetown with last-second shots.
Earl Duncan didn't beat Rhode Island (sorry).
Dave Johnson beat Georgetown.
Mike Hopkins and Conrad McRae.
Michael Lloyd and George Washington (and, oh-so-close, Arkansas, in an alternate reality).
Cipolla, obviously.
And John Wallace.
Marius Janulis, Iona (yeah, sadly, Iona). Did he ever have any other last-second opportunities? Because he should have.
Allen Griffin beat Seton Hall one year after Ryan Blackwell didn't from the same spot on the floor.
Shumpert and Kentucky.
McNamara tied Notre Dame and beat Georgetown. And the steal/buzzer-beater to end the first half against Missouri was probably cooler than either of those. I'm glad he had Jeremy McNeil to follow up his less-than-clutch airballed layup against Pitt.
Jonny Flynn had a last-second three to beat some tomato can in his first or second game.
Scoop made two late threes to force OT against UConn in New York, but whatever, I'd rather pretend that game didn't happen.
Tyler Ennis's Pitt clip puts a smile on my face every time, but honestly, doesn't heaving up that weird three against Dayton rather than driving the open lane pretty much cancel out that clutchness? (Correct answer: yes.)
Battle beat Clemson or NCSU two years ago and then he hit the shot on Saturday.
John Gillon. Bank or no bank, that was a lot of fun.

Honorable mention to Josh Wright (seriously) for hitting all the free throws in the last few seconds to clinch the Big East championship over Pitt in 2006. Think about how many SU players have missed in similar situations. If "clutch" has any meaning, that's it.

 

[DoctahLexus]

1. Braedon Bayer
2. Braedon Bayer
3. Braedon Bayer

The jump ball master

 

[rrlbees]

No way I'm clicking on that Sub-Standard link, but hopefully Jason Cipolla earned a spot on this silly subjective list. At least two last-second game-winners or game-tiers is good for a two-year guy if we're grading on a "minutes played" curve.

15th

 

[HoustonCuse]

No way I'm clicking on that Sub-Standard link, but hopefully Jason Cipolla earned a spot on this silly subjective list. At least two last-second game-winners or game-tiers is good for a two-year guy if we're grading on a "minutes played" curve.

Rest assured, he did.

 

[Jake]

So much wrong with that list.

It’s Gmac, then Pearl, then the debate begins. Billy Owens has to be top 5...

 

[mikemorg]

The one big omission is Dave Johnson. Hit clutch free throws to beat Duke in 1989 in ACC Big East Challenge in Greensboro, then hit that jumper over 'Zo to win the BE tournament in '92. That team was a bubble team and might not have gotten in if they hadn't won the BET.

And a HUGE Honorable Mention to Hakim Warrick for the most clutch defensive play in SU history. Plus Royal Ivey is still clutching part of Warrick all these years later.

 

[721Comstock]

So much wrong with that list.

It’s Gmac, then Pearl, then the debate begins. Billy Owens has to be top 5...

I’ve posted this before - Pearl was great, transcendent, but he “only” had like 3-4 last second shots that I can recall.
The Shot vs BC
J vs GTown
Another one I’m forgetting?
??

Battle has had what - like a half dozen of those sorta shots, in just over 2+ seasons so far?

It’s GMac, Battle, then Pearl on this particular ranking.

 

[MikeDamone]

Gmac. He also has 1.5 more seasons than Tyus so far, though.

But the 6 first half threes against Kansas, the 43 points against BYU, the game winner at gtown, and then stretch in the big east tournament where he made game winning plays in every single game...

That alone.

Nobody touches him.

Agree and something that doesn't get mentioned much about the 43 pt performance is we were down 11 in the 1st half when Hak picked up his 3rd foul. I thought the game was over at that point, but that's when GMAC strapped the whole team on his back and went nuts.

I think he also made a 3 his freshman year to beat ND in the closing seconds at the dome.

 

[OrangeDW]

In no particular order, buzzer-beaters (or close to it) that I remember:
Pearl beat BC and Georgetown with last-second shots.
Earl Duncan didn't beat Rhode Island (sorry).
Dave Johnson beat Georgetown.
Mike Hopkins and Conrad McRae.
Michael Lloyd and George Washington (and, oh-so-close, Arkansas, in an alternate reality).
Cipolla, obviously.
And John Wallace.
Marius Janulis, Iona (yeah, sadly, Iona). Did he ever have any other last-second opportunities? Because he should have.
Allen Griffin beat Seton Hall one year after Ryan Blackwell didn't from the same spot on the floor.
Shumpert and Kentucky.
McNamara tied Notre Dame and beat Georgetown. And the steal/buzzer-beater to end the first half against Missouri was probably cooler than either of those. I'm glad he had Jeremy McNeil to follow up his less-than-clutch airballed layup against Pitt.
Jonny Flynn had a last-second three to beat some tomato can in his first or second game.
Scoop made two late threes to force OT against UConn in New York, but whatever, I'd rather pretend that game didn't happen.
Tyler Ennis's Pitt clip puts a smile on my face every time, but honestly, doesn't heaving up that weird three against Dayton rather than driving the open lane pretty much cancel out that clutchness? (Correct answer: yes.)
Battle beat Clemson or NCSU two years ago and then he hit the shot on Saturday.
John Gillon. Bank or no bank, that was a lot of fun.

Honorable mention to Josh Wright (seriously) for hitting all the free throws in the last few seconds to clinch the Big East championship over Pitt in 2006. Think about how many SU players have missed in similar situations. If "clutch" has any meaning, that's it.

Blackwell hit a buzzer beater to beat St. John’s in the 1998 BE Tourney semifinals.

Flynn hit one to beat Siena I think. He also hit a 3 to put the Kansas game into overtime. I remember him making a ton of late game free throws too.

 

[Trueblue25]

What Malachi did to Virginia can never be discounted.