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Joe Timmerman/IndyStar/USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK
Let’s take a closer look at Colorado basketball’s new golden moment.
Colorado Buffaloes fans will be telling their grandkids about the time KJ Simpson put the team on his back and sent the Buffs to the Round of 32 fifty years from now. That’s how special yesterday’s game winner was.
Simpson’s baseline jumper falling through the bucket was a moment of pandemonium in Indianapolis. It probably looked crazy on television, but there’s no way that the cameras could do it justice. As someone who was about 50 feet away from the action, I’ll break down the sheer insanity of Colorado basketball’s new crowning moment, as I saw it all unfold with my own eyes.
Let’s flashback to when there were about 14 seconds left on the game clock. Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr had just hit the biggest shot of his life, drilling a long three-pointer from the logo, tying the game at 100 points.
The Buffs had let a 13-point second half lead slip right by and it looked as though they made have executed a choke job for the ages. The once-rowdy CU fans who had made the trip to the Hoosier state sat stunned, deflated and silent. You could a pin drop in the Colorado section of Gainbridge Fieldhouse, while the Florida fans in attendance erupted in cheer opposite in the arena bowl.
With nine seconds left to play, KJ Simpson inbounded the ball, took it to the offensive floor and called a timeout to draw up a play. It took Simpson three seconds to take the ball up, meaning the Buffs had just six seconds to try to avoid going to overtime.
Those final six seconds were do-or-die for Colorado. If this game was going to overtime, it felt like the Buffs were going to lose. Florida had all the momentum. Luke O’Brien had already fouled out, while Simpson and Tristan da Silva had four fouls each.
In a moment like that, it’s easy to panic and play scared. The Buffs had already been playing scared for the final five minutes of the game, allowing Florida to erase their double-digit lead. Instead, the Buffs used that timeout to take a deep breath and calm down, attempting to drown out the cheers of the ruckus Florida fans.
In that huddle, coach Tad Boyle decided to put the ball in the hands of KJ Simpson. Simpson, a member of the first-team Pac-12 list and likely Colorado’s best player, was getting his number called in the biggest moment possible. Simpson stayed cool and composed in the huddle, awaiting his chance to make history.
“We mentally prepare in practice,” said Simpson when asked about his composure during the final possession of the game. “We’ve gone through this a bunch of times in practice.”
If he hit the shot, he’d cement himself as a Buffaloes legend. If not, Simpson might be playing in his final game in black and gold, as he’s projected to be an NBA Draft pick in June.
With 6.1 seconds on the clock, Cody Williams held the ball near Colorado’s bench, waiting for his opportunity to strike. The Gators opted to double Simpson with guards Clayton and Zyon Pullin, making it difficult for him to get open. Facing Williams on the sideline, Simpson planted his right foot hard and tried to lure Clayton into biting on the fake cut.
It worked. Clayton got caught flat-footed and Simpson created the open space for Williams to find him with the pass. Now KJ had a one-on-one with Pullin with 6 seconds to give. Simpson drove close to the bucket towards the baseline, but Pullin lost his balance on the push off. Simpson saw his chance and pulled up 15 feet from the basket.
That jumper hit the front half of the rim, settled on the back half, and bounced around the rim for about a second. That single second felt like an eternity for the Colorado fans in Indy who sat in silence, hoping for a miracle. Simpson was no different from the fans, waiting to see if his shot would make history.
“Once I saw it bounce up a little bit, I was hoping it went in,” said Simpson.
As all the Buffs on the floor watched the ball rattle around the rim, center Eddie Lampkin decided he’d do something about it if he could. Situated in the low-post, Lampkin saw a golden opportunity to save the day.
When asked what he was thinking on the final shot, Lampkin left media with only five words; “Just get the offensive rebound.”
Despite Eddie’s best efforts, his rebounding skills weren't needed. Simpson’s shot managed to touch every single inch of the rim, but eventually found the net and fell through.
“When it went in, it was just amazing,” said Simpson.
The crowd went nuts. They’d just witnessed the new greatest single moment in Colorado basketball history in-person. Those who had made the long trek from Boulder to Indianapolis got every cent worth of their investment in this team.
The game wasn’t over. Florida had 1.7 seconds left on the game clock and no timeouts, so they had no choice but to inbounded the ball and pray for a full court buzzer-beater. Walter Clayton Jr. hucked the ball up, but it hit the backboard about a foot and a half to the right of the rim. The Buffs had officially survived Florida and were moving on to the Round of 32.
Colorado fans continued going insane. Half of that craziness was fueled by excitement and the other was fueled by relief that the Buffs didn’t choke. Colorado’s bench immediately went and mobbed Simpson, who kept a calm demeanor, still digesting what he’d just done.
Tristan da Silva, Luke O’Brien and J’Vonne Hadley went to go shake the hand of Florida coach Todd Golden, but Eddie Lampkin had different plans. Right at the game’s end, Lampkin immediately ran to Colorado’s section and celebrated with the crowd.
When his teammates let Simpson out of their mosh pit, the very first thing he did was run straight to his mother and give her a giant hug. This is the type moment that dreams are made off.
After Simpson and his mom shared a moment, the team headed to the locker room, where the significance of that has just happened finally began to hit the team. The Buffs were still dancing, so they decided to celebrate in the best way possible; dancing. Lampkin, da Silva, Simpson and even Tad Boyle broke out their best moves before hitting the podium.
Simpson and the team would follow that up by talking with the media, where reality started to set in. KJ began fielding questions about cementing himself within the likes of Colorado’s legendary point guards like Chauncey Billups, Spencer Dinwiddie, Derrick White and McKinley Wright.
“That’s real special,” said KJ when asked about the comparisons. “Credit to those guys. They reach back out. They’re just great advisors and great role-models to me... Just to be in the conversation with those guys is real special and I’m thankful.”
After heading back to the locker room, more comparisons ensued. This time, to Kawhi Leonard’s buzzer beater in game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals that sent Toronto to the NBA Finals. Half of that comparison was due to the fact that the ball rattled around the rim for so long, the other half being because Kevin Harlan was on the call for both moments.
“That means everything,” said Simpson when asked about his shot being compared with Leonard’s. “We made program history with a bunch of amazing people. To have my name in that conversation means everything and I’m thankful.
And with the Kawhi comparison levied, the night was over. The Buffs packed it up and headed back to their hotel to get some rest before preparing for their Sunday matchup with Marquette.
Even though the night was over, what happened in Indianapolis on the night of March 22 will never be forgotten. People immediately started crowing KJ’s shot as the greatest moment in Colorado basketball history.
KJ Simpson’s shot in Indy will be talked about for generations within Colorado fandom. For a fanbase that has become accustomed to coming up short and heartbreak, we were finally reminded what our Buffaloes can do for us. This is exactly why we love sports.
Thank you, KJ. You’re officially a Colorado Buffaloes legend.
by RylandScholes
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