Rush The Court

Last month we introduced our new project, which is centered around determining the top YouTube moment in Pac-12 basketball history. We continue the nomination portion with California.

[ed note: These are just the top moments we could find on YouTube, which has a vast number and array of videos, but we won’t be able to cover the entire 99 years of the conference.]

We open with a shot from who is quickly becoming one of the most clutch California players in the history of its program. Tied at 46 with the shot clock turned off on the road against #23 Oregon, the Golden Bears decided that they would either win it in regulation or head to overtime. Guard Justin Cobbs chose the first option, stepping back and hitting nothing but twine to put Cal ahead by two with 0.7 seconds remaining. Oregon’s desperation heave at the buzzer fell well short, and the win kept alive what would end up as a seven-game winning streak for the Golden Bears.

Another clip, another Cobbs game-winner. This one is all fresh in our minds as it only happened a little over two weeks ago. Knotted at 58 with the shot clock turned off (again) against undefeated and #1 Arizona, Cobbs drained a fadeaway jumper to put Cal ahead by two points with 0.9 seconds left. The shot sent Haas Pavilion and “The Bench” into a state of delirium, setting off a premature court rushing that had Wildcat fans clamoring for a technical foul. The officials decided against it, and the fans got to re-RTC after the Cats’ ensuing inbounds pass was knocked away. The upset hasn’t exactly propelled California to long-term success in the aftermath, though, with head-scratching results including a home loss to rival Stanford and an overtime win against Washington State. Regardless; BEAR DOWN CALIFORNIA!

We go from a shot made just 17 days ago to one made 21 years ago. Trailing by one with 1:15 remaining in an NCAA Tournament second round game against two-time defending national champion Duke, California lost the ball underneath the basket. After a wild scrum, freshman point guard Jason Kidd emerged from the pile, banked in a shot, and was fouled in the process. The Oakland native hit the ensuing free throw to give the Golden Bears the lead, as they would go on to win 82-77 and advance to the Sweet Sixteen.