Tyus Edney

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Tyus Dwayne Edney (born February 14, 1973 in Gardena, California) is an American professional basketball player, known for one of the greatest plays in college basketball history. Edney played point guard for UCLA from 1991-1995, and led the Bruins to the 1995 NCAA National Championship. He also led Žalgiris Kaunas to the 1999 Euroleague title. He is listed at 5'10", 152 lb.

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[edit] Basketball career

In his senior season, Edney set several personal bests such as total points (456), points per game (14.3), steals (74), and assists (216). At the end of his collegiate career, he was selected by the Sacramento Kings in the second round with the 47th overall pick of the 1995 NBA Draft. He played with the Kings for two seasons (1995-1997). He spent two more seasons in the NBA, with the Boston Celtics in 1997-1998 and with the Indiana Pacers in 2000-2001. Between those seasons he played for Euroleague winner Žalgiris earning the Final Four MVP title and, during the 1999-2000 season, in Italy for Benetton Treviso (losing in the Italian League finals and winning the Italian Cup). In the NBA, he never could top his rookie year with the Kings, when he averaged 10.8 ppg and had 491 total assists.

Following his departure from the NBA in 2001, he bounced around several European teams, including another stint with Benetton Treviso (2001-2004, won the Italian league in 2002 and 2003, Italian Cup in 2003 and 2004 and Italian Supercup in 2002 and 2003, played in the Euroleague final in 2003) and Lottomatica Roma (2004-2005). After the 2004-2005 season, George Garbolas brought Edney to Olympiacos in order to help the team challenge in Greece and in Europe. Tyus Edney was one of the players upon who the new Olympiacos was supposed to be built, but he played there only one season in 2005-2006. In the 2006-2007 season he returned to Italy to play for Climamio Bologna.

[edit] The shot

While Edney's pro career has been vagabond, his late game heroics in the 1995 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament have earned him a spot in NCAA Tournament lore, like Danny Ainge in 1981, Christian Laettner in 1990 and 1992, and Bryce Drew in 1998. Edney's UCLA had played well in the 1994-1995 season, earning a No. 1 seed in the West Region of the tournament. Favored in their second round match against eighth seed Missouri, UCLA fell behind 74-73 with just 4.8 seconds remaining. Bruins coach Jim Harrick, after calling timeout, turned to Edney, the point guard, rather than to their star player, Ed O'Bannon.

Cameron Dollar inbounded the ball to Edney who took off up the left sideline. A Missouri defender picked him up at about the top of the key, although not with extreme on-ball pressure due to a fear of fouling. At midcourt, another defender attempted to trap Edney, who avoided the pressure with a behind-the-back dribble. After Edney reached the Missouri key, 6'8" Missouri forward Derek Grimm slid over in an attempt to stop him. Edney adjusted his shot around Grimm, and banked the shot in at the buzzer. UCLA won the game 75-74.[1]

Two games later against Ray Allen's Connecticut Huskies, Edney had another chance at a full court run before the half, and drained a 25-foot 3-pointer en route to a 102-96 victory. UCLA went on to win its 11th NCAA basketball championship, defeating the defending champion Arkansas Razorbacks 89-78, thereby making Edney's shot against Missouri that much more memorable.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Friend, Tom - N.C.A.A. TOURNAMENT: WEST; U.C.L.A. Dash Knocks Wind Out of Missouri. New York Times, March 20, 1995. Quote: U.C.L.A.'s Tyus Edney ran a 94-foot dash in 4.7 seconds today. That he also managed to toss in a swooping layup left Missouri with its hands over its face. The No. 1-seeded Bruins trailed the No. 8-seeded Tigers by 1 point with 4.8 seconds remaining when Edney, a turbo point guard, started his cross-country journey. He took the inbounds pass under his own basket, was neck-and-neck with defender Jason Sutherland at midcourt, freed himself with a behind-the-back dribble, made a hairpin turn to the lane and banked in a shot over 6-foot-9-inch Derek Grimm at the buzzer.

[edit] External links


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UCLA Bruins Basketball 1994-1995 NCAA Champions
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BC Žalgiris 1998-99 Euroleague Champions

4 Edney (Final4 MVP) | 5 M.Žukauskas | 7 Štombergas | 8 Zidek | 9 E.Žukauskas | 10 Adomaitis | 12 Masiulis | 13 Maskoliunas | 14 Bowie | 15 Šeštokas | Coach Kazlauskas
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1995 NBA Draft
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