Tyus Edney
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 is listed at 5'10", 152 lbs.
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 drafted 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 and, for the 1999-2000 season, in Italy for Benetton Treviso (losing in the Italian league finals and winning Italian Cup). In the NBA, he could never 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 has 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 that the new Olympiacos was built on, he played there in 2005-2006. In 2006-2007 season he returned to Italy to play for Climamio Bologna.
Edney was voted Import Player of the Year in the 2002 EuroBasket All-Europe Rankings.[1]
The shot
While Edney's pro career has been vagabond, his late game heroics in the 1995 NCAA 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 without 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, though 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.
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, making Edney's shot against Missouri that much more memorable.
Notes
External links
- NBA.com profile
- Career NBA stats @ basketballreference.com
- Bruin Basketball Report
- YouTube Video of game winning shot against Missouri in 1995 NCAA Tournament
| UCLA Bruins Basketball 1994-1995 NCAA Champions |
|---|
| Toby Bailey |
Cameron Dollar | Tyus Edney | J. R. Henderson | Ike Nwanko | Charles
O'Bannon | Ed O'Bannon | George Zidek Coach Jim Harrick |
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