An inbounds play that makes Christian Laettner’s game-winner look pedestrian
I'm not sure which is more improbable: Malik Monk's two game-winning 3-pointers in consecutive games last week or the path this game-winning triple took in 3.3 seconds.
Monk is a top-10 sophomore recruit with the poise and skill to knock down pressure 3's when given the opportunity, but I'm not sure Elk Grove (Calif.) Pleasant Grove High could pull this off again if their basketball lives depended on it.
Tied against rival host Sacramento (Calif.) Sheldon High with just over three seconds left, Pleasant Grove somehow lofted an inbounds pass to midcourt between two defenders, lobbed an equally dangerous pass to the near corner, where junior wing T.J. Lindsey caught and fired a game-winning 3-pointer all in one midair motion. All the while, the ball never touched the ground and barely grazed the rim for a 66-63 victory (h/t Bob's Blitz).
The over/under on the number of times Pleasant Grove coach John DePonte has since said, "Just like I drew it up," is currently hovering around 972.
Meanwhile, a bad season just got worse for Sheldon. The school recently suspended coach Joey Rollings for four weeks over alleged recruiting violations, according to the Elk Grove Citizen. Five players were ruled ineligible and the Huskies were declared ineligible to participate in postseason play after the school self-reported a series of incidents.
The two teams meet in the regular-season finale on Feb. 18. While things can't get much worse for Sheldon, they really can't get any better for Pleasant Grove, either.
