BTN.com staff, March 29, 2017
With the 2016-17 season in the rear-view mirror, it?s time to consider some of the best of the season that was.
Next up, in a four-part series: Favorite play.
Get the BTN team's answers below.
With No. 4 Purdue clinging to a 78-76 lead over No. 5 Iowa State with 11 seconds left in a second-round NCAA game, Dakota Mathias stepped to the line for a one-and-one with a chance to ice the game. But Mathias bricked his first attempt. That?s when Caleb Swanigan swooped in and grabbed a monster offensive rebound and passed to P.J. Thompson, who was fouled. The big rebound epitomized the hustle and hard work that had come to define Swanigan during his Big Ten Player of the Year season. Thompson proceeded to hit two free throws to seal Purdue's first Sweet 16 since 2010. – BTN.com's Tom Dienhart
Taphorn to Pardon. The execution was perfect and the stakes were high. It took guts to attempt that play as Michigan had all the momentum and a failed pass could have given the Wolverines a chance to win with just under two seconds to go in regulation. – BTN analyst Shon Morris
It?s got to be Nathan Taphorn?s Hail Mary to Dererk Pardon. Everything from the fling to the finish was outstanding, and the fact that it virtually punched Northwestern?s first NCAA tournament ticket cemented it as the best play in Northwestern history. That?s certainly good enough for the best play this season, even in a year brimming with dramatic finishes night in and night out. – BTN.com's Alex Roux
Nathan Taphorn?s Hail Mary to Dererk Pardon. This will go down as one of the most memorable plays in Big Ten history. Enough said. – BTN analyst Jess Settles
Nathan Taphorn-to-Dererk Pardon. The last-second game-winner vs. eventual Big Ten tourney champ Michigan was unforgettable, one we?ll see replayed until the end of time. The fact it happened in what was viewed as a must-win game for a team seeking its first NCAA tourney berth makes it all the more incredible, memorable. – BTN.com's Brent Yarina