![]() Sports Illustrated would rank it the #5 sports moment of 1998, and Drew secured his place as a Valparaiso, Indiana celebrity along with popcorn guru Orville Redenbacher.įollowing his rise to fame in the tournament, Drew was selected as Valpo's first ever first round pick as the 16th selection of the 1998 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets. Drew and the Crusaders finally fell to 8-seeded University of Rhode Island by a score of 74-68, with Drew scoring only 18 points. Drew proceeded to lead the defeat of 12-seeded Florida State University 83-77 in overtime, with a 22-point game. "The Shot" is seen each year on CBS during "March Madness" and is considered one of the top moments in NCAA history. Then, as time expired, Drew released a 23-foot 3-point shot, giving him his 22nd point of the night, and clinching the Crusaders' 70-69 upset and advancing them in the tournament. Jamie Sykes inbounded to Bill Jenkins (basketball), who passed the ball to a practically unguarded Bryce Drew. On the inbound, the Crusaders used a play known as the Pacer. After Sesay missed both shots, the Crusaders came up with possession - 94 feet from their basket, and with only 2.5 seconds remaining in the game. Valparaiso was down 67-69 with 4.1 seconds remaining in the game and Mississippi's Ansu Sesay at the free throw line. In the Midwest Region, 13-seed Valparaiso was facing 4-seed Ole Miss in the first round. He also collected three conference tournament MVP awards, two conference MVP awards, and is Valparaiso's all-time scoring, 3-point field goal, and assist leader.Īll of this paled in comparison to the March Madness that ensued during his senior year in the 1998 NCAA Tournament. In his four years playing, Drew collected dozens of honors and records, including being ranked in the top 15 nationally in 3-point field goal and free throw percentage and leading the team to three consecutive conference regular season and tournament championships. ![]() ![]() Though recruited by dozens of schools, Drew eventually decided to attend Valparaiso University, then a member of the Mid-Continent Conference, for men's basketball. Despite this difficulty, he led his team to the state final game, and was named Indiana's Mr. As he progressed through high school though, Drew developed a rapid heartbeat, which required three surgeries to repair. After having been exposed to basketball for years through his father's head coaching position, Bryce played basketball as the point guard for Valparaiso High School in Valparaiso, Indiana.
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