Can you retire the number of a player who never made first-team All-American? I say if the Vols make it to the Final Four this year, the answer is Yes. And I, for one, would be all for the Maysville Marksman going in the rafters, anyway.
If I indeed get to go to Knoxville as I’m planning Sunday, I’ll try to get some pictures for the blogsite of Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith’s Senior Day. (Sorry if I don’t hold Jordan Howell with the same reverence.) But here is a youtube homage to Mr. Lofton’s Days in orange … and one from a little farther back.
Enjoy. And Chris? Thanks for the memories.
4. As a high school junior in 2003, a scrawny Chris Lofton continues carving his local legend in the hamlet of Maysville, Ky., with this buzzer-beating 3-pointer from downtown Cincinnati to send his team into overtime against Lexington Catholic. His Royals ended up winning in a game where he scored 39 points and set the state tourney record with nine 3s.
3. In a game that largely put the Vols on the map as a national name last year, Lofton pulls up and buries a LOOOONG 3-pointer over Texas’ super freshman Kevin Durant to give UT its first lead of the second half in a game it came back to win.
2. Probably the most remembered shot of C-Lo’s career. Has there ever been a longer pullup 3 in Vols’ history? Jeez. This one beat the first-half clock, and it’s No. 2 on my personal list. I was driving to Birmingham when this happened, and Bert Bertlekamp’s scream alone made me hit the roof of my truck.
1. Even though he clearly walked, the magnitude of this shot was so immense because of the stage. First round of the NCAA tourney against a vastly underrated Winthrop team last year, and we were in an absolute dogfight till the end. That’s when we inbounded the ball to the Shot Maker. Me and my buddy (Gobble Thunder) jumped around his house. Shots like this are why I hope and pray my buddies from this blogsite and me continue to make it a yearly big deal and necessity to take off to watch the first day (or the Friday, depending on when UT plays) of the NCAA tourney.
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