Our Missing March Madness series has arrived at one of the marquee dates of the team’s NCAA Tournament history.
While there aren’t live collegiate or NBA games to entertain us, a look back at this clash of two Celtics rookies is one of the highlights of Celtics NCAA history. But two old Big East foes also played games on this date more than 10 years earlier as well.
That latter duo were UConn’s Kemba Walker and Pitts’ Brad Wanamaker.
Both were still reserves in those years, and the former advanced while the latter went home to try again.
Walker’s Huskies defeated the Missouri Tigers 82-75 in the 2009 Elite Eight, earning a Final Four appearance against Michigan State.
The Bronx native had one of the best games of his career in the meeting, logging 23 points, 5 rebounds and as many assists, showing flashes of the All-Star he’d become.
Wanamaker’s Panthers flopped at the last moment to the Villanova Wildcats, falling 78-76.
The Philadelphia native would only score 5 points in the loss, but he’d return to dance again in future seasons.
The main event from a Celtics perspective was the 2019 meeting between forward Grant Williams’ Tennessee Vols and guard Carsen Edwards’ Purdue Boilermakers, however.
An intense, overtime thriller that nearly ended on dunk by Williams and a miss by Edwards, a whistle would send the game to an extra period.
Purdue put the Vols away with the second chance the Texan sharpshooter secured by hitting two of his three opportunities at the stripe, winning 99-94 and advancing to face Virgina in the Elite Eight.
Edwards logged 29 points and his now-teammate Williams 21 and 7 boards.
They still debate that foul to this day.
Call was that the ball was deflected off of Grant Williams. Unless I'm blind, Purdue is wearing the gold shoes and the ball changed direction off of Edwards's shoe. Followed up by a questionable foul on the 3-point shot. @NCAA #MarchMadness #Vols pic.twitter.com/LbNwvqM7yT
— Robbie Palmer (@robpalmer18) March 29, 2019
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