The hero is “undersized” at 6-foot-8. He regularly gives up inches to fellow Big Ten centers, having to outwork and outmuscle them for loose balls rather than simply out-leap them.
So with 1.7 seconds left and Nathan Taphorn’s pass flying over the Welsh-Ryan hardwood, into air filled with tension you could cut with a knife, it was a nice surprise for him to see Derrick Walton Jr., the smallest player on the court, as the only person in his way.
Pardon gathered and finished. On the surface, it was a relatively straightforward finish, though he did have to hang in the air to avoid Walton Jr.