Behind the Wat Shot

“Unbelievable! Unbelievable! Can’t believe it!”

That was ESPN’s Dick Vitale’s reaction when IU senior forward Christian Watford hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer — now popularly known by Hoosier fans as the Wat Shot — to knock off eventual national champion Kentucky, 73-72, in front of a packed Assembly Hall crowd Dec. 10, 2011.

Watford’s clutch shot gave IU the win against the No. 1 team in the nation at the time, but his shot helped IU basketball to another type of win: an ESPY.

The Wat Shot was voted ESPN’s Play of the Year at the ESPYs in July 2012, further immortalizing the moment Hoosier fans felt like their program was back following the Kelvin Sampson debacle of 2008 and three straight seasons of futility.

“It’s just indescribable,” Watford said after the game. “All I know is I saw Verdell (Jones III) driving, and I just tried to loop behind him. He did a great job of finding me, and I knocked down the shot.”

With less than six seconds remaining in the game, Jones took the inbound pass and quickly dribbled up the court, using a Cody Zeller screen in the back court to make it past mid court. Jones then dribbled a few steps inside the 3-point line on the left wing, absorbed his defender, spun and passed to a trailing Watford.

A wide open Watford rose and knocked down the shot, sending the crimson-clad crowd into a court-storming frenzy. The shot — and IU Head Coach Tom Crean’s astonished reaction — has been immortalized in multiple YouTube videos and montages.

The play was selected by fans, who voted on 16 plays in a bracket-style competition though multiple rounds of voting.

Against the Wildcats that night, Watford finished with 20 points, including 4-of-6 3-pointers, and grabbed five rebounds.

For the 2012 season, Watford averaged 12.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 43.7 percent shooting in 28.4 minutes per game. He shot more than 43 percent from beyond the arc, 41.6 percent from the floor and 81.5 percent from the line.

The now-rejuvenated team was preseason No. 1 for the 2013 season, and the excitement attracted ESPN to Bloomington for its College GameDay on Feb. 2. IU beat Michigan 81-73, upsetting the then-No. 1 team.