Gators C Patric Young delivers highlight-reel block vs. FSU
Center Patric Young followed a highlight-reel block with a dunk to help spark a run for Florida vs. FSU. (Photo by Kim Klement, US Presswire)
A few weeks ago after a Patric Young alley-oop dunk vs. Arizona ranked only No. 5 on SportsCenter’s top plays, the Gators sophomore quipped that ESPN wasn’t showing the team much love.
“They don’t show our highlights. They don’t,” he said. “I could watch it for two hours and they would not show Florida basketball highlights at all. I’m serious. You have to go on to their website to find it and look it up. Not on TV though.”
His conspiracy theory gained a little credence on Thursday. Young delivered another highlight-reel play against Florida State, blocking a Bernard James dunk and stealing the ball in mid-air (and with his left hand, no less), but the clip didn’t make the Worldwide Leader’s top plays. (Its merits aren’t up for debate. Included in the top 10 on a very slow news day was a middle-school aged basketball player who dunked and a Pop Warner football catch.)
After the 82-64 win over FSU, Young joked that he would be “very disappointed” if it didn’t make the list. He’d capped off the ensuing offensive possession following the block with a dunk, icing a stretch that swung momentum Florida’s way and was part of a 15-2 run.
“On SportsCenter, they’ll probably play the whole thing,” he said. “They’ll be like, ‘Patric Young with the block, and as you see him come back down and he finishes the dunk. Just a great stretch for the guy,’ or something. I don’t know.”
To be fair to ESPN, it has included a couple of Young’s dunks this season. But this play might have been more worthy than the previous ones. Said FSU coach Leonard Hamilton, “That was a very aggressive play that he made, and as good as I’ve seen this year.”
To be sure, it’s likely not to be Young’s last jaw-dropping play. But the Gators’ big guy, a jokester who is one of the emotional leaders of the team, has taken notice.
“I love being on Top 10,” he said.
Leave a Reply
Please use theregistration to leave a Reply