By now, everyone’s seen La Salle’s last-second win over Ole Miss in the NCAA Tournament second round, thanks to Tyrone Garland’s shot in the lane with just seconds remaining.
Afterward, Garland gave Craig Sager the name of the shot, introducing the world to the “Southwest Philly Floater”.
Well, CSNPhilly.com went back to find out where the roots of the shot were planted. It turns out it goes back to the playground courts of southwest Philadelphia, where Garland is from.
And his cousin, Bernard Tyler, was the one who showed him the way of the floater, including how to get the shot up over taller defenders.
It worked, getting it over 6-9 Reginald Buckner of the Rebels with three seconds left and propelling the Explorers into the Sweet 16 with a 76-74 win on Sunday.
Garland’s path through college basketball started when he went to Virginia Tech after finishing in the Top 10 in Philadelphia Public League history with 2,198 points. He eventually transferred to La Salle after averaging less than five points per game in a season-and-a-half with the Hokies. He’s flourished back in Philadelphia, averaging 13 points per game after becoming eligible at the end of the first semester.
Follow David Harten on Twitter at @David_Harten