Deon Jackson’s improbable last-second shot that gave Bradley a victory in the 1996 Missouri Valley Conference semifinals was selected as the top moment in Arch Madness history by a vote of the league’s fans.
In a two-month online voting campaign, fans chose from a list of 33 MVC flashbacks to determine the top 20 Arch Madness moments since the first Valley tournament was played at Kiel Auditorium in 1991.
Jackson’s 3-pointer gave Bradley a 64-62 victory over Southwest Missouri State on March 3, 1996.
Jackson’s shot — more of a heave — came after he chased a loose ball with his back to the basket 23 feet away. He scooped it up, twisted in midair and launched a two-handed prayer.
It marked Jackson’s first 3-point field goal in 46 games, and it sent the regular-season champion Braves to the title game.
In addition to top moments in St. Louis, fans also chose the top 10 players in Arch Madness history.
Kyle Korver of Creighton was named Arch Madness Most Outstanding Player. He was joined on the all-time all-tournament team by Bradley’s Anthony Parker and Illinois State’s Osiris Eldridge and Rico Hill.
Among top moments, Jackson’s shot was followed by Nate Funk’s performance in leading Creighton to the 2007 tournament title. Funk scored 51 points in the final two games.
Bradley’s victory over Northern Iowa in the 2007 quarterfinals was the No. 11 moment. Will Franklin hit a 3-pointer with 3 seconds left to give the Braves a 51-48 victory. BU’s J.J. Tauai tied the game with 57 seconds left before Franklin’s winner.
ISU had three top-20 moments:
At No. 4 was Osiris Eldridge’s play in the 2009 tournament. He averaged 19 points and became the second player in history to earn Most Outstanding Player honors on a losing team as UNI took the title in overtime.
At No. 7 was the game-winning shot by Spring Valley’s Shawn Jeppson in the 2002 quarterfinals. Jeppson hit a twisting 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Redbirds a 64-63 victory over Drake.
At No. 14 was ISU’s 69-65 comeback victory over UNI in the 1997 semifinals. Rico Hill scored 29 for the Redbirds. Down by nine late in the first half, ISU closed the half on a 12-2 surge, ignited by coach Kevin Stallings’ stare. Angry about a 14-8 disparity in fouls, Stallings stared at game officials for an entire media timeout.
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