Jim Nantz Crushed the Final Four Buzzer-Beater Call

Lamont Butler hit a buzzer-beater to elevate San Diego State over Florida Atlantic and into the national championship game in the opening game of the Final Four, providing another memorable moment in what has been a wildly unpredictable and thrilling tournament. Jim Nantz, working his last Final Four, rose to the moment with a call that sounded like someone very much going out on a high note.

Nantz got excited about the SDSU block and efficiently conveyed that the Aztecs had a timeout they were opting not to use and that they did not have their most explosive offensive unit on the floor. Nantz was locked in as clock ticked rapidly down to zero without rushing or having to play catchup on Butler’s midrange jumper.

“A San Diego State miracle” probably isn’t going down in the pantheon of one-liners but sometimes the best thing to do is to say someone won it at the buzzer because why bury the lead?

It’d be great if Nantz got another crack at a moment like this but if it was his last in the college basketball realm, he’ll have nailed it.