March Madness: 15 Greatest Gus Johnson Moments (w/ video)

1. “Sorrentine hit that one from the parking lot.”

We’ve seen Gus hit Defcon Zero, but in this game, we get to see/hear Johnson reach “Snake Mode.”

Looking for the massive upset, the Catamounts of Vermont were matched up against a Syracuse team that was just two years removed from it’s national title with Carmelo Anthony and company.

After a turnover by the Orange, Vermont held the bell, the lead, and the fans. The decisively pro-Catamount crowd broke into a “UVM!” chant as point guard T.J. Sorrentine stood near half court, dribbling the clock away.

And really, you can’t fault the Syracuse defenders here. Sorrentine is 35+ feet away from the basket, the clock isn’t THAT far down, UVM could have done a lot of things here. What Syracuse obviously wasn’t ready for was Sorrentine to heave one. I mean, they had a hand up, but it was probably a formality.

What Syracuse didn’t know, clearly, was that the Law of Gus had already been enacted. As Sorrentine shot, Johnson made a sound akin to a slithering snake, then erupted like the rest of the arena. Everything about the moment was perfect: the bench erupting, the fans erupting, Vermont coach Tom Brennan celebrating, the media behind him celebrating.

Technically, there was time for the Orange to recover, but you can’t fight the Law of Gus.

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