The Shot II

The Shot II was a half-court last second shot made by Sean Dockery in the 2005-2006 ACC Basketball regular season opener against Virginia Tech. Dockery made the heave from about 40 feet with less than a second left, giving the top-ranked Blue Devils an improbable 77-75 victory over Virginia Tech on in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams.

It conjured up memories of Christian Laettner's shot at the buzzer to beat Kentucky in the 1992 NCAA tournament, when he took a pass from Grant Hill and swished a jumper from near the top of the key. Much as Hill did, Josh McRoberts set the play in motion with perfect aim.

The frantic finish denied the Hokies a stunning upset after they rallied from an 11-point deficit in the final 4½ minutes. Coleman Collins capped the comeback by tipping in a miss by Zabian Dowdell, and after conferring with TV replays, the referees put 1.6 seconds back on the clock for the Blue Devils (7-0 at the time).

Coach Mike Krzyzewski drew up a play for Shelden Williams, but assistant Johnny Dawkins saw Dockery was virtually unguarded. He urged the senior guard to make himself available for McRoberts' pass, if Williams should be covered.

He received the ball just over halfcourt, then took one quick dribble -- one less than Laettner needed 13½ years before -- and launched his shot from the "Coach K Court" decal near the sideline.

It rattled in, sending the Cameron Crazies into a frenzy. The students rushed the court, disappointing many fans who felt that such behavior is only appropriate when celebrating a national championship. Dissent over the rush was heightened because many fans believed the Blue Devils played poorly throughout the game, which was not a cause for celebration.

Moments after the game was over, students began sharing video files of the last eight minutes of the game, which caused noticeable lag in the ethernet network.