Many storybook moments come to fruition during March Madness, but there are countless ones that don't get to be written or told in front of a national audience. They play out during practice and film sessions, unbeknownst to the legions of fans who partake in the annual extravaganza known as the NCAA Tournament.
On Sunday, however, a Houston basketball unknown became a hero in the most unlikely circumstances during the most dire of times. Walk-on Ryan Elvin was rewarded for the work he does behind closed doors when mind-boggling foul trouble afforded him the opportunity to punch the Cougars' ticket to the Sweet Sixteen.
With 17 seconds left and No. 1 seed Houston leading No. 9 Texas A&M 98-95 in overtime, the senior guard headed to the line for the biggest free throws of his college career after just checking into the game for the first time all night. He missed the first attempt but sunk the second to clinch the 100-95 victory, thereby providing the program with an emotional triumph that only feels possible and fitting during the month of March.
There are those who find it a bit silly to celebrate going 50 percent from the charity stripe, but the magnitude of the situation, along with the unforeseen disaster of four Cougars players fouling out, makes this a clutch display worthy of praise. Elvin's coaches and teammates are not surprised, though, as they know firsthand the type of character he exemplifies on a regular basis.
Houston basketball epitomizes preparation during March Madness
Ryan Elvin (2.9 minutes per game this season) is just further proof that the Houston model can work wonders. The team obviously contains a wealth of talent with All-American Jamal Shead and former national champion LJ Cryer leading the way, but it is the Cougars' grit and relentlessness that has enabled them to become one of the most consistently excellent programs in the country.
“Regardless of who we put on the floor tonight…we have a tremendous, tremendous culture,” head coach Kelvin Sampson said, per ESPN's Jeff Legwold. “Our kids are built for that.”
The “toughness” Elvin exhibited by coming off the bench completely cold to seal the W, which the rest of the team obviously showed as well, is what the 2024 Big 12 regular season champions desperately needed in this intense Round of 32 clash with the Aggies. Texas A&M erased a double-digit deficit and scored a whopping 48 points in the second half versus the most suffocating defense in the nation (57.7 points per game allowed).
The March Madness resurgence was capped off by a tremendous in-bound play at the end of regulation that saw Andersson Garcia nail a 3-pointer to tie the score at 86. Sampson's group kept its composure, however, and outlasted Buzz Williams and company. One made free throw does not overshadow the contributions of the collective, but it does speak to the value of preparation.
“I was shocked he missed one,” Shead said of teammate Ryan Elvin, via KPRC-TV's Randy McIlvoy, after tallying 21 points and 10 assists. “He works like we work, and if I'm being honest, he works harder than we work. You can ask anybody on our team, anytime we walk into the gym, Ryan Elvin is in the gym working, helping somebody else work.”
Post game with Kelvin Sampson ( @CoachSampsonUH) Jamal Shead (@Thejshead ) & Emanuel Sharp
( @emanuelsharp_ ) on what Ryan Elvin means to this @UHCougarMBK program and his clutch Free throw tonight vs. Texas A&M @UHouston @Houstonalumni @kellenmsampson @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/EnWfX7O5Lb— Randy McIlvoy (@KPRC2RandyMc) March 25, 2024
Who is Cougars walk-on Ryan Elvin?
The adversity Elvin has overcome both in his life and on the court has shaped him into the embodiment of Houston basketball. His father passed away right before the 2021-22 season, so he uses breakthroughs such as these to ensure that their bond carries on. His gratitude, humble nature and undying perseverance has allowed him to become a valuable member of this special group.
Elvin started the opening minute of Houston's blowout win on senior night versus Kansas, as fans chanted for the 6-foot-1 native of Round Rock, Texas. Somehow, on the huge stage that Memphis' FedExForum provides, he managed to top that electric moment. It was hours upon hours of work in the making.
“When I go in on Sunday mornings, it's my favorite time because nobody's there, except one person– Ryan Elvin,” Kelvin Sampson said postgame. “He's such a great role model to our guys. He's one of those guys that has ‘it.'”
Based on everything that is known about this underdog, fans should expect Elvin to stay locked in ahead of Friday's Sweet Sixteen showdown with the Duke Blue Devils. The Cougars hope that their opponents do not attempt 45 free throws like the Aggies did, but if they become painfully shorthanded once again, the team will gladly turn to this March Madness inspiration.
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