As the game headed down to the wire, nobody was making more mistakes than Aaron Craft. A turnover, an off the ball foul, a blown layup, two missed front ends of a one-and-one, all of these mistakes by Craft helped keep the Iowa State Cyclones in the ballgame. When it counted most, however, it was Craft who delivered the win.
The Iowa State-Ohio State matchup appeared to be getting out of hand with about 6 minutes left. Ohio State went up by 13 points and appeared on its way for an easy end to the game. Then quite inexplicably, one of the Buckeye's best players and undisputed leader Aaron Craft suddenly lost the stoic sense of timing and importance that has defined his collegiate career thus far.
First he turned the ball over, leading to a layup. Then he missed a layup. Then the 79% free throw shooter missed the front end of a one-and-one. Then he did it again. Iowa State was able to claw back and go ahead by one, and Craft promptly turns the ball over. Then he gets called for another turnover. It was a painful stretch to watch.
But as quickly as those failures came, they left even faster. Aaron Craft reminded everyone why he is the leader of this Buckeye squad by keeping his head focused on the play at hand and refusing to succumb to the moment. In the last three minutes Craft was able to convert a three-point play and draw a controversial charging call in the paint. The scrappiness so integral to Craft's play had never left him.
With the score tied 75-75 with the 30 seconds to go, Craft slowly dribbled the ball near half court. Ohio State's best player and go-to scorer Deshaun Thomas eventually came up and tried to get the ball, but Craft wasn't having any of it. He recognized his mismatch against a much taller Iowa State defender and knew he would be given room to shoot instead of being allowed to drive to the hoop. With two seconds left Craft pulled up comfortably from behind the three point line, and as soon as the ball left his hands there was no doubt where it would go.
Craft hit the game-winning three, leaving Iowa State with only .5 seconds on the clock and down 78-75. Despite his miserable play down the stretch Aaron Craft showed a perseverance worthy of any champion, single-handedly delivering his team the win when it mattered most. And in case there was any doubt? When Iowa State inbounded the basketball and promptly heaved one final prayer towards the bucket, it was Craft who blocked the shot and any hope of an Iowa State celebration.
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