The Notre Dame-Cal college basketball game created one of the wildest finishes across the sport last season. Two of the 10 players who were on the court are now at Tennessee, and one of the two was the player who hit the jaw-dropping, game-winning four-point shot.
On Jan. 2 of last year, the Golden Bears hosted the Fighting Irish in Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, CA. The matchup pitted now-Tennessee guard Dai Dai Ames and Cal against now-Tennessee forward Jalen Haralson and Notre Dame.
With 9.9 seconds on the clock, Notre Dame held a 71-68 lead. Ames inbounded the ball for the Golden Bears, but got it right back as he made his way up the court. Ames made his way to the left side of the three-point line, got fouled, and hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 71-all. He eventually went on to hit the free throw to cap off the four-point play and give Cal the win.
Haralson (No. 10) wasn’t the primary defender on Ames, but you can see him in complete disbelief at the foul call as he ran up to the referee to plead his case. Ames (No. 7), meanwhile, beat his chest as he celebrated with his teammates.
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It’s safe to say that play still rings in Haralson’s mind all these months later, especially now that the two impact players are teammates on Rocky Top. Haralson laughingly recalled the memory during his first press conference with the UT media on Tuesday morning in Knoxville.
“He hit a crazy shot against us,” Haralson said. “Four-point play. When Dai Dai committed, I texted him, ‘Bro, let’s hit four-point game-winners together. Let’s do it.'”
RTI’s Ryan Schumpert followed up by asking if the foul was the correct call.
“Debateable,” Haralson said with a laugh. “I don’t know if I’ll get fined or not.”
Ames finished that game with a team-high 23 points in 34 minutes on the court. Haralson, meanwhile, finished with 17 points, four rebounds, and four assists in 31 minutes. Both players topped their season scoring average in the contest.
“He’s a fun player to play against,” Haralson said of Ames. “Fun to be around. He’s a winner. He’s experienced, a real experienced guy. He knows the landscape. Like, I’m a sophomore. Just tuned 19. So I don’t know a lot. Last year was my first year. I had a lot of experience there, but that’s a guy that’s been through it. So, just lean on him through tough times. He’s a guy that’s outspoken, encouraging guys. I love Dai Dai. He’s a hooper.”
Ames and Haralson were both huge additions for Tennessee this offseason, helping create a transfer portal class that ranked No. 1 in the country by ESPN on Tuesday. Combined with other talented playmakers that the Vols brought in, including Juke Harris and Terrence Hill, Tennessee projects to have a much-needed reloaded offense this season on Rocky Top.
