Tyler Herro's teammates never doubted his three was going in

by: Mrs. Tyler Thompson03/30/19@MrsTylerKSR

Tyler Herro has proven he’s capable of hitting big shots, but admit it: when he missed that free throw with seven minutes left — only his second miss from the charity stripe in 2019 — you started to worry. John Calipari did.

“I said it after the game, when he missed that free throw — I haven’t seen him miss a free throw in a long, long, long, long, long, long time. He missed that free throw. I looked at my bench. I go, this doesn’t look good for us because, you know, when he misses a free throw, this could go south in a hurry.”

It did, with Houston seizing momentum and entering the final minute with a three-point lead. Thankfully, that’s when Herro’s transformation into a bucket began. When PJ Washington blocked Corey Davis, Jr.’s shot with 35 seconds left, Herro caught it and went to work.

He's a bucket.pic.twitter.com/Ny9sBSwzJA

— Kentucky Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) March 30, 2019

“I just brought the ball up, hit Keldon on the wing, and I made the shot,” Herro said.

“He didn’t listen to me,” Cal said. “When he caught it, I said ‘Drive the ball, drive the ball.’ He shot it. I said, ‘Great shot, Tyler. Way to make those plays.'”

“I knew it was going in,” EJ Montgomery said of Tyler’s three. “Never a doubt. I’ve always got confidence in Tyler.”

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Ashton Hagans agreed, explaining that because Tyler puts the work in at the gym, he’s earned the right to fire away.

“We have so much confidence in him,” Hagans said. “When he shot it and made it, I do the same look that I do any other time. Knowing that he’s taking that shot, that’s a big time shot. He’s in the gym all the time working, so he can take anything that he wants.”

PJ Washington said that after Tyler missed that free throw, he pulled him aside and gave him a pep talk.

“He works on that shot every day. I’m very confident in Tyler’s game and when he missed that free throw, he said, ‘Man, I don’t know what’s going on.’ I said, ‘Stop. You’re Boy Wonder.’ So, he made his next two and made a three. I’m proud of him.”

We all are.