On a day when fans came to say goodbye, for now, to Pauley Pavilion, it was a player with ties to the most beloved UCLA figure that sent the old court out in style. Tyler Trapani, great-grandson of UCLA legend John Wooden, was in the right place at the right time, collecting an airball and laying it in during the final moments of the Bruins 71-49 upset win over the Arizona Wildcats.
You can't script a more fitting way to send the "old" court out in style than this. The beauty of sports is the unscripted, unfiltered nature of the game, and Trapani's basket is an excellent example of how a small moment can mean so much more. It was the only time he touched the ball, shortly after being inserted into the game as head coach Ben Howland emptied the bench, but he sure made it count.
After the jump, video of Trapani's bucket and Ben Howland's thoughts on the moment.
You can see the bench screaming at the players on the floor to get Trapani the ball. The bench, players and Wooden's family erupt as Trapani hits the layin in an incredibly fitting final moment for Pauley before it's renovated.
Sure the court will be back in the same place under the same name, but this was the end of the old, traditional Pauley Pavilion. And what a way to say goodbye.