Animated: The best play of the entire WCC Tournament

The general consensus is that a blocked shot that gets demolished out of bounds isn't exactly the best of blocked shots. Optimal blocked shots are the ones where a player is able to control the ball to a teammate, thereby gaining possession of the ball and potentially opening up a fast break.

A blocked shot out of bounds allows the offense to reset and run a play. That sort of blocked shot, although it potentially denies two or three points, also potentially allows two or three points. But, let's be honest, blocked shots that get swatted into the stands with the ferocity of Sandra Bullock hurtling through space are awesome.

Those sorts of blocked shots are made even better when the deliverer of such vicious basketball justice is David Stockton, standing a mighty (and not sure I believe it) 5'11 and weighing in at 165 pounds. In case you didn't see it, here is the run of the play.

It is hard to see in that poor of quality, but that is BYU Cougar guard Anson Winder trying to score on a fast break. That is the 6'3, 195 pound Winder getting his shot blocked by Stockton. Now, the height differential between 6'3 and 5'11 (maybe) is just a few inches. It isn't as impressive as Memphis' Joe Jackson climbing the foot it took to block Przemek Karnowski's shot. However, the authority with which Stockton blocks this shot is the best.

(edit: not sure why the gifs aren't loading properly, but here are the direct links to the run of the play and the better view of the massive block).

That is why the best blocked shot isn't always the one you keep possession on. Who cares if BYU got the ball back? Little baby Stockton came out of nowhere to mash a fastbreak into the ground as if he were LeBron James. Karnowski is the most thrilled, shaking Stockton around as if he were a 6'10 man (I love watching Stockton look like a flailing rag doll in those huge hands).

This is one of Stockton's career 10 block shots. 10! This is also the best play of the tournament because it is the best example of the fire that is visible in this Gonzaga team at the moment. Everything was going right on this play (except for Pangos attempt to get the charge). The team swarmed on a fastbreak and denied the points with the smallest person on the floor. This is the sort of play that energizes an arena. This is the sort of play that forces coaches to call timeouts. This is the sort of play that makes everyone cheer for you, and when you are playing in random courts with a crowd that can go either way, getting those fans to cheer for you is a big deal.

According to the statistics, Stockton's career average is 0.1 blocks per game. That number is actually 0.073529411(and forever and ever). Hopefully he has a few more inside of him. Because when Stockton blocks a shot like that, the Bulldogs are extra fun. The fun teams are always the best teams to watch in March.