Ty Shine is the namesake behind this blog and the kind of player I want to remember watching and the player I want you to look back and reach into the depth of your memories and say 'Yeah, I remember him!'
Looking back at Ty Shine's stats, you can tell he was a career backup behind first Shaheen Holloway and then Andre Barrett. He only averaged 19.7 minutes per game, 8.1 points and 2.2 assists per game for his 4 year career. However, he showed his skills and caught fire in the second round of the 2000 NCAA tournament. The #10 Pirates were matched up against the #2 Temple Owls, led by Pepe Sanchez and Lynn Greer and entered the game as 11 point underdogs.
The game turned bleaker for Seton Hall when Holloway went down with a sprained ankle after only 8 minutes. The number of fans who thought the Pirates could pull the upset were dwindling by the moment. However, March is when players make their mark on the college basketball world and Shine did just that.
He stepped in admirably in relief and poured in 26 points along with 5 assists to lead the Pirates to the upset (only the 14th time a #10 beat a 2) by the score of 67-65 in OT. Shine shot 9-15 overall and 7-11 from distance, including the winning shot with 18 seconds left in OT.
He became an instant legend in Seton Hall history despite the fact he came back to earth in the Sweet 16 with only 11 points in a 2 point loss to Oklahoma State. Even though he was unable to parlay the success of the second round upset into a starting role or a major contributor (he only averaged 9.6 and 7.0 points, respectively, in his final two seasons) I bet a majority of Seton Hall's fans faces will light up with glee when you mention the name Ty Shine.
Why? That one magical night in March when the backup PG stepped up when an unfortunate injury struck the #10 seed and hopes seemed bleak. Considering that Seton Hall has won only one NCAA tournament game (2004 first round vs #9 Arizona), I am sure Shine sits well in the hearts of Pirates fans, despite his lack of major contribution after that game.
Shine went on to play 13 games in the D-League, averaging only 3.1 points per game. His current whereabouts are unknown.
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