March Madness hasn’t even started yet, and one unidentified fan at the ACC Tournament already delivered the most viral moment of the college basketball bracket season.
His heckle of choice? A setlist of ‘90s bangers performed at full volume during free throws. The clips are everywhere, and honestly, we can’t stop watching.
The first round of the ACC Tournament tipped off on Tuesday, March 10, with the Pittsburgh Panthers facing the Stanford Cardinal. Stanford entered as the No. 10 seed against Pitt’s No. 15, so Pitt was firmly in underdog territory.
But at least one college basketball fan in the stands was ready to do his part.
When Stanford freshman guard Ebuka Okorie stepped to the free throw line, the fan — presumed to be a Pitt supporter — didn’t bother with the usual screaming-and-clapping routine.
Instead, he started belting out the Goo Goo Dolls’ 1998 hit “Iris.” Not humming. Not casually singing along. Full main-character energy, so loud he came through crystal clear on the broadcast.
The play-by-play announcer clearly didn’t know what to make of it: “Ekorie hits the free throw despite the presence of the really loud guy singing the Goo Goo Dolls behind us. Not sure how that didn’t throw him off.”
One song would’ve been enough to go viral. This fan brought a full setlist.
Later in the second half, when Stanford senior AJ Rohosy stepped to the free throw line, the fan — presumed to be the same guy — started singing The Cranberries’ 1993 hit “Linger.”
If Dolores O’Riordan’s vocal runs just started playing in your head involuntarily, same.
Then Rohosy returned to the line a few minutes later, and the fan belted out Creed’s 1999 hit “Higher.”
Here’s the part that makes this whole saga even wilder. Pitt won the game 84-83. One point. Stanford went 5-6 from the free throw line.
Nobody can say for certain whether a man screaming “Iris” directly caused missed free throws. But going 5-6 from the line in a one-point loss? That’s the kind of stat line that makes you squint.
Does This College Basketball Trend Sound Familiar?If this whole thing feels vaguely familiar, there’s a reason. Back in 2013, a fan pulled a similar move during a game between North Carolina and Belmont.
UNC player James Michael McAdoo missed a free throw while a fan was singing Miley Cyrus’ 2013 hit “Wrecking Ball.”
According to CBS Sports, that fan also sang 50 Cent’s “In Da Club,” The Tokens’ “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” and a slew of Bruno Mars songs during the game. Ahead of his time, clearly.
But this Pitt fan’s commitment to a specific 90s rock aesthetic — paired with the one-point margin of victory — takes the whole concept to another level.
With March Madness approaching, the question on everyone’s mind is whether other fans will step up with their own nostalgia-fueled setlists. Will someone attempt “Mambo No. 5” during a critical possession? We can only hope.
Whoever this Pitt fan is, he just set the bar for heckling creativity heading into tournament season. The 90s called, and they want their flowers.
