In the 1959 NCAA tournament, many fans were hoping for a championship game showdown between West and Oscar Robertson, the national Player of the Year. But that was derailed when the University of California knocked out Robertson and the University of Cincinnati in a semifinal game.
However, West and West Virgina were foiled as well in the final when Cal鈥檚 Darrell Imhoff (who became a close friend of West鈥檚) scored the winning points on 鈥渢he ugliest play you could ever imagine鈥� 鈥� tipping in the game-winning basket with his off hand. West had the ball at midcourt but was unable to get off a shot as time expired. Although named the tournament鈥檚 MVP, West says he still wrestles with the thought of what might have been.
