National Basketball Association

#WhiteMenCanJump: Connaughton records 44-inch vertical

Published May. 15, 2015 1:21 a.m. ET

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The basketball classic "White Men Can't Jump" was released in March 1992. Pat Connaughton would not be born for another nine-plus months . . . just in time for the film's release on VHS.

But on Thursday, the 22-year-old former Notre Dame swing man had the basketball world buzzing and Twitter referencing the Wesley Snipes-Woody Harrelson comedy, thanks to something no one saw coming.

Indeed, #WhiteMenCanJump.

At the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, Connaughton registered a whopping 44 inches in the vertical jump, hurdling the field and finishing just 1.5 inches short of the record, set by Kenny Gregory out of Kansas in 2001.

Don't believe it? See for yourself:

Truth be told, Connaughton is a stellar athlete. He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the fourth round of last year's MLB Draft and received a signing bonus of more than $400,000 thanks in large part to a fastball that has reached 98 mph.

But he also signed the contract with the provision he be allowed to play his senior season with the Fighting Irish, a season that resulted in an Elite Eight run and near upset of then-unbeaten Kentucky in the regional final.

One of the big reasons the Irish made it that far was this block against Butler to force OT in the Round of 32:

And the season before, he did this to eventual No. 2 overall pick Jabari Parker:

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