Running 2010 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament thread

Once again - up three, you can make it so he's shooting free throws and thus you never have to face a "winning" or "tying" shot --- see Butler over Michigan State Saturday if you are confused by this.

 

Preferring to delay the possible loss is a logical fallacy. It's the human need to feel in control. We feel better about a 50% chance of losing if it's somehow in our hands, even if that's the exact same thing as a 50% chance of losing on someone else's actions.

The foul call is valid point. Throw that into your equation. But the point is, it's still an odds equation. The fact that you can lose immediately in one scenario and later in the other is irrelevant.

 

Okay, that part makes sense.

 

I would rather be up by three than by two, but I understand the strategy. Making the free throw and then fouling before the other team can get a shot off is a good strategy too.

I think it was Michigan State who intentionally missed a free throw at the end against Tennessee, same scenario except I think Tennessee had a timeout that they called after the rebound, and Tennessee didn't get a good look on the final shot. Hard to argue against Tom Izzo and Mike Krzyzewski. It's just so much harder to run a play after a rebound and only a few seconds left than it is to run a play from out of bounds and the clock stopped.

 

I've mentioned this a couple of times before in other threads, but I've seen a team make a beyond-half-court shot at the buzzer to win a championship-level game (high school state semifinals). So it does happen. I'd much rather have my guy make the free throw and go up by three, especially since Butler was out of timeouts. Very curious strategy there by Duke, and it almost blew up in their face.

 

No, it's not the same scenario.

Izzo's decision made a lot more sense than Coach K's for one reason: his team was up by 1 instead of 2 at the time.

With Izzo, the rationale is this: with only a couple seconds left, their shot is almost certainly gonna be a three pointer anyways, so it doesn't matter if you make the 2d free throw or not, a 3-pointer is gonna beat you either way, so it makes perfect sense to miss on purpose so they waste time on the rebound and can't inbound upcourt.

But Duke was up by 2 and thus the second free throw DID matter. He makes it and Butler can only tie, he misses it and a three pointer beats them.

There would've been some glorious second guessing of Coach K if that last shot had gone in.

 

Been away from the computer since yesterday afternoon.

Some thoughts from the game;

Ted Valentine should be barred from ever officiating another college basketball game. The way he was giving the two-hand NBA foul calls; the way he was showing up Cahill and Eaks;

Cahill blew the block/charge call. Bigtime. That's a jr. high call.

Zoubek intentionally missed the second free throw. If you are Duke, make the second free throw then foul....

How long is Stevens under contract at Butler?

Oh......did I hear the "offer" to K to coach the Nets correctly? 12-15 million PER YEAR? If that's the case, he has to leave.

Great game. Would have been fantastic if the heave would have went, but a hell of a game anyway.

 

I'm not saying missing the free throw was good strategy.

I'm saying "They can't beat you immediately if you are up 3" is a bad reason.

 

Bite your tongue! ESPN should never get the tournament as long as Screaming Dookie V is alive to annoy us.

 

ESPN won't let Vitale within a mile of being part of the broadcast crew;

If I am ESPN, your broadcast crew will be;
Sean McDonough, Bill Raftery, Jay Bilas; Andy Katz on the sidelines. Pat Forde doing the interviews in-game. Tom Rinaldi with the victor. Forde gets the losers.

 

I actually think it was the right play, especially given how well Duke had done on the offensive boards in that game and the Saturday game. A ball that gets tipped and batted around uses up tenths of seconds, and so does an opponent having to pull down a secure rebound