Here’s a situation late in a basketball game I’d like you to think about.
Put yourself on the hot seat, the head coaches seat.
Your team is up by 3 points coming down the stretch. You’re on defense, you look up and the clock reads 7 seconds or less.
Some people think the team on defense should foul and send the team down 3 to the free throw line. Their mindset is, ‘they can tie the game with a three-point shot’.
They’re right, but…
On Twitter and Facebook we talk about this situation often. Some say the odds favor the team on defense. They say they have facts to back up their argument if they foul.
I, on the other hand become a bit hesitant when my team is put in that exact situation. I’ve seen it backfire in person. But I’ve also been burned by not fouling (the same player has banged three’s in different games against us to tie the game!)
My request to you, the reader is to send me any situation in the upcoming weeks during the college basketball conference tournaments, NCAA and NIT tournament. We’ll even examine any other leagues/levels post season.
We can also look at the Junior College tournament and of course the State tournaments around the country in high school basketball.
I’ll keep track of the actual situations and post them in early April.
Good luck and I look forward to hearing from you!
Scott DeCamp of M Live.com on a boys high school basketball coach suspended for the State tournament. Mike Thomas, head coach of Kalamazoo Central is accused of bumping an official after receiving two T’s.
Mike Huguenin of Yahoo Sports tracking the NCAA tournament including Ohio State’s loss to Wisconsin yesterday.
The Independent of UK.com on Chicago Bull Luol Deng who may get fined by the NBA for wearing a tee-shirt during all-star introduction.
The Chicago Bulls forward, originally from South Sudan, stepped onto the platform ahead of the exhibition match wearing a black T-shirt carrying an outline of the African continent and drew attention to it when his name was announced.
The gesture could be judged to violate the dress code for the game, but Deng was relaxed over any possible sanction.
Brian Heyman of lohud.com on the Iona Gaels; a team you may want to keep an eye on come tournament time. Butler, VCU, etc.
Jason Lloyd of the Beacon Sports Journal on Kyrie Irving, doing great things in Cleveland.
Ray Glier of the New York Times on Kentucky’s talent but also be aware of their ‘team-first’ attitude.
“It doesn’t seem like he has to fight this team like he fought that team two years ago,” Vanderbilt Coach Kevin Stallings said. “It seems like there are no cantankerous personalities that he has to fight. It felt like a couple of years ago he was fighting guys and they were fighting him. This team seems like they have bought in to what he wants more and as a result, they are having unbelievable results. It seems like their team chemistry is a little better.”
David Steele of AOL thinks the Basketball Hall of Fame is risking their credibility by voting Phil Knight in.
Hoops135@hotmail.com
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