Duke are the Champions

[general35]

I hate Duke but they played great. Possibly one of the greatest defensive games in a championship by both teams ive seen. nobody got many open looks. barnes should make our team watch this tape every day to show how big time defense is played.

 

[FAST FRED]

The two plays when Duke smartly inbounded the ball near to the rim, opportunistically scoring 4 points were big plays.

Good game.

 

[Horn89]

Why do you intentionally miss a free throw when you're up 2 and there's 3+ seconds to play?

Seems awfully stupid.

I can see it with maybe 2 seconds or less, but 3.2 is enough to get a decent look at the rim (which they got). Butler had no TO's, so they couldn't advance ball to midcourt after a made free throw.

Really dumb call, imo.

 

[busterbrown16]

Horn89 - it is definitely a risk, but you hope your guys can get in and tip the rebound up in the air or Butler gets the rebound in a bad position, neither of which happened. But they still were only able to get a halfcourt shot, which I would gladly take rather than a set shot off an inbound pass.

 

[accuratehorn]

Duke had to work for every shot, Butler usually did too, although they had a few easy layups. Great game, Butler was hitting the threes early and playing great defense throughout, but Duke started to come on in the latter stages, and had just a little more in the weapons race. Felt bad for Butler, it was one of those coin flip games, but congrats to Duke, they deserved it.
Now, will Coach K really listen to that huge pro coaching offer from that Brooklyn team?

 

[Horn89]

Well, the other thing that no one mentioned -- make the free throw and the WORST thing that happens is you're going to OT.

If that last shot is about 6 inches to the left, Duke goes from shooting a free throw with a two-point lead all the way to a loss within a few seconds.

 

[class of 03]

Missing the free throw makes a lot of sense, Duke knows the shot will be missed and they immediately play defense. Butler was forced to scramble for a shot, Howard fouled Singler in the process, Heyward got a 'decent' look if you can get a 'decent' look with a running jumper at half court.

If Zoubek makes, Butler gets a half court pass which kills no clock. Maybe they have a play drawn up to get a good look?

I think it was a calculated risk by Coach K, he is paid the $$$$$$.

 

[darius]

Missing the free throw was the right call. Heyward had to take the rebound under his own basket, with the clock ticking and Zoubeck blocking his path, and then had 4 seconds to dribble as far as he could down court before lofting a shot.

If Zoubeck makes the second free throw, then Butler gets to send its guys down court to receive a long inbounded lob pass potentially much closer to the basket and still have four seconds to dribble once or twice, head fake, try to draw a foul, or just turn around and nail it like Laettner.

Gutsy call, but the right one.

 

[orangecat]

wait a minute. with a two point lead, if you try to make the free throw and you're Duke, all you have to do is put Zoubek in the passer's face. The chances of even completing a pass to half-court are very low, IMO.

This is what I will never understand about the 1992 Duke Kentucky thing. Why Kentucky let him pass the ball without anybody guarding him was almost an engraved invitation.

Look at just a few seconds earlier, when Zoubek was on the passer, Butler couldn't get a pass in.

 

[class of 03]

orangecat,

If Zoubek makes, Butler can run the baseline on the throw in. You really think Zoubek can run with a guard along the baseline???

Again, it was a calculated risk by Coach K which went in his favor.

 

[South Austin]

I was on the road yesterday and listened to a lot of sports radio, and the topic of Coach K's decision to intentionally miss the second free throw dominated the discussion, with strong opinions on both sides if the issue.

I think there are good arguments on both sides and no clear right or wrong answer, but in a few years I doubt this will still be a subject of debate and everyone will simply remember this as a great game by two superbly-coached teams with first-class players.

 

[Aces_Full]

In reply to:

---

---

 

[orangecat]

class, you got me on that one. I forgot he could run. I still say make the free throw, the worst thing that can happen is go to O.T.