Channelling John Wooden

After watching the tape again of the Michigan State - Butler semifinal, a quote of John Wooden's popped into our minds.

"The game is over coached, and under taught."

We're all for coaching, that's what we do and what we love. However, There were several displays of over-coaching last night.

At the end of the first half, Butler calls a timeout with 2.5 seconds left after a rebound to set up...a three-quarter court length sideline out of bounds? Why? Why not save that timeout for a late game situation. Butler had already used a timeout earlier which we assumed was it's thirty second timeout for the first half.

You really can't tell in the NCAA tournament if a timeout is a thirty and a full because CBS goes to a commercial during all timeouts and the first thirty second timeout of a half becomes a full through the magic of television.

Then the most egregious example of over coaching was the end of game decision by Tom Izzo to claim that the clock had started early. The officials were right on his complaint, stopped the game and reviewed the situation.

What this essentially gives each team is a timeout while the officials are looking at replay. It's usually a shrewd maneuver, however, MSU could have taken advantage of the chaos of transition and gotten a 3 point shot with Butler in a scramble. All the faux timeout did was allow Butler to organize it's defense and use the foul when up three strategy. If MSU allowed the play to continue and not ask for the officials for review, then we're willing to bet that no player on Butler would have been smart or gutsy enough to foul in transition, yet alone allow 4 seconds of clock to elapse before doing it.

In this case this bit of over-coaching cost MSU dearly. Butler fouled up 3, MSU hit the first and missed the second trying for a tip in and was denied.