There are certain things in sports that just do not need to be over thought. If your best hitter is at the plate, don’t play percentages and use a pinch hitter. If it’s 4th and 1 on your opponent’s 40 yard line, go for it (this one is just starting to gain traction, but is the only thing that makes sense). In a hypothetical situation when the shot clock and game clock are separated by five seconds and you are playing defense while trailing, foul. It’s a no brainer. Just extend the game.
Eric Musselman was not in class the day they taught this lesson. Chris Murray of the Reno Gazette-Journal wrote this in a recap of the Sweet 16 game.
So now, instead of being down by no more than 3 with no less than 26 seconds on the clock, the Wolfpack found itself down 4 with 5.6 seconds remaining.
When the possession began, there were no Wolfpack defenders in the Loyola backcourt. Caleb Martin (maybe Cody Martin, twins make memory really hard) picked up the ball at half court and the team locked in to play straight defense. Which begs the question, what the literal fuck what Eric Musselman thinking?
Imagine the PJ you know from The Campus Cover and the articles I have written. Now imagine that same boy somewhere in between 6-9 beers deep (Commandment number one: don’t count beers). Add the fact that slightly intoxicated PJ with his entire paycheck from last week bet on Nevada -1. Now imagine him seeing Musselman decide to not do so much as PRESS while he was down one with five seconds separating the game clock and the shot clock.
The entire time Loyola dribbled up the floor I asked no one in particular, “Why are they playing defense? Why are they not fouling?” over and over again. As the possession got deeper and deeper, I asked with more and more desperation until Loyola finally hit the shot that iced the game and I was nose to screen with my TV screaming drunken, poor nothings at Eric Musselman and basketball and gambling and every god anyone has ever believed in.
Last thought about Nevada: I'll never hate on a kid during march, but if Eric Musselman never sleeps again over that decision not to foul I wouldn't be upset pic.twitter.com/FMwnfbV1R1
— Student Union Sports (@StudentUSports) March 23, 2018
Nevada’s season is over, and they didn’t even try to extend it.