Oops, you’re right. For some reason I had it in my head that it was supposed to be a road game.
If that isn’t a sign that this season is blessed, I don’t know what is. Did Sister Jean transfer to Michigan or something??
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Texas Tech with a 2 point lead @ Texas at the 2nd half under 4. 2 FTs coming for Texas
Wow, Texas Tech steals an inbounds pass to tie the game with just under 40 seconds left in the game.
McClung hits a hero ball 3 with 2 seconds left to give TTU a 3 point lead
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McClung being a major factor in however long Texas Tech’s run in March goes this year will be fun. Wildly varying potential outcomes
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2 point shot! Literally the worst shot in basketball and contested too.
Road win for Texas Tech in a game where Texas shot 13 for 25 from three and Kyler Edwards and Terrence Shannon were a combined 6 for 20 from the floor.
Weird one.
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I don’t understand how McClung’s shot is hero ball??? They gave him the ball with 10 seconds left, he was measured and controlled, created enough space, and buried a 3 point jumper. My understanding is the term “hero ball” is a pejorative term. That was a play talented guards make all day. I thought it was a good play.
Full disclosure; I like guards like McClung, Dosunmu, Carr so I might be biased, but that was a helluva play and the right one.
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I didn’t watch the whole game but I did pull up the last play… That’s pretty close to exactly what you want in that situation but he went a little early.
It’s not a “bad shot” because it is a two in this context because you are at a spot where one score can win the game. You need to score, you don’t need the most points.
You are okay with running a simple ball screen set like this because the worst thing you want to do is turn the ball over. Executing too complicated of a set can lead a turnover.
You basically want to guarantee you have the last shot of the game and have a chance to win. This is a good idea of why “long twos” aren’t always bad shots depending on game situation.
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I think it rates a 6.5 out of 10 on my hero ball scale.
On the one hand, Dylan’s correct that you don’t want to leave any time on the clock and you got a good shooter a decent look. I would also add that it was a tie game so the worst outcome you want is to go to OT.
But, my hero ball argument is that you ran no action and got a semi-contested three. So imagine if that’s Michigan, a team who’s shooting an insane percentage at the rim and getting a lot of shots in the paint. If Smith or Brooks came down and dribbled their way into a three with no one else really touching the ball…would we be happy? Not really…unless it went in.
I concede that you don’t want it to be too complex to risk a turnover or what happened to Wisconsin at the end of the first half the other day. But if they were down 1-2 points I’m pretty confident they call their timeout and try to set up a better shot.
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That’s true re: 2 vs 3, but if Texas made their final shot it would’ve important for that shot to not have been a 22 ft 1 inch 2 pointer.
Did they really run a ball screen set? He denied it, and didn’t even come within ~8 ft of it, and dribbled into a long jumper. As far as shots Texas is happy giving up on that possession, I gotta think that’s near the top of the list. McClung is also 33% from 3 on the season.
I think they rebounded the ball with about 14 seconds left and timeouts. The ball didn’t cross halfcourt until there were 8.5 seconds left. I think you’d want to see a better shot than that given the situation. I’d personally be upset if that was the shot Michigan put up in a tie game.
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As I said, the biggest issue with the play was that he went too early. I don’t disagree that people would complain about it, but that’s basically exactly what you want to do in that situation.
I don’t have an issue with it at all and actually like not calling timeout and going into a ball screen. The numbers also say… that’s MacClung’s favorite spot on the floor. Get to your spot, hit the shot.
All you really want to do in that situation is get a 1v1 matchup and minimize the other team’s ability to help off the ball.
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Okay, that shot chart certainly changes the equation.
Did he go too early? This is a genuine question. the shot went in with 3 second left, that leaves plenty of time to get a potential OREB right?
It’s probably close… In a tie game, I’d rather go late enough that there’s no chance for an offensive rebound.
I think your first priority has to be making sure you don’t lose in that situation. If you go late enough, there’s no way to lose the game in regulation.
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I think that’s right in this case because Texas Tech is good team that can hang with Texas. If it’s more a fluky game with a bigger talent disparity I think it makes sense to take a greater risk of losing in regulation to increase the chance of winning in regulation. Shooting earlier also means the shot really needs to be a 3 unless you get a wide open look at a 2.
If this year’s Michigan team ran that for Smith or Brooks I’d be mad. If previous iterations ran that for Burke or Stauskas or Walton I’d be happy.
I don’t know where McClung falls on the shotmaker scale but the concept was fine.
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I’d bet money that Michigan would run some kind of pretty simple ball screen action with Mike Smith in a similar spot. Probably bring Isaiah or Franz as a second screener to potentially ghost/slip it but the late clock offense has been Smith out of PNRs.
It is much easier to debate this stuff with an abstract game rather than a game Michigan just won or lost 
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I think I’d want Livers with a ghost screen by Wagner in a situation like this. Livers taking a couple dribbles into a pull up jumper.