Minnesota almost lost a game playing 5 on 3. Did anyone else have the sickening feeling that we were about to lose a game 3 on 5, essentially. I know I did.
He hit that money 3 late, though, right? We were so out of position that it was easy for him to be calm while the desperation defender cleared and then sink it.
Minny shot 5-18 from 3 on the day, but of course they drain one with 5 seconds left in regulation, and one in OTā¦
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Letās never speak of this again
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I was going to ask who the last player for us was where you really lived each second of the up and down struggle they go through, but I guess Zak was pretty much like that. Still, Iām rewatching the overtime, and I swear, itās like Z packed the entire struggles of Job into one 5 minute overtime!
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Honestly, itās 80% mechanics. He has a real hard time repeating mechanics. And that problem isnāt only his shooting form, his dribbling and hop step have the same problem. He works about a third of practice of these things. Itāll come around. Thinks way too much when on the basketball floor.
FWIW, when his form is correct(they use video and review every shot), it goes in at a very high rate.
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Agree wholeheartedly. Obviously Duncan was fouled but it was so clear that he was just looking to get fouled and wasnāt going to pass to X no matter what. You often donāt get rewarded for that. If X canāt shoot free throws, he shouldnāt be out there.
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Washington was incredible for Minny today but he came into the game with horrendous shooting percentages (32% FGās & 19% 3ās). He made some amazingly difficult shots today but thatās probably why he shoots such a low percentage. Heās not going to make them most of the time.
Not sure thereās anything more frustrating than pulling for a team that canāt shoot FTās. Makes the game agonizing and even when one of our guys gets fouled, itās almost a negative. Even Rahk who was automatic after the Maryland game, is now 13-22 since.
Gutty to pull out the win. Would be nice to have an easy victory at some point but I think every game is going to be a grind.
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He has such an interesting lively body - it almost feels like he hasnāt grown into his body, which is strange, no?
He really needs to start finishing through contact, at a minimum. Will take at least some pressure off of him at the FT line. Heās strong enough and is right there to finish and heās this close to finishing through contact but he often doesnāt.
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I think Robinson still should pass it to Simpson in that situation though (if the refs arenāt going to call a foul). Simpson had a lot of space to dribble out some clock, and probably only gets fouled with 5-6 seconds left, so at that point Minny has to hustle to get off a good look.
Of course, he was fouled.
I have never seen a player expecting to get fouled, not get fouled because he was expecting it and not trying to make a play. Quite the contrary, when everyone knows they are going to foul, they usually barely have touch them to get the call. The refs donāt want to encourage mugging the guy and causing injury when all you are trying to do is stop the clock.
The two Minnesota players were not even going for the ball, especially the guy closest to the basket. He was repeatedly shoving Duncan in the chest. The ref was not out of position, he was right in front of the play. How can a guy not travel if two guys are pushing on him? What a terrible call. How is the ref going to defend that call.
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I would think they told Robinson to do everything he could to get fouled himself and not to pass it back to X ā and, as you say, he was fouled, so he probably did the right thing.
My overall take - UM shot 43% from the line (missing 16) and shot 25% from 3 with a lot of good looks and won. The shooting from 1-3 spots is a weakness that rears itās ugly head, but every team has to gut out some of these and UM did. At the end of the season, itās just another W.
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Yeah, it was a highly questionable non-call. You almost think they mustāve been making up for something earlier. And generally when everyone knows a foul is coming the refs have a quick whistle. But I do think you donāt get rewarded for being too obviously passive at times and so obviously avoiding passing it to a wide open guard back there. Doesnāt make the refs call right.
The larger point is that X in the game late is a problem.
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I just saw a play in the Purdue/Rutgers game where Freeman got his fifth foul in a similar situation where Rutgers HAD to foul. I,frankly, didnāt even see Freeman touch the Purdue player, but they sure called the foul, quickly. Robinson was fouled at three times on that no call by the official. That and dismal FT shooting caused OT.
You see that play all the time. The player just reaches out and touches the offensive player and the ref blows the whistle. Still waiting for the refās explanation on the travel call on Duncan.