Kentucky Wildcats Basketball: Thoughts About The Penultimate Possession At Ole Miss
by Glenn Logan on Feb 4, 2011 3:55 PM EST
in Kentucky Wildcats Basketball
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PrintA lot of people have roundly criticized Darius Miller for the next-to-last play against the Mississippi Rebels in Oxford earlier this week. Miller famously declined a wide-open three-point look with six seconds left on the game clock that could have been the difference-maker. Miller later apologized in a tweet to the Big Blue Nation for the way he played that game.
I won't be defending Miller's overall play, which I agree was not his best effort. But I think I have an explanation for why Miller didn't take that three point shot that even he might not even realize, or be willing to explain.
First of all, let's look at where Miller was on the floor -- dead in the right corner. Now, anyone who has played a lot of basketball can tell you that every player has favorite spots to shoot from on the floor, and it's pretty obvious to anyone who watches the Wildcats where the shooters' favorite spots are. Brandon Knight loves to shoot from three inside the lane extended. You don't see him shoot many shots from the wings, and you rarely see him shoot in the dead corner. That may be as much about running the point as anything else, but that's his tendency.
Doron Lamb loves the corner jump shot. Loves it. The Louisville Cardinal's Kyle Kuric also loves that shot, I think he has his name imprinted on the left corners in the Chicken Ranch. The corner is a special place for shooters, because that's where the depth perception is most difficult and the margin for error is smallest. In spite of that, pure shooters often love the corner because of the way the ball looks going in the basket from there. When you shoot that shot perfectly, it is the cleanest-looking shot in all of basketball. I used to love that shot, but nowadays my depth perception isn't as good and I prefer the wing.
More after the jump.
Miller's tendency is to shoot the three with 30 degrees of the centerline of the court from basket to basket. He is happiest shooting the ball from straight on, which is the area of the court with the most margin for error -- if you are a little long, you get the bank, and if you are short or wide, you have a great shot at the rebound because you can tell where it is going.
The corner, however, is not for everyone. Despite his excellent 3-point percentage, Miller almost never shoots from the dead corner, and my assumption is that it is a spot he does not love, and you have to love the corner to have confidence in that shot. Miller very rarely takes a bad shot, especially from outside, so it's clear that he isn't a conscience-free shooter like Doron Lamb.
I remember Joe Crawford hated the corner jumper, and if he didn't, he should have. About every fourth or fifth game, he would find himself wide open in one corner or the other, elevate, and release a ball perfectly on line and six inches high, airmailing the shot. Air balls are no fun, and the most common place for an air ball is from the dead corner. Crawford must have shot 15 air balls during his career and I'll bet 12 of them were from the corner.
With all that in mind, back to the play. I am confident that a corner three from Miller was not plan A for this particular possession. If that had been Lamb over there, I promise you a shot would have gone up, because Lamb makes that corner three about 60% of the time. But Miller is nothing if not self-aware, and he new the plan, which I suspect was to get something going to the basket.
Assuming that's right, go back and look at the replay of the now-infamous non-shot. Liggins makes a pivot pass to a wide-open Miller from the top of the key, and he and the rest of the team freeze to watch what happens next. Nobody cuts to the basket for the shot Calipari wanted, which was something going to the rim where a foul was likely, or to get the rebound in case Miller missed. Nobody. Instead, everyone just watches Miller as he head fakes, takes a dribble to get closer, and then turns down that look (which would have been a forced shot as he was well defended) and gave up the ball to Liggins who had to heave a weak effort off balance at the rim as the shot clock expired.
Miller may not have made the best call, but his teammates abandoned him on an island. I don't think that was intentional, but it is illustrative. You never stop to spectate when you are in a ball game. If you aren't moving, it's because you are where you are supposed to be, being fouled, or on the ground. The entire team stopped to watch Miller, and Miller clearly expected them to do something. This is the kind of thing you get from a young team sometimes, and in this case, it happened at exactly the wrong time.
I admire Miller for taking the blame, but he surely wasn't the only one who messed up that play.
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Miller Time
I applaud your attempts to explain the inexplicable.
Mostly, it’s not that Miller didn’t take that shot, it’s that he won’t take that shot. Not next time and not a year from now.
There is something larger at work — some self-doubt or nugget of Rod Rhodes-ian un-remembering — that Miller just can’t shake.
He scores great in games it’s not needed, adds points when UK is down but can’t seem to be there when they absolutely need him. It’s a shame, but he’s killing this team right now, and not just for that play.
That said, I hate that corner shot. In fact, I never shoot it. Because I always miss it.
But I’m not being feted as a Wildcat, so …
The Heart & Mind of the Big Blue Nation ...
by JL Blue on Feb 4, 2011 4:12 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Miller made the three that brought is within 1 point
You can’t lump all a player’s scoring into a grouping of “not when we need them” points. Especially not Miller, who plays a ton of minutes, scores decently, and considering that we’ve played a lot of close games.
Hard to see how you reach that conclusion.
Miller’s actions were to try to get a better shot with a pump fake and dribble drive. That was well defended.
All basketball players have some level of self-doubt, and some level of comfort doing certain things. Miller may not be comfortable with taking a shot with the game on the line. That’s certainly possible, but I don’t think it’s likely given his high school career.
He is not killing this team right now. That is an indefensible comment. Nobody else did a damn thing on that play.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
MIller ... its like he has a big Harley Davidson Sportser in the garage ....
Strong, fast, powerful …. but at times its as if he gets on his moped and takes it to the game instead ….
I do remember the team froze and I shouted shoot...!
I applaud you Glenn for trying to bring some rational understanding to the Miller play.
The 18 TO’s and not doubling or triple teaming Warren on the last play upset me more than Miller not taking his shot.
A man is nothing more than a summation of his scars!
+1
18 turnovers is WAY too many. Ole Miss played outstanding D, but that’s still too many. Won’t win many like that.
+2
I thought they should have tried to deny Warren the inbounds pass … and then double him immediately if he did get it I would have been …. I said during TO .. “whoever takes the last shot for Miss….. it won’t be Warren.”- I feel certain that Cal did not want Warren taking any shot – even way out there where he took it from….
Glenn
Have to agree with you, we shouldn’t blame one person for this loss.When Cal calls a set play, the entire team seems to move to their designated spot and stop.I don’t know if it is intentional or not, but there is a lot less movement than in a regular play. Maybe these young Cats could take a lesson in nonball movement from the 50’s-60’s Cats.
Something else, in the last several games as we start to shoot a three, our players seem to drift away from the basket instead of preparing to crash the boards. I think we have lost some offensive rebounds because of it.
"SPORTS"--Not interested----"CATS"--Pull up a chair,I've got all night.
Glenn is projecting a little here.
If Miller almost never takes a corner shot, that’s one thing. If Glenn personally finds it a more difficult shot, and why, is irrelevant. I hate the shot myself, but as Glenn nicely points out, some people love it. It is the shortest shot outside the arc.
But he makes a very good point about our players being spectators. This is quite a problem. How many times have we caught ourselves watching the basket, only to have an opponent swoop in for the put-back? If we do this against Florida, we’re toast. Florida has been crashing the boards. If somebody doesn’t put a body on Parsons, he’ll get double-digit offensive rebounds.
Not only that ... but we have a reputation now for not playing well on the road ...
and specifically we don;t play well when the crowd gets in to the game …. At Carolina we kept the crowd out of the game for the most part … like you say Florida can present some problems for us. If we don’t jump on them early and stay on them we could get swamped in the swamp.
You're right, Cris
We got a rep now and teams will be coming at us even harder because they know that’s the way to put us down. As if they needed any more incentive.
by bigbill992001 on Feb 4, 2011 6:29 PM EST up reply actions
They are soft, and Kenny Boynton is utterly inconsistent.
But they are talented, and pretty deep in talent, too.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
I'm not projecting.
I remember when it was my favorite shot, and I made it almost always. This was back in the day before 3-pointers, and I loved it. It counted the same as a layup, and I ran to that spot every time.
Nowadays, my vision is not that good, so my depth perception, at least at Urban Active on Taylorsville Road, isn’t what it used to be. I find the wing shot easier even though it is longer. But that wasn’t always so, and in fact, it used to be the other way around.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
If you're there between ...
…7 and 8:15 AM every weekday, you will see me there. I have the same routine every day — workout for 45 minutes, shoot hoops for 15 minutes.
My knees are worn out, so I don’t play in games anymore other than maybe horse or a little half-court. 15 minutes is all the pounding they’ll take without causing me grief. :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
I'm never there that early
I’m at work by 7…probably pretty nice at that time to have lots of open equipment and open court too. Maybe one day we’ll run across each other, but probably not even know it!
Comment
I understand if Cal called a play going to the basket. I also understand if Miller prefers not to shoot from the corner. But, time and situation. When Miller took his dribble or two toward the basket, it was too late in the shot clock to pass the ball back out. Since he was well-defended, he should have shot the ball then and tried to draw a foul, relying on the instincts he has developed after playing four years of high school ball and nealry three years of college ball. Going to the line or a missed shot would either have been better than a shot clock violation.
+1
There’s just no way to justify Miller’s actions/inactions on that play.
by bigbill992001 on Feb 4, 2011 6:30 PM EST up reply actions
I just did. Convincingly.
That you weren’t convinced enough to admit the possibility says more about you than my argument. In other words, your mind is closed in this particular case.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this, Glenn
My mind is NOT closed, but my EYES WERE OPEN. I won’t pretend to know what was running thru Miller’s mind at the time, but his body language(he thought about shooting for a second. Look at the picture, he’s in the shooting motion for liftoff) and his subsequent apology tells me he knows he should have taken that shot. Anyway, I guess we’ve beat that horse enough. Let’s kick some butt in FL. GO CATS!
by bigbill992001 on Feb 4, 2011 11:35 PM EST up reply actions
No worries, Bill.
We can certainly agree to disagree. Keep in mind, my eyes were open also, and I watched that replay six or seven times just yesterday, in fast, slow, and super-slow mo. I think I know what I am talking about. Like you, I had the opinion that there was no excuse for Miller’s actions — until I watched the replay carefully.
That doesn’t necessarily make me right, of course. But we can’t rationally claim there was “no justification” because there very well could have been, and more than one. the very simple idea raised by Tim below that Miller’s internal clock was off a bit could have explained his hesitation.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
i was more upset he did not take the short shot...
I really had no problem with the 3 he passed up
only one rule in my house - uk has to be your favorite college bball team
by memphis wildcat on Feb 4, 2011 6:42 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
If everyone else had done what they were supposed to do ...
… he had plenty of time.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
You still have to take that shot
Then it comes to be that the soothing light at the end of your tunnel, is just a freight train coming your way...
@btcoop71
No, you don't.
The question is this:
Did Miller expect the other players to go to the basket? I don’t know, but maybe, just maybe he did. Even if he has no fear of the shot, and my theory is wrong, that could have been why he hesitated.
It was a tough decision. Definitely Liggins should have cut to the basket, where he would have had a layup. He stopped and watched.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
It was not a tough decision.....
he was wide open for 3 very late in the shot clock. And, for whatever reason, Miller passed on the shot and made Liggins have to shoot an awful shot. In lieu of decorum, I will leave it at that.
No one, not even me, would have any complaints if Miller would have taken the shot and missed.
Slower Traffic Keep Right!
Good point.
If he didn’t want to shoot the 3, he could pump fake that defender running at him and drive to shoot from a better angle or draw a foul, still had a few seconds to work with.
Also over in the corner is the hardest place to see the shot clock.
But, Darius DIDNT want to have to take the shot, is how I viewed it at the time. Passing to Liggins is about the worst thing he could have done, and that’s what he did.
If you watch the replay ...
… he did exactly what you suggested. He pump faked, dribbled inside the arc for a better look and was closely guarded.
Meantime, nobody else moved. If Miller had missed the shot, Ole Miss was the only team in good position to get the rebound, because all the UK players were standing around watching. Nobody went to block out their man, nobody cut to the rim, nothing.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
I can agree with that ... nobody moved
If Miller just hits the rim … most likely a Miss player gets the rebound … but a runout is not likely since we have three guys above the 3-point line. By the time they could corral the rebound and move to half court – they would have had little or no time to make that last shot.
Well ...
… I think Miller was trying to win the game, and wanted a better look than what he had. That’s what I think.
The reason makes a big difference. If Miller was afraid to take the last shot, well, that’s one thing. If he lost track of the clock, that’s another. If he decided, quite rationally, to try to get a better look and knew he had time to do it, that’s yet another. All those explanations are plausible, but based on his actions, the only ones that really make sense are the second and third.
What I don’t get is why some are suggesting Miller is to blame. He wasn’t — he made a choice and it didn’t work out for him. It happens many times every game, and the impact of this one was simply magnified due to its proximity to the end of the game. The decisions of the rest of the Wildcats not to try to get rebounding position (nobody did), block out their man (nobody was), or cut to the basket (too busy watching Miller) are equally blameworthy.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Question about the non-shot
Would a shot from the corner that, lets say misses, narrow the offensive rebound area than one from the center of the basket? Maybe he thought passing to Liggins, who was in a spot where the backboard could come into play was the way to go? Just asking.
A corner miss tends to produce a weak-side rebound.
Ole Miss’s players were in much better position to get that rebound than Kentucky’s
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Sure, could be.
We are all really speculating here. I doubt if Miller even knows what he was thinking at the time.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Pavlovian
I would suggest that Miller’s reluctance (perhaps refusal is more accurate) to take a critical action is a conditioned response or more precise: condtitioned response aversion. Who knows what experience(s) in his life contributed to this mindset? Only a Professional analyst could ascertain such, and even that isn’t a certainty. But make no mistake the condition is the same one that causes the seemingly inexplicable inability of the young man to match his accomplishments with his observed physical abilities. Not an unusual problem but more recognized in highly competitive environments, especially those with intense public scrutiny. It’s possible a sports psychologist could be beneficial to Miller and the team. Better now than later in life because the condition will likely linger and perhaps intensify with other incidents of perceived failure.
"I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes." Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776
by Wild Weasel on Feb 4, 2011 7:25 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Could be, WW.
.
But did he actually ever say that he was aware that he passed up the jumper at 0:06 and the shorter, contested shot at 0:03-0:04 on the shot-clock?
Who knows for sure, but what if the answer is less about psychology and more about the mundane error of not keeping close tabs on the shot clock?
I don’t know myself- I never saw any of his tweets or quotes.
-- Tim
Lexington
That's possible also.
Although if so, that’s a shame, because I would expect him to know.
But you are 100% correct. It could well be that he thought there was more than six seconds on the clock, and he wouldn’t be the first to make that kind of error.
I think the problem is that many have decided that it was an unreasonable act, when either your explanation or mine would make it eminently reasonable. At best, that shot has a 30-35% for Miller from a spot where he rarely takes it. It’s hard to blame him for trying to get better odds.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Occam’s razor.
Losing track of the shot-clock, right before the pass to Liggins, is a much simpler explanation than a deep-seated psychological issue. Not that the latter couldn’t be 100% accurate. Or that the former is particularly excusable.
The good news is that this won’t matter so much by tomorrow evening after we have put a thumping on the Gators…
.
-- Tim
Lexington
Keep in mind ...
… Miller did not just pass to Liggins. He pump-faked and tried to get a better look.
He clearly though he had time to do that, and only passed to Liggins after that better shot was well defended. Also, the idea that Occom’s razor provides one possibility over another is dubious, since any of the three possibilities are essentially equal in simplicity.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Simplest
possibility was to shoot the wide open three. Miller has made some high profile errors of decision lately. Failure to call a time out when he couldn’t get the inbounds pass, stepping inbounds before passing and passing up the three with time running out. It’s as if Cal’s call for leadership has thrown him further into hesitancy. He has to step up and he knows it. He has the ability. Darius, you can’t be King of the Bluegrass if you keep abdicating the throne.
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
I'm not sure it was an error ...
… except in 20/20 hindsight. That was not a look that I would have wanted the game riding on if I were Miller … or Calipari.
It was a decision. Looking back, maybe the shot would have been a better choice, but we wouldn’t be saying that if Miller had hit a cutting Liggins for a layup, or if the pump fake had drawn a foul, or if the fake had freed Miller for a ten foot bank shot. Then, we all would have lauded his decision-making.
I think we are picking on the wrong person, here. Win as a team, lose as a team.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
I agree, and I am not placing blame,
just saying for Darius to excel he has to make decisions and not be hesitant. I am sure that Cal did not want the corner three from Miiller to be the best option but when time runs out the best option might be to take what opportunity is given to you. I think Cal probably wishes he had taken a time out and set up something that everyone could understand their role in.
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
Further Commentary
To me this comment by Calipari on Miller just adds to the growing accumulation of evidence that the junior has an unacceptable mindset toward competing:
He noted how Twany Beckham, an afterthought at Mississippi State before transferring to UK, was too much for Darius Miller to handle in Thursday’s practice. “I had to take Darius off the court,” Calipari said. " ‘OK, step off. You’re not tough enough to play him. Just step off.’"
As for the pump fake it was IMO a conditioned response and not an attempt to gain tactical advantage.
"I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes." Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776
Calipari's sending a message.
You’re entitled to your opinion. We will agree to disagree.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
You Read It The Way I Do
Others may not.
by FortyYearCatFan on Feb 5, 2011 10:02 AM EST up reply actions
Cal has been sending messages
From the press reports all season, Cal has sent message after message to Miller. Look, I like the kid and have defended him for almost three years against complaints. However, either the messages Cal sends don’t hit the mark or they seem to have the opposite effect of what Cal intends.
Next Year
UK will have a loaded roster.
Anyone playing F or G will have to earn PT.
Miller will be in that boat.
by FortyYearCatFan on Feb 5, 2011 10:33 AM EST up reply actions
Valid Points
You make some really valid points in which made me rethink my feelings toward that play. After a few minutes it passed though, lol. Taking a second look at it, Miller lost track of the shot clock(as some already mentioned above) and made a not needed extra pass to Liggins. It all boils down to confidence. Miller still is coming up short in that department. Once Darius find that “Killer Instinct”, you will start watching a lottery pick , instead of a future second rounder. I am a Darius Miller fan, and have complete faith he will eventually find his “way”. I just hope it happens this season, because we need him now!
And how is it clear to you that he lost track of the clock?
It certainly isn’t clear to me, and I watched the play a half-dozen times at all speeds.
He certainly may have, but he had no choice but to pass, since he was too well defended after the pump fake to get a shot up other than forcing it up.
In any case, the initial decision point was the three point shot. My theory is he declined that as not a sufficiently high-percentage look and tried to get a better shot. That says absolutely nothing about his “killer instinct,” it is just good basketball. His teammates stood around and watched, which placed him in an impossible situation. Maybe he would have been better off forcing something up, I don’t know, but his initial decision can be easily justified.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
If Miller took time
to make a conscious decision not to take the three, then he never had a chance of completing a successful play. Shooters have to go by instinct and game flow, not by logic. It is not in Darius’ mentality to feel the shot and take it, apparently.
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
You can't possibly believe that.
Anyone who plays the game without thinking is likely to do more harm than good. I’ve played my share of organized basketball, and I know that to be true. You have to trust your instincts, but you also have to be thinking about what needs to happen.
Instinctively, Miller knew that three point look was not the shot UK needed. It wasn’t. Logically, that is also true, but looking back after everything was over with perfect hindsight, we now conclude that Miller messed up.
We needed a look from inside the arc going to the basket. Miller tried to get that. Whether that was pure instinct, pure thinking, or a combination of both we will never know.
In the end, it was a decision. If he had missed the shot, would we be lauding his guts, or lamenting that he didn’t try to get closer and claiming that he’s a bad pressure player because he missed that shot? I believe the latter. But again, we will never know.
Darius Miller has become the designated blame guy. That’s wrong, and I’m not done saying so. This is a team game, and the team let him down to an arguably greater extent than the reverse.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Again,
I am not blaming Darius, he is one of my favorite players and I stand by my statement but let me clarify a little. Yes one must have a mental comprehension of the game and the immediate circumstances, but when it comes to shooting, a thinker is a misser. Shooting has to be a feel, coming from instincts and muscle memory. If it were merely focus and thinking there would be no need to take hundreds of shots in practice, a few well thought out ones would do. Coach Cal wants Miller to step up and lead. He passed on opportunity that others would have taken and I am sure he wishes he could have that back for another try.
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
Well ...
… Thinking about shooting is obviously not what you want to do, but thinking about what conditions represent a good shot is another. You cannot play the game well by feel alone. You cannot let feel dictate when you shoot, because if you do, you wind up with bad shots. Every player who can really shoot the ball has never seen a shot he didn’t like, never seen a shot he couldn’t make, and expects to make them all.
Miller is not a shooter. He just isn’t. Lamb is a shooter. Knight is a shooter. Miller is a player who shoots when he’s open and passes when he isn’t. Its a different mentality, and a different mental approach. I think you are projecting a shooter’s mentality onto him, and that’s not what he is. His percentage is deceptive from three. He takes few shots from there, and 100% of them are wide open looks from near the top of the key.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Bracketology: Cats a
"I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes." Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776
by Wild Weasel on Feb 4, 2011 8:39 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Oops, iPod
Cats a 4:
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology
"I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes." Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776
by Wild Weasel on Feb 4, 2011 8:41 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Mike Huguenin of Rivals as of 2/3 has us at a 4 seed also
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/news?slug=rivals-1184989
A man is nothing more than a summation of his scars!
UK #4 Seed Only Once Before
http://www.bigbluehistory.net/bb/Statistics/gamencaa.html Made Sweet 16 before running into eventual NC Maryland.
by FortyYearCatFan on Feb 5, 2011 7:53 AM EST up reply actions
UK "Average" Seed
NCAA began seeding in 1980.
UK has been invited 27 times from 1980 through 2010 seasons (31 years).
The “average seed” for UK is between 3 and 4 seed.
by FortyYearCatFan on Feb 5, 2011 8:50 AM EST up reply actions
I could certainly live with a 4.
A 5, though, would not be a good one.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
UK Is 5-7 In NCAA As 5 Seed (Or Lower)
Not a good omen.
But i think UK will be 3 or 4 seed, maybe higher.
In 2001 the Cats made it to # 2 seed with 22-9 record on Selection Sunday.
by FortyYearCatFan on Feb 5, 2011 10:10 AM EST up reply actions
I think you're right.
I hope you’re right. A victory versus a ranked Florida today on the road will go a long way toward making that a reality.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
i thought i heard a whistle
Right after he passed up the jumper. In fact I thought they were going to call walking or that cal had called a to. It was really loud in the gym
Truth be told, in the heat of the moment I thought they looked disorganized and that cal should have called a to with 10 on the shot clock
only one rule in my house - uk has to be your favorite college bball team
by memphis wildcat on Feb 4, 2011 9:35 PM EST via mobile reply actions 1 recs
That whole play, and it was in front of Cal, was surreal - almost like slow motion
A man is nothing more than a summation of his scars!
Choice location?
I understand your point, but generally disagree. Miller froze. Certainly the kid shouldn’t take the blame for the game, but, you don’t always get to shoot from your favorite spots, and with so few seconds on the shot clock, he should have pulled the trigger. Jones, BTW, was covered under the basket, so Lamb or Knight, who were likely first options, were out in the wing or center court when Miller got the ball. Liggins, to your point, was the only one who could have broken to the rim in so short a time, and I rarely think of him as a shooting option, even up close.
Watch the replay.
He did not freeze. Miller pump faked and tried to bet a better look. That’s what he did, and it’s beyond dispute. The only question is whether or not he was justified in turning down the three.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
I muttered "timeout" to myself...
but it never came. I wanted to Cal to take one in that situation because we did not look organized or have any clue what we were trying to do. When Miller got so wide open, I thought “no timeout needed” and he passed up the shot.
I’ve won or tied 12 games in my life with last second runners, jumpers, free throws, 3’s and circus shots. I tied one game with a 65 foot 3 pointer. But I’ve also had at least 5 or 6 other chances and have lost the ball, missed the shot, turned it over or flat out choked and tossed the ball to the other team. Once an opposing player standing near mid-court waved at me as if to say “give me the ball” and I did. That was most embarrassing. We lost.
All that to say, when you are in the heat of the moment, all the clear thinking and analyzing in the world may just be too much. He just chose to pass up the shot based on his basketball instincts and that’s all you can really say I think. Hopefully, this will add to his repertoire of knowledge and the next time he will make what we all believe to be the better decision.
Xbox Live Gamertag: hoopchi
Your last paragraph
may be the only explanation that makes sense.
Good take Glenn
I had not considered your take on the nature of the shot; what you say makes perfect sense…
The play never should have extended that long.
When we got the ball, there was planty of time to make a quick shot that would either go in and put us up three with plenty of time to get the ball back or miss and put Ole Miss in the exact same position that they wound up in, but would have given us more time.
The mistake wasn’t in taking/not-taking the shot by Miller. The mistake was in not playing for two possessions. For that I blame Cal.
Anytime you lose a game by less than 3 and you have timeouts left in your bag, you have made a tragic mistake of coaching.
Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."
Calipari, like most college coaches ...
… always tries to take the clock down as low as possible in late-game situations. I think an argument can be made that it’s not the best thing to do, but it’s very traditional.
I don’t know if that’s really blameworthy, though. It’s a style thing. You almost never see college coaches do it any other way. The NBA occasionally tries to get 2 for 1’s in that scenario, but generally not in big games.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
It's ancient history
There is a game today and I hope Miller and the rest of the team are thinking about the Gators not about what happened on Tuesday. It’s time to move on.
And on that note ...
… there is a new post up!
Thanks for the great segue! :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
One last throw-away point.
If Miller hates to shoot from the corner, then why was he positioned there and why was the ball passed to him for the shot? If that was the only place for him to get open, and he always declines the corner shot, then it seems an immediate pass would have been the first impulse, rather than go through the motions of a shot attempt.
I think he maybe should have been farther out on the wing in the first place. That said, I’m not criticizing Miller, as I definitely couldn’t have done any better.
He went there ...
… because that’s what a player does playing basketball – run to the open spot. That spot was open, and to move the ball well you have to do that. It’s just how you play the game. Surely I don’t have to explain that.
As I explained above, Miller isn’t a shooter. He can shoot, but it isn’t his game to take challenged three point shots from the corner. That’s Lamb’s game, or Knights game. Those guys have never seen a bad shot.
But Miller isn’t that kind of player. He only takes three pointers when conditions are ideal. His instinct is to get the ball closer to the rim and shoot a jumper closer to the basket, or get the ball in the hands of a guy like Knight or Lamb.
Miller probably should have forced the issue and tried to get fouled. The problem was, the rest of the Wildcats stood around, and the spacing was bad, so he couldn’t really do much.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Note
In my 60 years of following this team(UK) I can’t remember ever hearing this much rhetoric from so many people about one(1) shot. And the shot didn’t even happen. This game was lost lone before Millers decision.
Happy Days are here again! Wildcat's have #1 recruiting class again!
+1
10+ turnovers the 1st half, never shoulda come down to a last possession or 2 game. Anyway, it’s history and on to FL. GO CATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
by bigbill992001 on Feb 5, 2011 7:00 PM EST up reply actions
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