Topeka Capital Journal - Rick Dean: From timeouts to Roy, media focused on KU

Rick Dean: From timeouts to Roy, media focused on KU
Posted by Rick Dean

Kudos for Kansas, criticism of Calipari and some "What was Roy thinking?" comments highlight today's final installment of the media watch on The Day After KU's third NCAA championship.

• ESPN's Jay Bilas, on Memphis coach John Calipari's insistence that his Tigers were trying to foul before Mario Chalmers' game-tying 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds in regularation:
"John Calipari may have wanted them to foul, but the players had no intention of fouling. They didn't call a timeout when they should have (after a made free throw) with 10.8 seconds left. Even when the ball came in, Derrick Rose had the chance to foul at halfcourt, and you could see he had his hands up, trying not to do it.

"Then they could have called a timeout (after the Chalmers basket) with 2.1 seconds left. You have time for a decent shot, maybe get fouled, and they chose not to do that. This was about poise at the end. Memphis lost their's, Kansas kept their's, and that's why they're national champions."

• Newly hired ESPN studio analyst Bob Knight, also faulting Calipari for not taking a timeout to set his defense before the historic Chalmers shot:

"You take the timeout (after a made free throw made it 63-60) so your kids know the exact circumstances. You don't take anything for granted. You say, 'OK boys, we can't give up three points. You have a clock in your head. You count 1-2-3-4-5, then foul. Then they only have a chance to score two.'

"That's an absolute must in this circumstance. You can't think that, just because we worked on this in practice, they'll remember it now. There's too much at stake. There was indecision there (among the players), should I foul or not?"