5. Tristan Thompson, Texas Longhorns and Refs choke on Timeout Call
Understanding when to call a timeout is a key part of basketball. Coaches, point guards and star players all have a role in knowing when the time is right … and if they have any to use at all. In the Texas Longhorns’ Sweet 16 matchup against the Arizona Wildcats, the Longhorns’ coach and point guard failed in the first regard.
Up one, the Wildcats through up a brick and Texas came down with the rebound with less than 15 seconds to go. Instead of letting their player be fouled or the point guard quickly getting the ball, Texas called a timeout.
In the moment, it looked harmless — a call to avoid a possible turnover and to get on the same page. Texas came out with their undersized point guard, Corey Joseph to inbound the ball underneath Arizona’s basket. Joseph, not wanting to commit a turnover that close to Arizona’s basket, turned to the ref to call a timeout.
The ref, for whatever reason, didn’t grant the timeout and called a five second violation, giving Arizona the ball on their baseline. Arizona took the lead on that possession and Texas went home in sickening fashion. Not only did Joseph appear to call a timeout, but he didn’t even have the ball for a full five seconds! Ridiculous.
Bu it all comes down to not accepting the foul after the first Arizona miss. If the Longhorns don’t call the first timeout, they walk 94-feet to shoot free throws to ensure they can’t lose in regulation, barring a four-point play. Even on a miss, more time would’ve come off the clock.
Instead, they are haunted with the what-ifs and typical anger towards the officials. A bummer for big man Tristan Thompson, to say the least.