@HighEliteMajor
First, here is the link â to the story in question.
And here is what it said...
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SAN ANTONIO
Udoka Azubuike couldn't help himself.
Villanova had already set a Final Four recor d for three-point makes with 15:17 still left in the game â but old habits die hard.
When Phil Booth drove to the lane â Kansas' Malik Newman stuck to his hip â Azubuike stayed anchored on the charge semicircle, waiting for a potential block attempt.
It was simple from there. Booth fired out to Omari Spellman in the corner, who made the wide-open three.
That was Azubuike's man.
A few seconds later, KU coach Bill Self screamed at his big man from the sideline.
"Doke!" he hollered, his palms toward the sky.
It didn't make things better for Self in KU's 95-79 loss to Villanova on Saturday night in the Final Four.
From that same spot, he had to watch as the next few possessions played out in similar ways.
Less than a minute later, Booth drove the middle. KU's Lagerald Vick was next to him, but teammate Marcus Garrett took a half-shuffle toward the rim to help.
That was enough. Quick pass to the wing. Donte DiVincenzo open for three.
"What are you doing?" Self yelled to Garrett as he crossed half-court.
A media timeout wasn't beneficial either. Next possession, when DiVincenzo started to put up a three with KU's Svi Mykhailiuk right next to him, Silvio De Sousa raised a hand more than 5 feet away, as if he were trying to feign interest.
DiVincenzo didn't shoot, though. He pulled it down and passed to Spellman, who had a full second to set up for another three when De Sousa turned his head to grab the rebound.
Self's refrain was familiar but intended for De Sousa: "What are you doing?"
"We've been playing teams that usually the guards can shoot, but not the big men. That was just a lot different," De Sousa said later in the locker room. "It's hard to guard a team where everybody can shoot."
Self would see that again on the next possession. DiVincenzo faked a drive in transition with Mykhailiuk in good defensive position, but De Sousa went back to instincts, falling behind his teammate to protect the rim.
Quick pass to Spellman. Late closeout by De Sousa. And after a pump-fake, Spellman had an open lane before De Sousa fouled him.
Self looked to the bench, pulling his thumb toward his body.
Azubuike knew what that meant. He checked in for De Sousa.
"If you help, somebody's going to be open," De Sousa said. "Today, as much as we tried, we just couldn't match up with them."
Azubuike coming in didn't provide the defensive answer either.
On the ensuing possession, Spellman received a pass before facing up Azubuike on the baseline, putting in an 18-footer over the top of him.
It became too painful for Self the next time down.
Villanova's Collin Gillespie drove baseline on Vick. And starting nearing the elbow, Azubuike took two steps back, his feet once again resting on the charge semicircle.
Everyone knew what was next. Quick pass to wing. Spellman open for three.
Self couldn't take it. He turned his back on the play, flailing his hand in the air in frustration.
There was 12:42 left on the clock. The shot missed, but that wasn't the point.
Self knew, just like everyone watching.
This was how Villanova had beaten KU.
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"Doke!" he hollered, his palms toward the sky.
"What are you doing?" Self yelled to Garrett as he crossed half-court.
Self's refrain was familiar but intended for De Sousa: "What are you doing?"
Self would see that again on the next possession. DiVincenzo faked a drive in transition with Mykhailiuk in good defensive position, but De Sousa went back to instincts, falling behind his teammate to protect the rim. Quick pass to Spellman. Late closeout by De Sousa. And after a pump-fake, Spellman had an open lane before De Sousa fouled him. Self looked to the bench, pulling his thumb toward his body.
Now, does it sound like the players were following the game plan or going back to what they had done before?
"If you help, somebody's going to be open," De Sousa said. "Today, as much as we tried, we just couldn't match up with them."
Does it sound like they were told to double team and leave their man unguarded which is what they did?
Does it not sound to you like Coach Self was frustrated?
If you read my other posts, I never said that KU was a better team; in fact, I wrote that from half way into the season, it was obvious that Villanova was the best team and should have been the overall #1 because I thought Virginia was overrated and very vulnerable and unlike @jaybate-1-0 l believe the Big East is not only a major conference but a very good one to boot.
I also wrote that Villanova was a bad matchup for KU since it did not have the personnel to matchup up with Villanovaâs outside shooting or inside speed.
If the game plan was so flawed why is it that the lead keep not increasing? Villanova was shooting out of its mind at the start of the game and KU players were not doing what they were told, as it is very obvious in the Newell article copied verbatim above. In fact, after KU settled down Villanovaâs shooting went down missing the last 5 3s of the first half and shooting below its season average in the second half. After the first 7 minutes of the game and even while Villanova was still shooting well, KU outscored Villanova for the last 33 minutes of the game; so much for a bad game plan...and yes, I do know the games is 40 minutes long but KU just dug itself too deep of a hole at the start of the game and could not catch up and Villanova deservedly won the entire game, but you do know that is not the point I was making.
Sometimes it is not the instructor or the range or the gun but the shooterâs fault that the target is not hit.
