Baylor/UCONN - Coach Mulkey's Time-out Call

[JohnGalt]

Anyone see it?

So there's about 6.5 seconds (+/-) left on the game clock and UCONN's up one with the ball on the baseline (2 seconds left on the shotclock). Geno calls the obligatory time out to arrange the play for Maya and UCONN sets up. Baylor coach Kim Mulkey then burns her last time-out to draw up a defensive play based on how she saw the UCONN players set up.

If the game's tied, I can understand that call. Defend it well and you'll get overtime.

But when you're down, you're leaving optimistically 4 seconds to collect the rebound, get down the court, and get off a shot. And all that without any time to draw up a play.

Can someone explain Coach Mulkey's rationale to me?

[Bluedog]

Anyone see it?

So there's about 6.5 seconds (+/-) left on the game clock and UCONN's up one with the ball on the baseline (2 seconds left on the shotclock). Geno calls the obligatory time out to arrange the play for Maya and UCONN sets up. Baylor coach Kim Mulkey then burns her last time-out to draw up a defensive play based on how she saw the UCONN players set up.

If the game's tied, I can understand that call. Defend it well and you'll get overtime.

But when you're down, you're leaving optimistically 4 seconds to collect the rebound, get down the court, and get off a shot. And all that without any time to draw up a play.

Can someone explain Coach Mulkey's rationale to me?

No, it was a terrible call in my mind. No idea what she was thinking. Also, I thought it was a shot clock violation by Uconn so I'd think Baylor should have gotten to take it out of bounds. But going back even farther, UConn has the ball with 34 seconds (I think?) and is up 1. Baylor elects not to foul and play good (fall-back) D instead. (Not going for steals, letting UConn take up the whole shot clock). They succeed in playing good D for the full 30 seconds, and then end up with a half court prayer that isn't even close at the buzzer? When it was a 1 point game with 34 seconds left?! That's inexcusable in my mind and due to bad coaching/players not knowing what's going on. Too bad...I was hoping for a Baylor win.

[uh_no]

I was hoping for a Baylor win.

I thought the game was a lost cause.....but seeing how well uconn played despite shooting absolutely horridly is very promising

I very much look forward to lots of great games from the huskies (and by great I mean hotly contested good basketball...not blowout) against teams like OSU UNC, Duke, and stanford....

but for now I'll take #80

[throatybeard]

If Baylor could hit foul shots, they'd have been up at that juncture.

[johnb]

Baylor folded over the last few minutes, and the coach made what appears to be loser decisions in the last 30 secs. I guess they got nervous (or maybe uconn's pretty good), but it was frustrating to watch...

[DukeBlueNikeShox]

Hard to fault Kim Mulkey. She called the timeout because she obviously didn't like how she was set up defensively after Geno called that time out. In theory, her adjustment worked perfectly, because, although Maya got the ball at her sweet spot, Baylor was able to force her to shoot an airball, force a shot clock violation, and get the rebound. If she hadn't called the timeout, UConn may have gotten an easier look underneath the basket, a trip to the free throw line, or an And1.

Kim's mistake was not telling her team what do offensively after the defensive stop happened. In those situations, you have to tell your team what to do two, maybe even three, possessions ahead. This was evident in that Baylor barely crossed half-court before time ran out.

In other notes:
- Stephanie Dolson only played 12 minutes and fouled out, yet, she gathered more rebounds than 6'8" Griner, who played the entire 40 mins.
- Baylor was the first team since 2004 to shoot 50% or better against UConn.
- UConn attempted 70 shots, while Baylor attempted 44.
- UConn was 14-15 from FT, while Baylor was 16-28 (Griner was 5-13).
- Baylor had 24 turnover; UConn scored 17 points off those turnovers.

[throatybeard]

Hard to fault Kim Mulkey. She called the timeout because she obviously didn't like how she was set up defensively after Geno called that time out. In theory, her adjustment worked perfectly, because, although Maya got the ball at her sweet spot, Baylor was able to force her to shoot and airball, force a shot clock violation, and get the rebound. If she hadn't called the timeout, UConn may have gotten an easier look underneath the basket, a trip to the free throw line, or an And1.

Kim's mistake was not telling her team what do offensively after the defensive stopped happened. In those situations, you have to tell your team what to do two, maybe even three, possessions ahead. This was evident in that Baylor barely crossed half-court before time ran out.

In other notes:
- Stephanie Dolson only played 12 minutes and fouled out, yet, she gathered more rebounds than 6'8" Griner, who played the entire 40 mins.
- Baylor was the first team since 2004 to shoot 50% or better against UConn.
- UConn attempted 70 shots, while Baylor attempted 44.
- UConn was 14-15 from FT, while Baylor was 16-28 (Griner was 5-13).
- Baylor had 24 turnover; UConn scored 17 points off those turnovers.

That is a fantastic post.

Also, allow myself to quote myself [and you] about foul shots.


UConn was 14-15 from FT, while Baylor was 16-28 (Griner was 5-13).

[DukeBlueNikeShox]

It should also be noted that Baylor's projected starting point guard, senior Kelli Griffin, quit the team one week before the first game of the season. She was only 132 assists shy of breaking the career assists record. Although Simms is a terrific freshman guard, Baylor really struggled in running an offense, being able to get clean passes into Griner (hince the turnovers), and keeping composure down the stretch once they got the lead.

[uh_no]

It should also be noted that Baylor's projected starting point guard, senior Kelli Griffin, quit the team one week before the first game of the season. She was only 132 assists shy of breaking the career assists record. Although Simms is a terrific freshman guard, Baylor really struggled in running an offense, being able to get clean passes into Griner (hince the turnovers), and keeping composure down the stretch once they got the lead.

to be fair, uconn's starting point guard tore her acl and is out for the season.....no use crying over spilt beans

[DukeGirl4ever]

No, it was a terrible call in my mind. No idea what she was thinking. Also, I thought it was a shot clock violation by Uconn so I'd think Baylor should have gotten to take it out of bounds. But going back even farther, UConn has the ball with 34 seconds (I think?) and is up 1. Baylor elects not to foul and play good (fall-back) D instead.


I have always agreed with the fact that you need to extend the game as long as possible, but given the fact that someone said UCONN was 14-15 from the line, I agree that Mulkey made the right decision not to foul. If it were the men's game with a 35 sec. shot clock, then YES, absolutely. But, play good defense and get the ball back with 6.5 seconds on the clock AND a time out. I'll agree, I don't think you use that last time out on the in-bounds, esp. since Geno had a called a timeout to set up the offensive play. Mulkey should have used that timeout to cover all scenarios. However, in the heat of the moment, who knows what I would have done in the situation.

Just my two cents....

Anyway, great game, glad to see UCONN win. The reason they won? They've been there a thousand times before....Baylor not so much. And I think Griner was a non-factor. Sure she had a few spurts, but Geno knew defense by committee was the way to stop her.

[JohnGalt]

Hard to fault Kim Mulkey. She called the timeout because she obviously didn't like how she was set up defensively after Geno called that time out. In theory, her adjustment worked perfectly, because, although Maya got the ball at her sweet spot, Baylor was able to force her to shoot an airball, force a shot clock violation, and get the rebound. If she hadn't called the timeout, UConn may have gotten an easier look underneath the basket, a trip to the free throw line, or an And1.

Kim's mistake was not telling her team what do offensively after the defensive stop happened. In those situations, you have to tell your team what to do two, maybe even three, possessions ahead. This was evident in that Baylor barely crossed half-court before time ran out.


I think my point is that had she saved the timeout and UCONN got an easy look under the basket, she still would have had 5-7 seconds to call the timeout and set up an offensive play to send the game to overtime. I think the odds are much more in favor of UCONN having either (a) scored a deuce inside or (b) missed entirely rather than (a) hit a three or (b) scored inside with a foul, both of which would have - for all intents and purposes - ended the game. Tough situation, tough call. But I'm not sure I agree with Kim's presumed reasoning.

[BD80]

to be fair, uconn's starting point guard tore her acl and is out for the season.....no use crying over spilt beans

Her beans spilt out?

How high was that tear?

[hedevil]

In the post game press conference, Kim Mulkey complained about the shot clock violation, and that the clock should have stopped with 6 seconds or so. She seems to have a point there, however, I guess it's one of those calls that refs aren't going to make in those type of game situations.

[94duke]

The refs blew it (I think).
The ball (to me) looked like it was still in the air when the shot clock expired. Since Baylor did not have possession, the refs should have blown the whistle and stopped the clock. Baylor should have had time for an in-bounds play.