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SAN FRANCISCO — John Calipari didn't diverge from his coaching tendencies in the closing seconds of Arkansas basketball's season.
The 10th-seeded Razorbacks (22-14) fell to No. 3 Texas Tech (28-8) 85-83 in overtime Thursday night in the Sweet 16 of the men's NCAA Tournament. Darrion Williams provided the game-winner with a short hook shot in the extra period, but there were still seven seconds on the clock when Williams gave the Red Raiders a late lead.
Calipari elected not to call a timeout, and the Arkansas possession ended with a fadeaway jumper from D.J. Wagner that hit the front of the rim and fell harmlessly to the floor.
More: Bad habits reappear as Arkansas basketball season ends in Sweet 16 loss to Texas Tech
More: Arkansas basketball vs Texas Tech score: Hogs squander big lead, fall in Sweet 16
After the game, Calipari explained his decision, saying hind sight is the only factor that could cause any regret.
"In my career, I let that go," Calipari said. "Let the guy get to the rim. They're not going to foul you. With that kind of time, just me, you call a timeout, now you've got to worry about what he's doing, how he's playing, the inbound, what are you doing.
"So I usually let that go. Now, because it ended the way it did, yeah, I wish I would have called a timeout. But 99 percent of the time, I let that go."
Williams also made a decisive 3-pointer in regulation, tying the score at 72-72 with 9.7 seconds left. Calipari did not call timeout, but Texas Tech head coach Grant McCasland did put a pause to the proceedings to set up his defense.
The end result was a near mirror-image of what eventually ensued in overtime. Wagner took a difficult shot and missed, and the Red Raiders were able to grind out the win in overtime.
Arkansas was an underdog and the only double-digit seed still standing in March Madness, but the final score was a stunner after the Hogs built a 16-point lead in the second half and led by 13 inside the final five minutes.
The Red Raiders rallied and ended Calipari's first season in Fayetteville just two wins shy of the Final Four. It will leave an undeniable sting, but the Hall of Fame head coach continued to express gratitude in the immediate aftermath for how his players responded to their early-season struggles with a late turnaround.
"I'm going to say it again for everybody, for me, this was as rewarding a year -- and I feel like crap right now -- but this was as rewarding a year as I've had in all my years," Calipari said.
"I've had teams that were better and finished better and national champions and all that stuff, this was a different reward. Different reward. And for me as a coach, we had to adjust and learn, and it was an experience for me to learn."
Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him @jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Why John Calipari didn't call timeout at the end of Arkansas' loss to Texas Tech
Continue reading...
The 10th-seeded Razorbacks (22-14) fell to No. 3 Texas Tech (28-8) 85-83 in overtime Thursday night in the Sweet 16 of the men's NCAA Tournament. Darrion Williams provided the game-winner with a short hook shot in the extra period, but there were still seven seconds on the clock when Williams gave the Red Raiders a late lead.
Calipari elected not to call a timeout, and the Arkansas possession ended with a fadeaway jumper from D.J. Wagner that hit the front of the rim and fell harmlessly to the floor.
More: Bad habits reappear as Arkansas basketball season ends in Sweet 16 loss to Texas Tech
More: Arkansas basketball vs Texas Tech score: Hogs squander big lead, fall in Sweet 16
After the game, Calipari explained his decision, saying hind sight is the only factor that could cause any regret.
"In my career, I let that go," Calipari said. "Let the guy get to the rim. They're not going to foul you. With that kind of time, just me, you call a timeout, now you've got to worry about what he's doing, how he's playing, the inbound, what are you doing.
"So I usually let that go. Now, because it ended the way it did, yeah, I wish I would have called a timeout. But 99 percent of the time, I let that go."
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Williams also made a decisive 3-pointer in regulation, tying the score at 72-72 with 9.7 seconds left. Calipari did not call timeout, but Texas Tech head coach Grant McCasland did put a pause to the proceedings to set up his defense.
The end result was a near mirror-image of what eventually ensued in overtime. Wagner took a difficult shot and missed, and the Red Raiders were able to grind out the win in overtime.
Arkansas was an underdog and the only double-digit seed still standing in March Madness, but the final score was a stunner after the Hogs built a 16-point lead in the second half and led by 13 inside the final five minutes.
The Red Raiders rallied and ended Calipari's first season in Fayetteville just two wins shy of the Final Four. It will leave an undeniable sting, but the Hall of Fame head coach continued to express gratitude in the immediate aftermath for how his players responded to their early-season struggles with a late turnaround.
"I'm going to say it again for everybody, for me, this was as rewarding a year -- and I feel like crap right now -- but this was as rewarding a year as I've had in all my years," Calipari said.
"I've had teams that were better and finished better and national champions and all that stuff, this was a different reward. Different reward. And for me as a coach, we had to adjust and learn, and it was an experience for me to learn."
Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him @jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Why John Calipari didn't call timeout at the end of Arkansas' loss to Texas Tech
Continue reading...
