Originally Posted by Jay Bilas on ESPN.com

Clock issues at Cameron
When Clemson's Vernon Hamilton scored on a layup to make it 66-63, the clock stopped with 5.0 seconds left. On the ensuing play, when Josh McRoberts' errant inbounds pass went directly to Hamilton, the clock did not start when Hamilton touched the ball. In fact, it did not start until the ball was all the way to the cylinder on the 3-pointer that tied the game at 66. Once the clock did start as the ball was going through the cylinder, it then ran all the way down to 1.8 seconds.

Given that the clock didn't start on time, it was difficult for the referees to determine exactly how much time elapsed from when Hamilton first touched the ball to when his 3 went through the hoop. Common sense dictates, though, that it took more than 0.6 seconds for Hamilton to catch, set and release a shot and to have that shot carry 20 feet to the basket. SportsCenter put a real-time clock on the sequence and determined that 2.6 seconds had elapsed, which would have left Duke with 2.4 seconds for its final possession.

It is important to note that this timing error did not decide the game in Duke's favor. Both teams played the final possession as it was presented to them and Duke scored a legal basket to win. The timing error did, however, impact the final situation itself. With 2.4 seconds left, Duke would not have had the time to run the exact same play against the same defense and complete it.

Now, I have seen many teams score in a full-court situation with approximately 2.4 seconds left and win. In fact, I was an assistant coach on the bench in 1992 when Duke scored from a similar situation with about the same amount of time remaining to survive against Kentucky in overtime in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. I have also seen many teams fail to score in a full-court situation with much more time remaining.

Whether a different inbounds play would have worked Thursday night or whether Duke or Clemson would have gone on to win in overtime, we'll never know. What we do know is the officials made an error in getting the final game situation right. In my experience, no one regrets that more than do the officials, who want only to get it right ... every time.

-- Jay Bilas

Originally Posted by All_Heart

Yes they had precesion timing.

There was definetely not enough time taken off. I was thinking it would be closer to 3 seconds. It is .3 that you can only tip the ball so it doesn't seem right to say that .6 took place when the player caught the ball, stepped back to the 3pt line, shot the ball and then it cleared the net.

The clock appropriately stopped after the 2pt made basket with 5 seconds left and I'm guessing that the officials forgot to start their precision timers when the Clemson player caught the ball.

When using Precision Timing is it the officials or the table or both that are responsible for starting the clock after it has been stopped for a made basket?


On a side note that kid had some calm nerves to not expect the ball and then calmly knock down that 3!:eek:

Originally Posted by truerookie

Yep, I seen the play. I thought more than .6 sec ran off the clock. It went from 5.0 to 4.4 after they corrected the time. Think about it.

Originally Posted by All_Heart

When using Precision Timing is it the officials or the table or both that are responsible for starting the clock after it has been stopped for a made basket?

Originally Posted by IREFU2

I thought it was the officials (all 3) responsibility to make sure the clock has properly started and when they blow the whistle, it automatically stops.

Originally Posted by IREFU2

Thanks for the clarification! Have you ever used this device? I believe in VA it is used in the State Campionships.