How long does a game take?

[Mark Padgett]

Watched some of the Arizona State - Stanford game tonight. The final 2:35 of the game took over 19 minutes to play. ASU kept fouling immediately whenever Stanford got the ball, even prior to inbounding. Plus, both coaches had a few timeouts to spend - and they did.

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

Plus, both coaches had a few timeouts to spend - and they did.

Had a coach call a TO w/ 1.8 secs left on the clock in the fourth quater last weekend......and his team was down by 11. I just don't get it.

[biz]

Saw a coach in a 6th grade boys game this year call his last TO with 2.6 seconds left down 7 and he used the whole timeout to diagram a play.

The other coach was bull s--t that Coach A called TO so he told his players to just stand on the court in front of his bench and not even attempt to defend the play.

Coach A instructed his players to roll the ball in and they let it roll all the way to the other end of the court where they picked it up and promptly missed the layup that would've made them lose by 5....Gotta love hoop karma!

[DLH17]

You just gotta love all those Dean Smiths, Mike Kryzczieskis (sp) and Bobby Knights in the making at the competitive grade school level. If nothing else, they sure as heck know how to manage the game clock.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by biz

Saw a coach in a 6th grade boys game this year call his last TO with 2.6 seconds left down 7 and he used the whole timeout to diagram a play.

The other coach was bull s--t that Coach A called TO so he told his players to just stand on the court in front of his bench and not even attempt to defend the play.

Coach A instructed his players to roll the ball in and they let it roll all the way to the other end of the court where they picked it up and promptly missed the layup that would've made them lose by 5....Gotta love hoop karma!

I really don't have a problem with this at that level. it's instructional basketball; why not work on a last second play for practice in a game situation? Because it makes the game last an extra 65 seconds? And Coach B is an a$$ here.

[biz]

I don't have a problem with what you're saying Snaqs, but if you knew Coach A (complete jerk - thinks he is Red Auerbach - doesn't actually teach the kids fundamentals just strategies for winning - fouls to stop the clock when down by 15 - just generally thinks that the game is about him and not the kids) you would think differently.

BTW your assessment of Coach B is spot-on, but I have to say he made me smile on the inside when his kids stayed in front of their bench to let the clock run down.

[jdw3018]

Originally Posted by snaqwells

i really don't have a problem with this at that level. It's instructional basketball; why not work on a last second play for practice in a game situation? Because it makes the game last an extra 65 seconds? And coach b is an a$$ here.

+1

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

I really don't have a problem with this at that level. it's instructional basketball; why not work on a last second play for practice in a game situation?

However, I've seen more coaches NOT use it for this purpose than use it.

I distinctly remember playing Rec League when I was younger and we were up by three with a few secs to go (before the 3 point arc was used). Our coach directed us into a 2-1-2 defense and had us stand at attention and not move. The other team inbounded the ball, went the length of the court and tried to draw the foul by having their point guard run right through our center (who was standing at attention). WHAM! Offensive fouls - winner, winner chicken dinner.

Now that I look back on it....I can't believe, at that level, they didn't call a block!

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by grunewar

Had a coach call a TO w/ 1.8 secs left on the clock in the fourth quater last weekend......and his team was down by 11. I just don't get it.

He was diagramming an 11 point play.