2011 NCAAM Sweet 16
 

To talk about this week's action

Jimmer - gone,
Coach K - gone,
Sir Charles picked AZ and has bragging rights, and most importantly,
my wife's bracket still has Fla moving forward.......

The Capitol of the Confederacy & March Madness
 

Go Spiders & Go Rams!!!! It's not likely, but it would be great to see a UR vs VCU regional final. Not too shabby for the River City.

What's also great, is that both teams have 2 players each from the immediate area - VCU = Rozzell & Burgess -- UR = Harper & Brothers.

On my way in to work tonight, I noticed the Richmond has a sign board along one of the expressways that is counting down to the Spiders' tip off.

This may be Chris Mooney's last weekend coaching in Richmond. Shaka's also.

Play during the Bulter v. Wisconsin
 

Some discussion in the chat room last night on the following play. Agree or disagree with the call.

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If he had set that screen without also having the ball would you have a problem with it?

I got nuthin....

Well I had illegal screen on the play but some argued against the call.

#11 is not trying to screen, he's passing the ball and gets hit by a defender. If there is anything on this play its a defensive foul on #54.

Just because he had the ball doesn't mean he wasn't trying to set a screen.

I do not have a foul, but that's after seeing the play in slow-motion replay.

In real time, I can see if one, me included, were to call this a foul.

Just one fact first: the contact occurred when the ball was out of A1's hands.

What I see is two players moving along their chosen paths. The offensive player's path is created first when he moves parallel to the end line. (He happens to be facing away from the basket - but the direction he faces doesn't matter.) After A1's path is established, defensive player B1 begins his path. They collide because the chosen paths of the two players intersect.

Since the offensive player established his path first, the onus is on the defensive player to avoid illegal contact.

The million dollar question is:

Does a player giving up player possession need to give time and distance if said player is committed to an established path? I say "no".

It does look like he threw his body into the defender to shield the pass attempt.

Not sure I would have called anything at first glance, but it appears to be the right call.

Peace

I'm not sure I said having the ball means you cannot screen. What I did say is he's making a pass and not screening, therefore this is not an illegal screen and a no-call would probably be the best decision, but if call a foul you must, defensive foul would be more appropriate than an illegal screen. ;)

Looks to me that he was passing the ball and setting a screen. I was an expert at setting screens in the high post while dropping the ball off to a cutting guard.