Harry How/Getty Images
The Florida State Seminoles were eliminated from the 2018 NCAA tournament with a 58-54 loss to the Michigan Wolverines in the Elite Eight on Saturday night, and while there are plenty of reasons they lost, many will be left asking one question.
Trailing by just four points with 11 seconds to play, why did the Seminoles give up rather than foul and try to extend the game?
Well, Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton doesn’t think that strategy would have done any good:
March Madness TV @MarchMadnessTV
Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton on the decision not to foul with 11 seconds remaining. #MarchMadness https://t.co/IxlWNnuPRa
Here’s the sequence in question:
March Madness TV @MarchMadnessTV
.@ClarkKelloggCBS, @TheJetOnTNT and Charles Barkley weigh in on the final seconds of the @umichbball/@FSUHoops game. #MarchMadness https://t.co/dY5KCCtRZC
In his defense, the Seminoles shot just 32.0 percent from the field and 23.5 percent from beyond the arc. Other than a four-point play, the best-case scenario using that strategy would be to make two shots in about 10 seconds. Considering they went through a stretch of more than eight minutes without a field goal in the second half (that they broke with 2:07 to go), the odds weren’t in their favor.
But with a Final Four appearance on the line, a team should try to do everything possible to win, right?