OT: Florida Gulf Coast Almost Pulls Off Another Miracle
I think we all remember Florida Gulf Coast's run in last season's NCAA Tourney. They did something pretty amazing last night against USF, although they didn't have enough time.
December 18th, 2013 at 12:12 PM ^
wish they coulda pulled it off. hope they can stay relevant without enfield. really like the idea of a high-flying mid-major that can keep up with the powers.
still remember quite fondly watching fla vs. fgcu rooting for the eagles in a state of total bliss after watching the most amazing basketball game ive ever seen...good times....
December 18th, 2013 at 12:13 PM ^
I dunno...looks good to me.
December 18th, 2013 at 12:16 PM ^
Honestly it looks good to me. I think the refs messed that one up because under .5 seconds they usually just assume it has to be a tip in. It looks like he made it after I've watched it a few times.
December 18th, 2013 at 12:24 PM ^
if there's .3 left, you are not allowed to catch the ball. Even if you catch it and get it off in time.
December 18th, 2013 at 12:48 PM ^
said it's okay to catch and shoot at .3 sec left aka Derek Fisher rule.
December 18th, 2013 at 12:38 PM ^
What a stupid rule.
December 18th, 2013 at 12:57 PM ^
Your assumption is that the clock started right as he touched the ball, which is probably not accurate. That is the reason that the rule exists.
December 18th, 2013 at 1:05 PM ^
The rule is backed by research. It's been found that it takes about a half-second just to throw a ball off a guy's leg out of bounds, so how could a player catch a pass, turn and shoot in the same amount of time?
December 18th, 2013 at 12:15 PM ^
Looked good to me! The clock (which is located perfectly for this shot) looks like it started when the ball touched the shoorters hands. But I think the rule is you need 0.4 secs to get a shot off, they had 0.3.
Is that correct?
[Edit]: Those USF shorts though....
December 18th, 2013 at 12:15 PM ^
with only .3 on the clock only a tip-in can count. This guy gets a shot off in time and it doesn't count.......total BS!
December 18th, 2013 at 12:21 PM ^
I agree, but I think the rule is in place mainly because it's so difficult to start/stop the clock that accurately. They still should have looked at that one on replay.
December 18th, 2013 at 1:18 PM ^
He only "got it off in time" because there was a lag before the timekeeper started the clock, as is normal. It's pretty much impossible for a human being to start the clock instantaneously with the start of play.
December 19th, 2013 at 8:57 AM ^
I get what you are saying - the rule is made to account for timekeeper ambiguity, in terms of starting the clock too early or too late. But another problem is that the rule is based on a false binary in that there is a tip-in and there is a shot - nothing in-between. Or, anything beyond a mere tip-in takes more than .3 seconds. I think that's unfortunate.
There's the logic of the rule, which is meant to takeaway human error, and there's the error of the rule when humans get it right. The latter is the case here.
December 18th, 2013 at 12:16 PM ^
December 18th, 2013 at 12:21 PM ^
Did they say no time left? Because the ball certainly looked like it was off before the board lit up
December 18th, 2013 at 12:23 PM ^
I wish ESPN could have put their own clock on the replay to see if it actually took .03 seconds to shoot. It may have beat it.
December 18th, 2013 at 12:26 PM ^
Here's the rule:
In any period, when the game clock displays 10ths of seconds and play is to be resumed by a throw-in or a free throw when 3/10 (.3) of a second or less remains on the game clock, a player may not gain possession of the ball and try for a field goal. Such player can only score a field goal by means of a tap of a pass or of a missed free throw.
December 18th, 2013 at 12:29 PM ^
I understand the rule and he clearly caught the ball then gathered and shot it, but it was quick. It would have been unreal if tipped it though, and I think he could have.
December 18th, 2013 at 12:23 PM ^
But that's because the clock started late. That's the whole idea of the rule, to avoid this exact situation.
December 18th, 2013 at 12:37 PM ^
let the players do whatever they can, and then go replay it after the fact and determine exactly how long it took from time the ball is touched to time ball is released?
December 18th, 2013 at 12:40 PM ^
The Tampa Tribune provides some background on how they got to that situation (HERE):
After USF's Anthony Collins missed the second of two free throws with 0.8 seconds remaining, FGCU called an immediate timeout. Time remaining: 0.3 seconds. Then came an incredible effort. FGCU's Jamail Jones threw a length-of-the-court baseball pass — while being guarded by 7-foot-3 Jordan Omogbehin — and Chase Fieler came off a double screen to catch it. Replays and photographs confirmed that Fieler got off a quick baseline shot before the backboard light came on.
...and this was the second overtime, folks. That shot nearly put the game into 3OT. This had to be a fun one in person.
December 18th, 2013 at 12:54 PM ^
Beating USF wouldn't exactly have qualified as a "miracle." USF doesn't recruit talent that is much better than that of FGCU. They usually have to rely on unranked recruits, the occasional three-star and transfers who either attended jucos or weren't satisfied with the teams they joined out of high school.
They are a lot closer to being FGCU than they are to being, for example, UConn.
December 19th, 2013 at 9:24 AM ^
I mean, I'm assuming the miracle was maybe in reference to the 90+ foot pass. I dunno though.
December 18th, 2013 at 2:07 PM ^
that's just a rough way to end a great play. I almost think they should give the benefit of the doubt since everything is usually riding on human reaction to a whistle and and in-bound play, so that fraction of second is really due to human response time as much as some all-knowing "clock" when the play starts.
December 19th, 2013 at 12:10 AM ^
Prior to the video clip, the refs could be clearly seen going to the FGCU coach and explain it had to be TIPPED.
What was truly amazing was the throw in. The USF player guarding the inbounder was only in for that one play and he is 7'3" and around 350lbs.
December 19th, 2013 at 1:46 AM ^
December 19th, 2013 at 1:50 AM ^
/GOML