I don't want to start another debate on what Buzz should have done with our last offensive play in the Nova game but Homer did bring up the play and here is his response as best as I can remember as it was very detailed.
Refs were close to calling 5 seconds on McNeal.
McNeal started 5-7 seconds too early.
Buzz thought about calling a timeout at that point in time but didnt for a couple of reasons that are all kind of intertwined:
- Not much time on shot clock
- he wanted the ball in his best players hands, McNeal and he didn't want to risk not being able to get it in his hands
- Also had his best player at setting the high screen in Hayward on the play and didn't know if he would be able to get that again
- His best out of bounds guy is Matthews so he would not have been a second option to get the ball
McNeal had an open lane and took it.
McNeal thought he had Nova beat for a bucket.
Buzz acknowledge the toss the ball up strategy at the end of the shot clock. He said with that strategy the ball would be tossed high on the last second and the ball would hit the back iron for a high rebound that would take another second off the clock but he also said that Nova has a lot of great scorers and he would rather be up 3 where Nova could only tie instead of win it with a shot.
Sounds like if we are put into a last play situation that McNeal would get the ball again as he is our best player. I think I got most of what he said without altering his explaination too much.
