The Dagger - NCAAB

The Dagger

Sun Mar 22, 2009 8:01 pm EDT

That line is there for a reason, sir

By MJD

The bad news is that this is a terribly unfortunate way to end a game, and I'll feel bad for Marquette's Lazar Hayward forever. The good news is that Rick James may have company at his "habitual line-stepper" meetings.

Missouri had just gone up by two at the time, with about five seconds left on the clock. Marquette, with their corps of studly guards, had more than enough time to get the ball moving down the court and get a decent look at the basket.

But then Heyward stepped on the line, turned the ball over, Marquette was forced to foul, Missouri hit them both, the lead was four and the game was all but over.

Related: The Big Dance

digg delicious
more

63 Comments

Post a Comment
  1. AgentUtah
    1. Posted by AgentUtah Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:01 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    The violation was legit, but the "pinch shooter" was junk . . . the "injured" guy came checked right back in after the free throws were made. It was within the rules though, so I can't hate too much. Great game.
  2. Brent C
    2. Posted by Brent C Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:42 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    The pinch shooter was a worse free throw shooter on the season than the injured player, was cold, and was a freshman. Somehow I don't see that as "junk".
  3. Sajal K
    3. Posted by Sajal K Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:00 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    It was a great game. I'm a Mizzou fan and I was a little ticked with the free throw subbing as well. J.T. Tiller is pretty clutch though so he must have been hurting. Just happy to get the win
  4. David A
    4. Posted by David A Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:48 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    get over it....why would he have come out only to be replaced by a worse foul shooter unless he was actually hurt.....you just wanted a hurt guy to have to shoot so that your team had a better chance of winning. Your team hurt him and was lucky that they didn't get an intentional foul. Move on.
  5. doerfast
    5. Posted by doerfast Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:46 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    The player that got hurt is a 77% free throw shooter, Kim English is only something like 65%
  6. Michael S
    6. Posted by Michael S Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:06 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    How does it feel to be booed after a win Mizzou? Perhaps backing in represents what your team is all about. I have no respect for the sissy who could not shoot the free throws! That call could have just as easily been called a charge. Where was the foul with 2 seconds left? Perhaps the game was already over as far as the outcome....but you still have to call a foul and award 3 free throws! You never know!
  7. Derfw3
    7. Posted by Derfw3 Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:41 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    M! I! Z! Z! O! U! I feel as sorry for this guy as I did for the kU player who blew two free throws with a tie game and no time on the clock a few years ago... that is to say, not at all.
  8. Andrea
    8. Posted by Andrea Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:00 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Hahaha, "injured player", it's a legal move.
    Go Mizzou!
  9. AgentUtah
    9. Posted by AgentUtah Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:01 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Yeah, you guys are right. Tiller is the better free throw shooter. Sorry. The timing of everything just seemed shady.
  10. Brian D
    10. Posted by Brian D Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:06 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    It's pretty simple, you need your wrist to shoot a free throw and he landed on his wrist. You don't necessarily need your wrist to play defense.
  11. bsalack
    11. Posted by bsalack Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:14 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Pinch shooter may have had a lower free throw percentage, but he was on fire in that game, so there was little doubt it would be an upgrade over a very tired Tiller!
    BOGUS!!
  12. J-D
    12. Posted by J-D Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:31 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Honestly, that stepping over the line on an inbounds pass probably happens a couple times a game, either that way or with its cousin, the "I haven't stepped out of bounds before I inbound the ball" violation. And they call it then?
  13. Dong K
    13. Posted by Dong K Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:42 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    AgentUtah // LOL at this guy. Just made himself look even more like a retard. Great job with your "pinch shooter" junk analysis.
  14. Dong K
    14. Posted by Dong K Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:42 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    lol...didn't see your second comment. So...god bless to everyone.
  15. Roger H
    15. Posted by Roger H Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:44 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Who cares? It's only a game. Really, it is. Anyone lose a job over this? Didn't think so.
  16. TheTruth
    16. Posted by TheTruth Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:27 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    The Marquette fans showed no class. What a bunch of sore losers, with the emphasis on losers. I'm not a fan of either team, but it seemed like Missouri got its share of bad calls, including a cheap foul call down the stretch on the player trying to deny McNeal.
  17. DallasFan
    17. Posted by DallasFan Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:14 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    The Marquette fans were a joke, but the real clown was the Marquette coach. Who is that joker?
  18. steven g
    18. Posted by steven g Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:43 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    In response to #12- The spread on this game was 3.5, so yea its only a game, but it made a huge difference in Vegas (in my favor of course).
  19. Jamie
    19. Posted by Jamie Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:11 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    excellent chappelle's show reference!
  20. kacsports
    20. Posted by kacsports Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:46 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    That was headed towards a five-second call anyways - I'm going to leave Buzz Williams alone myself, like him so much better than that dapper idiot Tom Crean - at least Marquette is fun rooting for again...
  21. Mizzou-Rah
    21. Posted by Mizzou-Rah Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:45 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    English hadn't hit a shot in the half and was way off on the ones he took. Kimmie had gone cold. Tiller's the better FT shooter and outside of Zaire Taylor, the most clutch player on the club. I'd have MUCH rather seen a healthy Tiller on the line and there's no way he wouldn't have wanted that shot.
    I can't understand why the concept is so hard to grasp: You need your wrist to shoot a FT, you don't need it to D-up. Kid hurt his wrist so English took the shots. When it came time to play D, Tiller's wrist was a mere annoyance.
    Some folks are really freakin' stupid.
  22. Daniel B
    22. Posted by Daniel B Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:39 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    I dont really like both teams so I dont have a bias. Definately stepped out, the pinch shooter was kinda wierd but on paper it wasnt a great move so I dont see what all the fuss is about, if he missed the shots everyone would be crucifyng the Missouri coach and Tiller for being a ninny, Either way the outcome of this game is irrelevant because Missouri wont make it to the final four let alone the Championship (If you disagree, keep in mind that it took a huge mistake on Marquette's part to avoid an upset and the bigger badder teams on the East coast would eat Missouri alive)
  23. tuthjockey
    23. Posted by tuthjockey Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:25 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    this was a typical march madness affair. missouri got out to a good lead in the first half
    and the other mu chipped away to make the last few minutes a real nail biter. unlike the
    games with duke and pitt, there was not a great deal of preferential calls by the refs.
    marquette had been the last team to rain on the tiger's parade, so no the shoe is on the other
    foot.
    that's life.
  24. melihercik
    24. Posted by melihercik Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:15 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    I really doubt the coach would have picked that kid to go in if he didn't know that he would be nails--it was an advantage for sure.

The Dagger

Add to My Yahoo! RSS

Jeff Eisenberg

The Dagger is a college basketball blog edited by Jeff Eisenberg. Email him, and follow him on Twitter.

Contributors:
Chris Chase, Matt Norlander,

Related Photo Gallery

More NCAAB Photos »

Featured NCAAB Video

More Videos »

Y! Sports Blogs

The Dagger Recent Readers

(provided by MyBlogLog)