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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Twitter was abuzz late in Michigan’s 61-58 loss to Ohio State, not just because of the inexplicable flagrant one foul called on Zavier Simpson, but also because of the clock management.
As Ohio State had just gone up by one with 33 seconds left, after Kyle Young drained both foul shots on the aforementioned flagrant, the Buckeyes got the ball back per rule, but it took 15 seconds before the Wolverines intentionally fouled to send CJ Walker to the line to extend the game.
So what was the reasoning? Wouldn’t it have extended the game that much more by sending an OSU ball-handler to the line much earlier, giving Michigan some 30 seconds to fire off a shot — rinse and repeat?
It turns out there was a method to Juwan Howard’s madness, as he was purposefully trying to execute a defense that, had it worked, could have put Michigan at an advantage.
Regardless, as he notes, even with 17 seconds, Michigan managed to get the shot it wanted. It just didn’t go.
“We tried to trap, we got a trap,” Howard said. “We wanted a steal, almost got the steal. And then we had to immediately foul. That was my message. ‘Let’s go for a steal first, and then if we don’t get the steal, foul.’
“We had plenty of time, and as you saw at the end, we had a perfect shot. Open look and we did not make it.”
No matter which way you look at it, the game did not go well in the late stages for the Wolverines, between the flagrant foul and the missed shot to end the game.
Michigan will have a chance to right some wrongs both in the late-season rematch against the Buckeyes in Columbus, as well as this Saturday when it takes on the other rival, MSU, in a 12PM EST rematch at Crisler Center.