The 7-point requirement is definitely open for review. I wanted to require at least three possessions (it’s very rare to score seven or more points on fewer possessions) and replace 10% (four minutes) of timed basketball with about 10% (seven theoretical points per team seemed appropriate for college basketball) of untimed basketball. Seven points seemed sufficient especially after considering that the leading team will no longer be handed free points, but I’m open to any fine-tuning that might improve the hybrid format.

While I believe the hybrid format would improve the great game of basketball in many ways, it’s not perfect. It would present one specific (and relatively uncommon) scenario where teams likely would not play good, clean, entertaining basketball. If the (trailing) offensive team is exactly three points from victory, and the (leading) defensive team is either one or two points from victory (a scenario I’ll refer to as 3/2-1), I believe the leaders would deliberately foul in order to prevent the trailers from shooting a potentially game-ending three-pointer. So…

Why is this a problem?
-It would lead to a silly scene where defensive players are scrambling around, just trying to foul the ballhandler (sounds familiar!)
-It would force the officials to make some very difficult and controversial calls. Under the hybrid format, officials would be better able to enforce the rulebook definition of an intentional foul (currently, they look the other way, and understandably so, calling deliberate fouls as common personal fouls) – but should they call the 3/2-1 deliberate foul as an intentional foul? Also, since the offense would anticipate the foul, the ballhandler may make a shooting motion the moment he’s fouled (in many cases, from the backcourt!) to try to earn three free throws – do the officials grant a shooting foul or common foul?
-If the offense makes the first of two free throws (bringing the game into a 2/2-1 scenario), they may (advisably or not) try to intentionally miss the second free throw and fight for an offensive rebound (seeing more value in possibly retaining possession than in inching to within one point of victory and relinquishing possession)

Ugh. These are exactly the types of flaws I was hoping to eliminate. I want a game where the offense is ALWAYS focusing solely on scoring, where the defense is ALWAYS focusing solely on prevention of scoring through legitimate play, and where neither team resorts to silly histrionics. So…

Why is the 3/2-1 scenario any more excusable than what we see late in games currently?
-The leading team commits the deliberate foul (in essence, a team would have to earn the right to violate the spirit of the rules; this is a VERY weak justification, but worth noting)
-This situation would affect relatively few games (only games that encounter 3/2-1, FAR fewer than what we see currently, where bad basketball is played in virtually any remotely competitive game where the leading team possesses the ball late)
-Even in affected games, the strategy is not reusable (unlike the repeated deliberate fouling we see currently; as long as the trailing team makes at least one free throw, the game cannot re-enter 3/2-1)
-This situation would ALWAYS precede a thrilling finish (after the free throws, all that’s left is sudden death basketball; 3/2-1 would be the calm before a truly inevitable storm. Currently, we all know that deliberate fouling most often leads to a yawn-inducing finish, even in games with strikingly small margins of victory/defeat)
-Most importantly, there are ways to address (and prevent) the ugly downsides of the 3/2-1 scenario. So…

What is the best way to address the 3/2-1 scenario?
Deliberate fouls are bad, intentionally missed free throws are bad, and other silly histrionics are bad. With all of that in mind, here is my best and most fair (but not the only possible) solution to the dilemma:
-Each team could inform the officials before the game/leading up to the situation of their intent to foul if the game enters 3/2-1 (which would prompt the officials to stop play immediately when 3/2-1 arises); or perhaps any of their coaches or players could simply flash a signal that indicates a foul and stops play when in 3/2-1 (if this approach is used, the defense would obviously have to make the signal before the offense attempts a shot, perhaps even before the offense crosses midcourt). I’m not picky, as long as the defense doesn’t actually have to go through the unsightly motions of committing a deliberate foul
-Then, the offense chooses any player on the floor to attempt two free throws (I think the offense should be entitled to two shots in this situation, regardless of whether they’re in the double bonus, bonus, or not yet in the bonus at the time). To prevent the possibility of an intentionally missed second free throw, both shots would be administered with no one along the lane
-Then, after both shots are attempted, the original leader is given possession and the game is played out naturally

AND SO, THE ORIGINAL LEADER IS GUARANTEED AT LEAST ONE MORE POSSESSION, THE ORIGINAL TRAILER IS ALMOST CERTAIN TO GAIN ONE OR TWO POINTS, AND THE AFOREMENTIONED CONCERNS ARE AVERTED.

*Additional games may encounter a situation where the offense is at the free throw line with exactly one shot left to be granted, and while the game is in 2/2-1. In such cases (in order to prevent an intentionally missed free throw), I also think they should clear the lane, allow the offense to choose any player to shoot the last free throw, and grant possession to the other team after the last free throw is attempted

**It’s possible that some/all of my concerns about 3/2-1 are unwarranted! After all:
-I’m only pretty sure (not certain) that the trailing offense should attempt a three-pointer
-I’m only pretty sure (not certain) that the leading defense should foul to prevent them from doing so
-I’m only pretty sure (not certain) that the original trailing offense should intentionally miss their last remaining free throw attempt when in 2/2-1

The game clock was a real buzzkill in an otherwise thrilling Indiana/Michigan State game. That game deserved a much better ending than two clock reviews and a meaningless halfcourt airball.

I got curious about the 3/2 and 3/1 situation. Here are the results of a simple Monte Carlo sim I just wrote. In a typical NBA possession, roughly 10% of possessions end in 3 points, 36% end in 2 points and 4% end in 1 point. (These may be off by a point or two, but are likely very close).

If we assume both teams “play it straight”, and the possessions are like normal ones, the trailing team will win 34% of the time.

If they make a 2-pointer, the win% only goes up to 37%. So anything short of an uncontested layup/drunk isn’t worth it.

If they make a 3-pointer, the win% is obviously 100%, and if they miss, they’ll still win about 18%. Defense will be looking to prevent 3’s. but even if their chances of hitting a 3 before losing possession are only 25%, their win% would be 0.25 + 0.75 * 0.18, or about 38%. So yes, they should be looking to hit a 3.

If they get fouled, they’ll still have a 35% chance even if you assume that the defense gets all missed free throw rebounds. But if they hit the first free throw and grab the missed rebound off their second, the win% if 65%. It doesn’t take much chance of an offensive rebound to make the win% to go up the 38-40% range and be even better than their chances of winning by hitting a 3.

In conclusion

1. I think that the offense should DEFINITELY go for 3’s.

2. I think that it is too close to call (for me) whether the defense should foul to prevent. But at the very least, they should be more willing to be physical and full court press to increase chances of a turnover. A breakaway layup is not that costly.

3.  I think that if the offense does get fouled and hits the first free throw, they should try to miss the second to set up a small chance at offensive rebound.

By the way, all of that is specifically for the 3/2 situation. The 3/1 math is not that different though, everything just moves 2-2.5% towards the leading team.

DFL,

Thanks for your work on those scenarios. I might even be willing to let the live-ball possession play out naturally, but I hate the thought of a free throw attempt resembling an onside kick.

I don’t like the onside free throw either. I also feel that the proposed format might increase the number of games where fans walk away thinking that the officials decided the game because we will now have games that literally end on a made free throw.

Still, I think that your original proposal would lead to more entertaining basketball than the either current system or your suggested modification. The modification to prevent onsides free throws feels even more artificial than the problem it tries to solve.

One thing that hasn’t been discussed yet: the current system may lead to a larger number of people watching tv commercials since there are frequent stoppages during important stretches. That might be a reason for NBA/NCAA to resist change.

Some controversial calls will arise, but many others will be eliminated (no more late-game clock reviews and controversies). As for game-ending free throws, it would be unlike anything we’ve ever seen in sports (in a good way!) – arenas would literally go from dead silence to court-storming with the swish of a net. And not to get overly sentimental, but the game-ending free throw might become THE ultimate sports fantasy, acted out by dreamers in driveways and parks all over the world.

Your criticism of the 3/2-1 modifications is fair, I think. In a way, I hope you’re right – I want a format that allows the game to be self-governing. But we’ll never know if these modifications are necessary until we see it in action (maybe one day!)

There’s no doubt that the needs of basketball’s television partners should be considered, and I actually think this factor works in the hybrid format’s favor. Timeouts (primarily 30-second timeouts) certainly abound during the late stages of games currently, but these timeouts rarely (if ever) lead to a commercial break (this is true for NCAA regular season basketball, not sure about NBA). Instead, coverage usually stays at the site and we’re left with dead air. Even if I’m wrong about that, I still think coaches would use an inordinate number of timeouts during the untimed portion of hybrid format games. Even if I’m wrong about THAT, TV will always find a way to inject more commercials.

Apparently CBS goes to commercial during 30-second timeouts in NCAA regular season games. I don’t think anyone else does.

I love the NCAA tournament as much as anyone, though it does provide a showcase for basketball’s game-clock-related flaws. ALL of the flaws listed below would be eliminated or alleviated by a hybrid format, and without introducing any new problems. Their effect on each tournament game will be included in a later post (some words are bold/capitalized for ease of reference).

-Deliberate FOULing by trailing team (the biggest glitch in the system. It’s bad enough that the strategy violates the spirit of the rules and hinders a game’s ability to reveal the superior team. It’s worse that the strategy almost invariably leads to a boring, predictable, and drawn-out conclusion.)
-STALLing by leading team (when a team’s primary intent on offense shifts from scoring to exhausting time, it robs us of good basketball during crunch time. As for blowouts, leading teams will often stall because trying to score at a steady pace might be seen as an unsportsmanlike approach!)
-Trailing team forced into a SLOPPY/rushed/incomplete possession late in the game or a hopeless last-second heave (The game clock can detrimentally affect quality of play for minutes leading up to the buzzer, but its effect is compounded in the final seconds. Of the 52 games played so far, eight have ended with a meaningful possession. It’s a shame that we accept such a small number, but what’s worse is that each of those possessions failed miserably. The buzzer bloopers include: a Liberty lay-up attempt that failed to draw rim, a St. Mary’s air ball from the corner, an intercepted Davidson inbounds pass, a full-court UNLV heave that didn’t come within ten feet of the basket, a Kansas St. airball shot from behind the backboard, a line-drive three-point attempt that slammed off the backboard after being fired up by Butler’s center while he was falling down, a deflected Iowa St. three-quarter court heave that landed twenty feet short of the basket, and an Ole Miss halfcourt shot that sailed over the backboard as their best shooter watched from the bench. You can’t make this stuff up.)
-Trailing team overtly CONCEDEs game by playing at a slower-than-frantic pace while on offense or by choosing not to foul while on defense (Basketball may be the only sport where one can definitively pinpoint the moment when a team gives up…)
-Bored and impatient fans BOO when a trailing team deliberately fouls in an especially bleak situation (…of course, one of the reasons teams concede is because it’s such an inconvenience to actually try. Imagine – fans disapproving of a team that simply does what gives them the best chance to win!)
-Leading teams allow UNCONTESTED lay-ups for fear of committing a clock-stopping foul (when playing legitimate defense is just too risky!)
-Trailing team intentionally MISSes free throw (this is rare, and to be fair, the hybrid format might present situations when a team is compelled to miss a free throw, but measures could be taken to address that. It’s just funny that under the current format, there are times when the trailing team defense, leading team offense, leading team defense, and trailing team offense are all acting counter to what Dr. James Naismith intended.)
-Game LACKED a signature moment (Basketball’s fluid nature and frequent scoring make the game very enjoyable while you’re watching, but can make it difficult to remember many – or any! - specific moments in retrospect, even from games that are close and/or highly-anticipated. By guaranteeing that each game end with a meaningful made basket, the hybrid format would provide at least one moment by which to remember any given game. Baseball and football are popular, in part, because those sports lend themselves to great storytelling and lasting images. The hybrid format would work in basketball’s favor in this regard.)
-Lead of x points feels much safer than it would under the hybrid format, setting up an all-too PREDICTABLE outcome (If time is short, even a one-possession game can feel predictable currently; a two-possession lead is only vulnerable to exceptionally good three-point shooting and exceptionally bad free throw shooting; a larger lead might require a trailing team to literally defy the laws of physics…)
-Team completes FLUKY comeback (…and in those rare instances when a team mounts a late comeback under the current format, the unsightly methods used can still make it unsatisfying. The hybrid format would lead to more comebacks and purer comebacks.)
-CLOCK malfunction/error/review (The clock is at the center of too many controversies. Even when the clock is relatively accurate, those reviews can really kill the mood. And they’re entirely avoidable.)
-REFS allow overly aggressive defense late in close game (We might see this in hybrid format games, but the effect would be the same for both teams. Currently, if the refs swallow their whistle on a final possession, only one team suffers.)
-Completely disproportionate amount of DEAD ball time during final minutes (Timeouts can be a good thing for TV, as they lead to commercials. I still think there would be plenty of those under the hybrid format. But the repeated fouling, clock reviews, etc. just lead to dead air time and can turn a game from exciting to excruciating.)
-Portion of the late stages noticeably less entertaining/tense than rest of game, turning even relatively competitive games into a BORE (It’s amazing how often it feels like the air has been sucked out of an arena, even when a relatively competitive game is being played. Under a hybrid format, beating the traffic would become a dead art.)

-SILLY scene during final seconds (So many games end with players just standing around awkwardly, trying to get the thing over with. There are other amusing variations, too. Basketball can do better.)
-SUBDUED celebrations (Excluding blowouts, teams should jump around and embrace at the moment every NCAA tournament victory is sealed. They so rarely do. A hybrid format, with its guaranteed walk-off shots, would provide considerably more exuberant celebrations.)
-ROLLing inbounds pass to midcourt (We often see trailing teams do this to conserve time. It’s harmless, but silly and unnecessary.)
-MISLEADING margin of victory (I’m encouraged that an increased importance is being placed on margin of victory when evaluating teams. Unfortunately, the unnatural style of play seen near the end of games can completely warp a game’s final score.)
-Actual game TIME stretches well past the allotted window (We see this in some games that end in regulation, and in many games that require overtime. But that’s a problem for the suits at the TV networks…)
-ANTICLIMACTIC overtime (…OT presents an even more distressing problem for fans. After all, sometimes an overtime period is able to match the exciting second half act that preceded it. More often, though, it provides a very ordinary finish to an extraordinary game.)
-Fouls-to-give dilemma (When a trailing team repeatedly and deliberately fouls an opponent not yet in the BONUS, we see them punished for not having fouled enough earlier in the half!)
-Teams PILE on by running up the score (Fortunately, most coaches are classy enough so that this doesn’t become a concern. A hybrid format would eliminate the concern altogether – all scoring would be guilt-free!)
-Player fouls out of the game by committing a deliberate foul (Many coaches are able to avoid such a DQ, but doing so requires substitution after substitution, which chews up even more actual time and drains even more excitement from the atmosphere)
-Player suffers an INJURY as a result of a deliberate foul (I’m surprised this doesn’t happen more often. We shouldn’t accept it as part of the game for an offensive player to serve as a stationary target – or worse yet, have defensive players take a swipe at him while he sprints past)
-An especially hard deliberate foul leads to a FIGHT (It’s rare, but such a phenomenon famously marred Game 4 of the 2007 NBA Western Conference Semifinals between the Suns and Spurs.)
-Game does not END with meaningful made basket (It’s a shame any time a game ends with the blare of a horn instead of the swish of a net. The hybrid format would have provided much more fitting endings, guaranteeing at least 67 shining moments during the NCAA tournament.)

1st Round
16 NC A&T/16 Liberty FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, SUBDUED, END
11 St. Mary’s/11 MTSU FOUL, STALL, CONCEDE, UNCONTESTED, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, SILLY, SUBDUED, END
16 LIU-Brooklyn/16 JMU FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, CONCEDE, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, SILLY, SUBDUED, BONUS, END
13 La Salle/13 Boise St. FOUL, STALL, CONCEDE, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, SILLY, SUBDUED, DQ, END

2nd Round (East)
16 JMU/1 Indiana STALL, CONCEDE, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, SILLY, END
9 Temple/8 NC St. FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, UNCONTESTED, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, CLOCK, DEAD, SILLY, SUBDUED, ROLL, DQ, INJURY, END
12 Cal/5 UNLV FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, UNCONTESTED, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, DEAD, SILLY, SUBDUED, ROLL, BONUS, END (Note: controversy when an attempted deliberate foul was not called)
13 Montana/4 Syracuse STALL, CONCEDE, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, SILLY, ROLL, END
14 Davidson/3 Marquette FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, PREDICTABLE, CLOCK, FLUKY, DEAD, SILLY, SUBDUED, END
11 Bucknell/6 Butler FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, CONCEDE, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, DEAD, BORE, SILLY, SUBDUED, END
10 Colorado/7 Illinois FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, CLOCK, DEAD, SUBDUED, ROLL, DQ, END
15 Pacific/2 Miami STALL, CONCEDE, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, SILLY, END

2nd Round (Midwest)
16 NC A&T/1 Louisville STALL, CONCEDE, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, SILLY, ROLL, END
9 Missouri/8 Colorado St. FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, CONCEDE, UNCONTESTED, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, DEAD, BORE, SILLY, SUBDUED, END
12 Oregon/5 OK St. FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, CONCEDE, UNCONTESTED, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, BORE, SILLY, ROLL, END
13 New Mexico St./4 SLU STALL, CONCEDE, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, SILLY, END
11 St. Mary’s/6 Memphis FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, CLOCK, DEAD, BORE, SUBDUED, BONUS, INJURY, END
14 Valpo/3 Michigan St. STALL, CONCEDE, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, SILLY, END
10 Cincinnati/7 Creighton FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, DEAD, SILLY, SUBDUED, ROLL, END
15 Albany/2 Duke FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, CONCEDE, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, BORE, SILLY, DQ, END

2nd Round (South)
16 W KY/1 Kansas FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, CLOCK, DEAD, BORE, END
9 Villanova/8 UNC FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, DEAD, BORE, SILLY, SUBDUED, ROLL, END
12 Akron/5 VCU STALL, CONCEDE, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, SILLY, END
13 South Dakota St./4 Michigan STALL, CONCEDE, UNCONTESTED, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, SILLY, END
11 Minnesota/6 UCLA STALL, CONCEDE, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, SUBDUED, END
14 NW St./3 Florida STALL, SLOPPY, CONCEDE, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, SILLY, END
10 Oklahoma/7 San Diego St. FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, CONCEDE, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, SILLY, END
15 FGCU/2 Georgetown FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, CONCEDE, BOO, PREDICTABLE, DEAD, SILLY, ROLL, DQ, END
(Note: Georgetown was whistled for a flagrant deliberate foul)

2nd Round (West)
16 Southern/1 Gonzaga FOUL, STALL, CONCEDE, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, SILLY, SUBDUED, ROLL, END
9 Wichita St./8 Pittsburgh FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, CONCEDE, UNCONTESTED, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, BORE, SILLY, SUBDUED, END (Note: Pittsburgh chose to dribble out the clock rather than attempt a shot!)
12 Ole Miss/5 Wisconsin FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, CONCEDE, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, BORE, SUBDUED, ROLL, MISLEADING, END
13 La Salle/4 K St. FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, SILLY, END
11 Belmont/6 Arizona FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, CONCEDE, UNCONTESTED, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, BORE, SILLY, DQ, END
14 Harvard/3 New Mexico FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, SILLY, END
10 Iowa St./7 Notre Dame STALL, CONCEDE, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, SILLY, END
15 Iona/2 Ohio St. STALL, CONCEDE, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, SILLY, END

3rd Round (East)
9 Temple/1 Indiana FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, CLOCK, END
12 Cal/4 Syracuse FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, CONCEDE, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, CLOCK, DEAD, SILLY, SUBDUED, ROLL, END
6 Butler/3 Marquette FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, CLOCK, DEAD, SILLY, END
7 Illinois/2 Miami FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, DEAD, SUBDUED, DQ, END

3rd Round (Midwest)
8 Colorado St./1 Louisville FOUL, STALL, CONCEDE, BOO, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, SILLY, END
12 Oregon/4 SLU FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, CONCEDE, BOO, UNCONTESTED, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, SILLY, SUBDUED, END
6 Memphis/3 Michigan St. FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, CONCEDE, BOO, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, BORE, SILLY, ROLL, MISLEADING, END
7 Creighton/2 Duke FOUL, STALL, CONCEDE, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, BORE, SILLY, DQ, END

3rd Round (South)
8 UNC/1 Kansas FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, CONCEDE, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, DEAD, BORE, SILLY, BONUS, END
5 VCU/4 Michigan STALL, SLOPPY, CONCEDE, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, SILLY, END
11 Minnesota/3 Florida FOUL, STALL, CONCEDE, BOO, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, SILLY, END
15 FGCU/7 San Diego St. FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, CONCEDE, UNCONTESTED, PREDICTABLE, SILLY, END

3rd Round (West)
9 Wichita St./1 Gonzaga FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, UNCONTESTED, PREDICTABLE, CLOCK, DEAD, BORE, SILLY, SUBDUED, END
13 La Salle/12 Ole Miss STALL, SLOPPY, PREDICTABLE, CLOCK, SILLY, END
14 Harvard/6 Arizona STALL, CONCEDE, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, SILLY, END
10 Iowa St./2 Ohio St. STALL, SLOPPY, PREDICTABLE, CLOCK, DEAD, SILLY, SUBDUED, END (Note: Aaron Craft’s shot could have provided a perfect ending, but a clock review and laughably hopeless final shot got in the way)

Regional Semifinals

4 Syracuse/1 Indiana FOUL, STALL, CONCEDE, BOO, UNCONTESTED, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, BORE, SILLY, SUBDUED, ROLL, END
3 Marquette/2 Miami FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, CONCEDE, BOO, UNCONTESTED, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, SILLY, SUBDUED, MISLEADING, BONUS, DQ, END

12 Oregon/1 Louisville FOUL, STALL, CONCEDE, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, BORE, SILLY, SUBDUED, END
3 Michigan St./2 Duke FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, CONCEDE, UNCONTESTED, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, BORE, SILLY, SUBDUED, END

4 Michigan/1 Kansas FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY (Kansas missed an ugly three-point attempt at end of regulation, and missed a running, hurried three-pointer off backboard at end of overtime), UNCONTESTED, CLOCK, DEAD, END
15 FGCU/3 Florida FOUL, STALL, CONCEDE, UNCONTESTED, PREDICTABLE, DEAD, BORE, SILLY, SUBDUED, DQ, END

13 La Salle/9 Wichita St. STALL, CONCEDE, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, SILLY (With over 10 seconds remaining, a sixth Wichita St. player strolled onto the court and shook hands with three La Salle players before the buzzer sounded), SUBDUED, END
6 Arizona/2 Ohio St. STALL, SLOPPY, PREDICTABLE, CLOCK, SILLY (Aaron Craft throwing ball in air to exhaust time after intercepting a hopeless Arizona inbounds pass), SUBDUED, END

Regional Finals
4 Syracuse/3 Marquette FOUL, STALL, CONCEDE, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, SILLY, SUBDUED, END
2 Duke/1 Louisville FOUL, STALL, CONCEDE, UNCONTESTED, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, BORE, SILLY (Duke dribbles out clock), ROLL, DQ, END
4 Michigan/3 Florida STALL, CONCEDE, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, SILLY, SUBDUED, END
9 Wichita St./2 Ohio St. FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, UNCONTESTED (There were no uncontested Ohio St. lay-ups. However, on the last Ohio St. possession, during which they missed a three-point attempt, Wichita St.’s only objective on defense was to avoid fouling – no consideration was given to prevention of scoring), LACKED, PREDICTABLE, DEAD, SUBDUED, ROLL, END

National Semifinals
9 Wichita St./1 Louisville FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, UNCONTESTED (There were no uncontested Wichita St. lay-ups. However, on the last Wichita St. possession, during which they missed a three-point attempt, Louisville’s only objective on defense was to avoid fouling), LACKED, PREDICTABLE, DEAD, SUBDUED, END
4 Syracuse/4 Michigan FOUL, STALL, SLOPPY, ROLL, LACKED, PREDICTABLE, DEAD, SILLY, END