The year was 1958. The NCAA Western Regional Final (Elite8). Cal vs Seattle and Elgin Baylor. The game was hard fought. Seattle scores a bucket to tie the game with 5 seconds left in the game.
Pete Newell calls timeout. He diagrams a play, and when the players take the court, Cal players station themselves almost in a line from the inbound line the far end, with Al Buck positioned near the free throw line at the near end.
With three or four passes up the court, the ball never touching the floor, the last pass hits Al Buch in stride as he was running toward a wide open basket. With almost no time left Buck launches a running floater from about 6 feet from the basket, and it misses. Cal went on to lose in overtime to Seattle and the mighty Elgin Baylor.
Seattle went on to the Final Four, and won their semi-final game, but Baylor suffered a painful injury. The following night in the Final, Baylor played, but was in pain and ineffective, and Kentucky won the 1958 NCAA title.
Newell would say later that Cal should have won the NCAA title in 1958, because he felt that Cal was a better team than Kentucky that year. If only that little floater by Al Buch had scored, and history would have been different. Cal would have had two NCAA titles in a row, not just one. I can only imagine the agony that Newell must have felt over the play he called in that fateful timeout. While it was brilliant to get a very short open shot in just 5 seconds by only passing the ball and not dribbling it, Newell probably tortured himself over why he could not have found a way to get Buch open for an easier shot, a layup. It was the type thing that led to his stomach problems, his sleepless nights, and his leaving the coaching profession after just two more seasons.
Today, a play like that would be rare. 3 or 4 passes end-to-end for a wide open 6-footer, with the ball never touching the floor. Today, nearly all coaches, will call in that situation to inbound the ball to the team's fastest best shooter, and have him dribble the ball upcourt, as fast as he can, and usually end up taking a long perimeter shot, always guarded, often by two or even three defenders, making it a very low percentage play. It is unsophisticated and not much different from watching an elementary school game, dribble the ball end to end and fire up a long bomb. When the ball goes in, it is a spectacular moment, to the credit of a talented athlete, but it is also a sign of the change in the game from 1958, from a team game to a game more focused and appreciative of individual play in a team sport. I don't even know if Newell's old play would work today against a modern defense. Could Newell spring a player loose under the basket today for an open shot in the same 5 seconds? I wish some coach would be bold enough to try it.
Pete Newell calls timeout. He diagrams a play, and when the players take the court, Cal players station themselves almost in a line from the inbound line the far end, with Al Buck positioned near the free throw line at the near end.
With three or four passes up the court, the ball never touching the floor, the last pass hits Al Buch in stride as he was running toward a wide open basket. With almost no time left Buck launches a running floater from about 6 feet from the basket, and it misses. Cal went on to lose in overtime to Seattle and the mighty Elgin Baylor.
Seattle went on to the Final Four, and won their semi-final game, but Baylor suffered a painful injury. The following night in the Final, Baylor played, but was in pain and ineffective, and Kentucky won the 1958 NCAA title.
Newell would say later that Cal should have won the NCAA title in 1958, because he felt that Cal was a better team than Kentucky that year. If only that little floater by Al Buch had scored, and history would have been different. Cal would have had two NCAA titles in a row, not just one. I can only imagine the agony that Newell must have felt over the play he called in that fateful timeout. While it was brilliant to get a very short open shot in just 5 seconds by only passing the ball and not dribbling it, Newell probably tortured himself over why he could not have found a way to get Buch open for an easier shot, a layup. It was the type thing that led to his stomach problems, his sleepless nights, and his leaving the coaching profession after just two more seasons.
Today, a play like that would be rare. 3 or 4 passes end-to-end for a wide open 6-footer, with the ball never touching the floor. Today, nearly all coaches, will call in that situation to inbound the ball to the team's fastest best shooter, and have him dribble the ball upcourt, as fast as he can, and usually end up taking a long perimeter shot, always guarded, often by two or even three defenders, making it a very low percentage play. It is unsophisticated and not much different from watching an elementary school game, dribble the ball end to end and fire up a long bomb. When the ball goes in, it is a spectacular moment, to the credit of a talented athlete, but it is also a sign of the change in the game from 1958, from a team game to a game more focused and appreciative of individual play in a team sport. I don't even know if Newell's old play would work today against a modern defense. Could Newell spring a player loose under the basket today for an open shot in the same 5 seconds? I wish some coach would be bold enough to try it.
SFCityBear
