Sports

John Calipari Told Arkansas To Miss Free Throw While Up By Three Points With 2.5 Seconds Left

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John Calipari Miss Free Throw Johnell Davis
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John Calipari told Arkansas point Johnell Davis to miss a free throw on purpose while up by three points with less than three seconds remaining. He was unable to do so, which almost saved the day.

It did not make any sense to miss a free throw in that situation.

Calipari, a Hall of Famer, is projected to make the NCAA Tournament during his first college basketball season at Arkansas despite an 8-10 record in the SEC. The Hogs helped their case with a win in the first round of the conference tournament on Wednesday afternoon.

However, a mind-boggling decision by their head coach almost proved costly. Calipari instructed Davis to intentionally miss his second of two free throws with only 2.5 seconds remaining in the second half. Arkansas had a three-point lead at the time. South Carolina still had a timeout.

If Davis was to miss, and the Gamecocks got the rebound as expected, they could’ve advanced the ball past half court for one final play with approximately 1.3 seconds left. At that point, they could’ve tied the score at 71 with a three-pointer to force overtime.

On the other side of that conversation, the Razorbacks could’ve made it a two-possession game with a made free throw. All Davis had to do was put the ball in the hoop to secure a victory.

Calipari still called for a miss. Fortunately, it didn’t work! Davis tried to smash the free throw off of the backboard but the ball bounced right into the hoop.

To make matters worse, Calipari actually tried to justify his decision after the game. He did not own up to the mistake or take accountability. He was actually trying to create another possession for South Carolina with the hope that they would miss the three-pointer from beyond half court.

I don’t think John Calipari was aware of what he did wrong and that might be even more concerning. It sounds to me like he thought Arkansas was up by two points, not three. He also forgot to consider his opponent’s timeout.

The Hogs got away with one on Wednesday. A truly baffling attempt to intentionally miss a free throw while up by three points with 2.5 seconds left could’ve proved very costly. They are glad it didn’t.