Late Game Strategies

Sometimes you just get beat by a good player making a great play. That’s what happened to Michigan against Kentucky. Aaron Harrison drained a 3 to win while being closely guarded.

But there might have been a way to avoid that result.
Here’s the situation, Michigan ball, down 2, 56 seconds left.
Michigan did the prudent thing by trying to get a quick shot, which Stauskas missed.
Here’s where they screwed up, twice they got offensive rebounds and kicked them out for rushed 3s. They didn’t need a 3 trailing by 2, and they certainly didn’t need the hurried jacks they settled for. It worked out because Jordan Morgan tipped one in (it actually looked like Julius Randle did) to the time game.

But Kentucky had plenty of time and Harrison hit the game winning shot.

I think once the shot clock was turned off (under 35 seconds to go in the game) Michigan should have held the ball for a better shot, with less time left. It seems to me, if you miss a shot there, no matter how much time is left, you have very little chance to win.
So if you’re best hope is overtime or a game-winning , it’s better to do that as late in the clock as possible to prevent Kentucky from getting the ball back with a legit opportunity to score.