Lucky Wake! My greatest frustration watching the end of this gamewas, once again, the dismal performance of #42 (Williams) , a senior. Supposedly the defensive ace of this team, I saw some horrendous mental mistakes in the closing, crucial minutes of the game, including not fighting through screens to stay on their leading offensive player (instead he switched twice to generate a serious mismatch for him and fello teammate), not pressuring the same player when he lost his dribble at the top of the key, almost receiving an intentional foul at midcourt instead of what was suppose to be a “going after the ball” foul, and freezing on the block during the last free-throw attempt that might have worked and tied the game. In addition, a missed jumper at the free-throw line was also a critical mistake that allowed the Zags to get so close near the end. These actions might go unnoticed by most fans, but they could have been critical. Moreover, I have seen this same type of performance by the same player in other close games, as well as his often Hollywood performance regarding so-called injuries.
I think the Deacs would have been better off with Stewart in the game, despite being a freshman. Maybe he had a better AAU coach than Williams??