Video & Analysis: Brandon Johns Jr. Talks Final Play In Loss To Oregon
The really interesting thing here is Brandon Johns Jr., said the play was not designed for senior point guard Zavier Simpson. It was an odd sequence in which Simpson caught the ball in the backcourt with about 10 seconds and moseyed forward at a pace that left everyone in Crisler yelling to hustle.
Without time to get the ball to junior Isaiah Livers, Simpson drove the lane and attempted an off-balanced quasi-hook shot (his signature and consistently effective shot). It didn't fall and Johns' tip-in also clanged off the rim.
In his post-game press conference, head coach Juwan Howard said he was fine with the final shot and Simpson was the one he wanted to take it - likely covering when the sequence didn't go as planned.
On a day when Simpson was forcing too many contested layups, and with Livers shooting 5 for 6 after the half, it certainly would have made sense for Livers to get a crack at the final shot, but if the shot falls, Simpson is a hero and no one is second-guessing him. It didn't, however, and 12,707 fans at Crisler (plus many more watching on TV) are likely wondering what could have been.
