San Diego State had a timeout remaining as the clock neared an expiration, but Brian Dutcher trusted his players and didn’t use it.
After trailing Florida Atlantic by as many as 14 points earlier in the game, SDSU had a chance to secure the victory. SDSU big man Nathan Mensah grabbed a rebound following a missed shot by FAU, then Lamont Butler took the ball up the floor in transition.
Butler stepped up on the biggest stage and managed to take an incredibly impressive off-the-dribble jumper from midrange. The shot went in for a thrilling buzzer-beater, earning a trip to the national championship.
.@Aztec_MBB AT THE BUZZERRRRRRRRRRR 😱 😱 😱 pic.twitter.com/iJb9WbBA7Y
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 2, 2023
After the game, Dutcher was asked why he chose not to call a timeout and draw up a more intentional possession in a set offense.
Dutcher was perfectly candid about the decision to instead let everything just happen within the flow of the game:
Brian Dutcher on the buzzer beater:
"I ran out of plays so I decided not to take a timeout" 😂 pic.twitter.com/5HEVEm83sM
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 2, 2023
Here was the full quote from Dutcher:
“I ran out of plays so I decided not to take a timeout. So Lamont said if we get the rebound, let’s get downhill, send all three bigs to the rim. He got downhill and made the play.”
SDSU was an average team when it came to their typical shot quality after a timeout, but they were also relatively inefficient in a transition offense during the tournament.
This decision was bold but brilliant and it worked like a charm.
