My finger hurts, so like Missouri’s J.T. Tiller, I’m letting a better free-throw shooter… I mean, typist… write the first paragraph of the column.
Hey, how about that, now it feels better. I’m ready to get back to the keyboard now.
Yes, Marquette has a complaint about how its season ended on Sunday. Missouri may not have broken the letter of the law, but the spirit has seen better days.
That’s not to say Missouri’s shenanigans are the reason Marquette’s season is over today. Despite Dominic James’ emotional return, despite massive efforts from Jerel McNeal and Wes Matthews, the Eagles lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament because they didn’t play quite well enough, because they missed too many layups and because Lazar Hayward’s shoes are too big.
Still, the Tigers – and Tiller in particular – may not want to visit Milwaukee anytime soon.
In case you missed it, the game was tied at 79-all with 5.5 seconds left when Missouri’s Tiller was fouled while driving to the hoop. He earned two free throws for his troubles, but that’s when the trouble began.
See, Tiller fell hard and was holding his wrist after the play. No doubt the kid was in pain. The rule s state that if a player is injured, you can send in a substitute to take his foul shots. Fair enough. Tiller’s a 76 percent free-throw shooter and the eventual sub, Kim English, hits at only a 68 percent clip. Plus, English is a freshman. Advantage, you would think, to Marquette.
The catch is that if you substitute for a player, he has to stay on the bench when play resumes. Normally that wouldn’t be a problem, because you figure if a guy’s hurt enough that he has to exit the game, he’s not coming back anytime soon.
Well, they must have some really good athletic trainers in Missouri. Because not two seconds after English made the second free-throw, Tiller was jogging to the scorer’s table, ready to check back in.
This is the part in “Seinfeld” where George Costanza would ask, “Are you a religious man, sir?” And Mr. Thomassoulo would deliver his emphatic no.
And this is why Marquette fans can be legitimately steamed. Because Tiller’s actions prove that he wasn’t too hurt to play. He was just too hurt to confidently try those free throws. Which, as fate had it, turned out to be rather important.
Missouri coach Mike Anderson’s attempt to justify Tiller’s quick recovery was this: “Once he came over and sat down, he is that kind of guy who wants to get back in there.”
You know, just so long as it didn’t involve shooting the ball with the game on the line.
Was it the difference in the game? Maybe, maybe not. Marquette’s argument would be stronger had it been able to get the ball inbounds on the ensuing play. Instead, any squawks will be viewed nationally as nothing but sour grapes, as evidenced by this piece from Sports Illustrated’s George Dohrmann.
But Marquette fans will be chewing on those sour grapes for the rest of the tournament.
Brew Crew’s Bruised
Cheer up anyway, Eagles fans. Because in three weeks, you can watch baseball at Miller Park.
Hard to believe that the season is so close at hand. But the Brewers may want to delay it a little while.
Those bumps and bruises the Brewers have glossed over down in Arizona are starting to get a little more nagging. As in ex-wife nagging.
Suddenly it’s looking like Trevor Hoffman, Milwaukee’s biggest free-agent signing of the offseason, will open the season on the disabled list. Seems his strained oblique isn’t healing very quickly, which is troublesome when you factor in that he’s on the north side of 40. And Carlos Villanueva, the team’s backup plan at closer, has pitched poorly this spring.
Also, Milwaukee’s other notable offseason acquisition, starting pitcher Braden Looper, may not be ready when the team breaks camp. And David Riske is struggling in his attempt to recover from last season’s elbow injury.
That’s four trouble spots on the team’s projected 12-man pitching staff. So you hope, in the words of Howard Jones, that things can only get better.
But there’s good news out of Arizona, too. As good as Milwaukee’s offense has been the past two years, it may be better this season. The spring plaudits keep pouring in, particularly for J.J. Hardy and Corey Hart. Even Bill Hall enters the week batting .368, which means he should start filming that Lasik commercial any day now.
And finally…
There are more than 5 million entries in ESPN.com’s NCAA men’s Tournament Challenge. And after the first two rounds, not a one of them was left with a perfect bracket.
So don’t feel too bad. You aren’t the only one with a bracket fit for a birdcage.
Tune in every Tuesday morning during the 6 o’clock hour when I join Doug Russell and Mike Wickett on SportsRadio 1250 AM for Tuesdays with Howie. You can also find the segments in their Audio Vault. And don’t forget to check out our new fitness column, Training with Tim.
