Critical Question (Coaching)

[Nolan Dalla]

We all know the routine of some college football coaches, to score one last trash TD to COVER the spread late in the game for the alumni. Steve Spurrier (with Florida) was noted for this. My question is this:

DO SOME COLLEGE BASKETBALL COACHES INTENTIONALLY TRY TO RUN UP THE SCORE JUST ENOUGH TO COVER? In other words, when the game has long been decided, do some teams/coaches make an effort to cover the number?

I'm doing this from memory, but from watching the first round of game, it appears there were a couple of spots where the head coaches and team intentionally tried to overcome the line -- GONZAGA and DUKE. There might have been a few others games, but what I am curious about is -- do you think the coaches at Duke and Gonzaga intentionally covered the numbver, or was this purely coincidental that a few meaningless baskets fell in the closing minute?

I am not concerned about any conspiracies or anything, I'm simply asking for the reason that we might want to pay attention to this as both teams are favored again today. There may be other big favorites that try to run up the points late, if given the opportunity. Any thoughts or ideas as to whether this PLAY TO COVER mentality applies to any of these teams and games?

-- Nolan Dalla

 

[ajoytoy]

cant speak for the Zags, but Duke did not seem to try to cover the line that hard....they were substituting players constantly in the 2nd half so all the pine warmers could get into the tourney (probably their last time doing that)....From around 7 minutes left in the game, they were trying to run the shot clock down to single digits....even though they had a 40 point lead with about 2 minutes left, AL. St. tried their best to get it under the number...which they failed at doing....

Dont think Coach K will get crazy if any remaining games are blowouts.....

But I am sure they will go strong regardless....


just my .02 worth over here on the east coast


and of course I need Duke to Cover today

 

[Hack]

Coincidence,perhaps.
But boosters do wager and DONATE to the university.
Catch my drift!

Spurrier comes to mind of a coach that appears to try and cover the number.

 

[Howie]

Another good example was Stanford...up by 22 with less than a minute left. Other team is bringing the ball up the court when Stanford's point guard steals the ball and drives for a layup. Then, with less than 30 seconds left, Stanford's guard steals the ball a 2nd time and goes for a layup...and the cover as the line was 24.

sure does make you wonder, doesn't it.

 

[djv]

Nolan what about Texas. I do know years ago and not so long ago much Texas money would get placed on then in FB. And many folks in Texas have big bucks. So maybe coaches there here alittel talk about that spread?

 

[saint]

Coach K is famous for running up the score. Even in the 1st round, there was no need for the starters to be in that late in the game. He may have rotated some bench but it was for little spurts if anything. I think dook probably covers a big spread more often than other teams, the data might be interesting to look at over a certain threshold of spreads.

 

[JCDunkDogs]

I didn't see anything unusual. I watched games all day Thurs and Fri (and had money riding on several), but I didn't detect any funny stuff going on regarding the spreads. I'll be watching for that this weekend.

 

[fletcher]

Yes! Coaching at a Few D1 power schools I know this first hand blast me if you want but I know it as fact, Was a ga at fl and already new the stories from there, but also know it from the other universitys i was at, first don't know how many of you know this but your big paid coaches and staff get only about 1/2 of their contact through the school and some are less then that, the rest of the pay comes from your booster club, which is made up from fat cats in alumni ass., these people have major money and bet on every fb game that their university has , they don't know jack about handicapping but trust me the coaching staff knows where his and his staff pay is comming from and it is not the university, and this holds true in hoops also but not as much as you get in fb, but trust me it is a given at your big schools and these boosters are putting down big money on games and like i said they are not handicappers, they are people with very deep pockets that have more power then you would ever think unless you have been a coach and trust me if a game is not covered due to taking it easy on someone the coach will here about it in practice in some little way in a round about statement from the boosters, and all big boosters are allowed to go in to a closed practice at most universities, your boosters are the ones who always get the programs in trouble, the coaching staff just does the leg work. and if a few major boosters do not think a coach is not doing what he should. That coach will not be at that school to long , the slient money has more pull then any chanchellor or president, and even can handle the board of regeants, the money talks and these are not 100-200 boosters these are fat cats, most of your coaches at d1 get cars even asst. coaches head coaches get 2 most of the time why they are at said school, who do you think gives them the cars to use, it is not the school, every bigtime university will have at least 2 major car dealership owners in their booster club that give very good money and cars to use. At one college in baseball we would get them every 6-8 months , head coach had 1 and recruiter would get one in baseball and other asst. coaches would have school owned car when they had school business to take care of, and even those would come from one of your dealerships who are also big boosters, forget the state bids all state schools are to do, they might do them but a booster who has a business inwhich the school is bidding out on something it could be anything building a new dorm, plumbing something major that maintance dept can't do, well bids might go out but a booster that is big will get the contract most of the time.

hope this helps Nolan.

 

[JCB]

coach K always has his starters in way too long. whether that is to cover the spread or not is debatable. many times I have felt that he does it for that reason. fletcher seems to back that up and makes me feel even stronger about it.

 

[lowell]

coach k is an army man.he will not play subs when he thinks his other players should play.i thought ewing should of been on bench with 2 minutes to go but that is coach's style.i do not always like it but can not think of anyone else i would want coaching my team.he does expect more from his team than some other coaches.can not imagine him doing what williams did at unc in promising a player-mccants -that if you stay 4 yrs and complete your committment to duke i will go to nba draft with you.that is not his stlye.he does not care about point spread but he does expect every player to have the intensity he demands.