Pitt Chooses to Full Court Press with 5 Seconds Left

In watching the big game between Pitt and Villanova, and alot of the pundits on the breakdown of how the game ended. I think as coaches, we can all look at those last 2 minutes and come away with some lessons. Villanova almost gave away the game with an ill-advised baseball play trying to beat Pitt's full-court press. Pitt ends up tying the game.

But then, I thought Pitt made a strategic error after Levance Fields made the free-throw to tie the game at 76. With only 5 seconds to go, they decided to go with the full court pressure again,

The pass is made to the middle on the press break, then Scottie Reynolds is able to successfully get a handoff and because of Pitt's ill-advised decision to full-court press, Villanova has a 3-on-2 with 4 seconds left, good odds if you're Villanova,

I know I tend to focus on the negative (just part of my skeptical nature), but I thought Pitt allowed Villanova, and specifically Scottie Reynolds that layup. In my opinion, if Pitt had chosen to send 4 back instead, allowed Scottie Reynolds to receive the ball and just have 1 defender pressure him and make him turn a couple of times, or at least once, with 4 defenders in the paint, I think Villanova would have had to settle for a perimeter shot. Sure, they could've still hit the perimeter shot to win it, but I like those odds better than a 3-on-2. That's just a matter of math.

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