Inside the Play: The Anthony Davis block
December 4, 2011
Here’s how Anthony Davis described the North Carolina game: “It just was going back and forth, point-to-point. Somebody had to get a stop. I’m glad it was us, on the last play.”
In fact, it was him who got the stop on the last play, blocking a shot to preserve a one-point win in a game that lived up to the hype and left nearly everyone clamoring for a rematch.
How did Davis do it? Let’s take a look.
Marquis Teague misses the front end of a one-and-one. The rebound goes long, too long for Anthony Davis to get.
|
|
|
|
North Carolina races up the court to get in position while Kendall Marshall slows it down. He crosses the midcourt line with 15.3 seconds left.
|
|
The play had three options: 1) Marshall, who gets a screen from John Henson at the top of the key, can penetrate; 2) He can pass to Tyler Zeller in the post; or 3) Reggie Bullock, who gets a second screen from John Henson at the top of the screen, is curling toward the free throw line for a shot. Zeller gets it.
|
|
Terrence Jones comes down for a double team on the perimeter. UK knows Zeller likes to turn left and shoot a right-handed jump hook; his first move is to his left. However, he loses the ball, but it flies right at…
|
|
John Henson, about 12 feet away from the basket. He jumps in the air — that’s a critical part of this play — to snag it. As you can see, Davis has just recognized that Henson will have a free look. “I just sprinted as fast as I can,” Davis said.
|
|
Roy Williams said he usually likes players to drive if there’s enough time left, but then again, “not many people can block a shot by John Henson.” One of those people who can? Davis, who said, The ball pops up, Davis grabs it and clutches it, almost expecting a foul. Williams is screaming for his, but his players are too “stunned” to do it. They come to their senses after a second, but as they converge, Davis passes to Marquis Teague.
|
|
|
Teague dribbles out the clock, preserving the victory. He could have been the goat for missing the free throw to keep UNC within one; instead, Davis clinched the game. After the game, Calipari told the 6-foot-1 Teague to hug the 6-foot-10 Davis.
He did.
