Krzyzewski Defends Timeout Predicament

Because his players used timeouts a couple of times to escape difficult situations on offense, and because he used several to try to stop Kentucky runs, Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski was without a timeout for the final 5:21 of Sunday’s South Regional final.

Teams have five total timeouts to use in a game.

Forward Roshown McLeod used the team’s last--a full timeout with the Blue Devils leading, 74-71--when he was on the ground and pinned on the sideline, with Kentucky defenders swarming at the ball.

So, as the Wildcats fought to the lead, Krzyzewski sat on the bench, unable to stop play and reset things with his players.

“I don’t fault our guys for calling the timeouts,” Krzyzewski said. “Those timeouts kept us in the game.

“It straps you a little, but I don’t fault my kids for calling them.”

Kentucky Coach Tubby Smith said he realized that Duke was unable to call timeout in the stretch, and wanted his players to keep play moving along and take advantage of the situation.

“I like keeping my timeouts,” Smith said. “That’s one reason I don’t call many timeouts.”

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Wildcat point guard Wayne Turner was the region’s most outstanding player, and definitely was the most important Kentucky player down the stretch Sunday.

“We weren’t making a lot of shots, so he had to create some offense for us by penetrating,” Smith said. “He can get to the basket on anybody, and that’s what he was doing.

“Jeff [Sheppard] was able to hit some shots because of Wayne’s penetration. That’s how Scott [Padgett] got his shots. That’s how Cameron Mills got his.

“I think he’s the best point guard in the country.”

Said Turner, who had 16 points and eight assists: “I realized that I was being a little passive after a couple of buckets I made, so I said to myself that I have to penetrate and create more opportunities and get some open shots for my teammates.”

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In addition to Turner, the members of the all-region team were Padgett and Sheppard, and Duke’s Trajan Langdon and Roshown McLeod. . . . This is Kentucky’s 13th appearance in the Final Four, and its fourth in the 1990s. Kentucky also is only the third school to reach back-to-back Final Fours with two different coaches. UCLA made it in John Wooden’s last year and Gene Bartow’s first; North Carolina accomplished it this season, with Bill Guthridge following Dean Smith.

The game was delayed twice in the first half when a power cord to the scoreboard malfunctioned, rendering the scoreboard blank. During the first interruption, the scoreboard briefly came back to life, only with “UCLA” listed as one of the two participants.