Kellogg and Nantz Just Don't Get It

After listening to tonight's late-game dialog between Nantz and Kellogg in the Duke-Michigan State game, I'm starting to wonder if the two announcers understand that referees decide when to call fouls, not players.

With about 1:30 left on the clock, down 7, Izzo instructed his team to play defense and try to get a stop.  Kellogg was already in disagreement.  But as the possession played out, one of the refs decided a Spartan player was getting a little too physical with defense, and blew the whistle.

Kellog went nuts.  He just couldn't understand why they decided to foul with 7 seconds left, after running down most of the shot clock.

Here's a clue for you, Clark.  Michigan State didn't decide to foul.  They decided to play tough, straight up, hard-nosed Big Ten style defense.  And the referee, not Izzo or the Spartans players, decided to call a foul.

I'm sure if Izzo knew the ref was going to call a foul with 7 seconds left on the clock he'd have gone ahead and instructed his player to try to foul right away.  But Izzo had no way of knowing.  In Izzo's mind, he was hoping for a shot-clock violation, a turnover, or a bad/missed shot and Spartan rebound.

It just didn't work out in this case.

But please, Kellog, stop trying to sell to me the idea that Izzo didn't decide to foul at 35 seconds left on the shot clock, then suddenly decided to foul with 7 seconds left.  Not only does that strategy make no sense, but suggesting it was Izzo's plan is an insult to Izzo's intelligence.  And we're talking about one of the great basketball minds in the game today.

Bottom line, Nantz and Kellogg just don't understand what's going on with basketball.  Nantz is a golf guy, and Kellogg played the game but he's just not that sharp at strategy.  Clearly.