The first round of the NCAA tournament hasn’t even started yet and we already have our first “this is March” moment. With the game tied 66-66, Texas’ Tramon Mark drained a shot with 1.1 seconds left to give his team the narrow 68-66 victory.
But there’s an alternate universe where things ended much differently for Texas.
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Following Mark’s shot, Texas assistant coach Ryan Anderson stormed the court prematurely. Anderson could have been called for a technical foul for his actions, which would have given NC State a much better shot at tying things up, but officials either didn’t notice or let Anderson’s gaffe slide.
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Anderson didn’t get off scot-free, however. He got an earful from Texas coach Sean Miller for the mistake. Miller yelled at Anderson on the sideline for nearly ruining Texas’ moment.
While that video shows Anderson’s mistake and its aftermath, the official broadcast video also shows Anderson clearly running onto the court after Mark’s shot.
Another Texas assistant can be seen running out to try and get Anderson off the court so the team wasn’t penalized.
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Given Anderson’s actions, and the narrow margin of victory, the officials’ decision to let it slide will almost certainly be questioned, especially by NC State fans.
It’s understandable to want to celebrate a game-winning shot in the moment, but as an assistant coach, Anderson should know better than to put his team at risk following the biggest play of the game.
With the win, Texas advanced to the first round of the NCAA tournament, where it will take on BYU on Thursday.