Coach, You Should Have Put Me In Sooner

"Defence! Defence! Defence!"...

On April 19, 2003, the NCAA Finals were being held at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The matchup was between Syracuse University, led by freshman Carmelo Anthony and making its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Finals, and traditional powerhouse the University of Kansas, led by Hinrich and Collison.

Amid the roars of more than 60,000 spectators, Carmelo Anthony was on fire, driving to the basket, shooting from outside, and setting up his teammates. He quickly led Syracuse University to a double-digit lead over the University of Kansas, forcing Kansas to call a timeout.

The timeout worked immediately. The University of Kansas steadied the game and prevented Syracuse from extending its lead.

At halftime, the score stood at 53–42, with Syracuse University leading by 11 points.

As a traditional powerhouse, the University of Kansas certainly wasn't giving up. Fired up by their head coach, they launched a furious comeback in the second half, and the gap slowly began to shrink.

Just then, Carmelo Anthony stepped up. He took the ball on the perimeter and squared up in a triple-threat stance, then rose straight into a pull-up three. The defender couldn't get close and could only watch as Carmelo Anthony released the shot.

"Swish." The ball dropped through the net.

Three-pointer.

Then Collison's pass on offense was stolen. Carmelo Anthony immediately sprinted downcourt, leading the break. He caught his teammate's pass and went straight in for a layup.

Five unanswered points, halting the University of Kansas's furious comeback.

"Ahhh!" Carmelo Anthony raised his right hand and pounded his chest, roaring excitedly at the crowd. Before long, he would lead Syracuse University to the first NCAA championship in its history.

"Timeout!" The University of Kansas was forced to stop play again.

Head coach Roy Williams watched the freshman Carmelo Anthony, brimming with confidence on the court, with a helpless expression. Before the final began, he had known full well that beating Syracuse University meant containing Carmelo Anthony. But even after throwing everything they had at him, they still couldn't stop him from playing his game.

Roy Williams watched the University of Kansas players return to the bench and quickly composed himself. Turning to his team, he shouted, "The game isn't over! We're the traditional powerhouse, the University of Kansas..."

He launched into a long, passionate speech, spittle flying as his voice reached every Kansas player. In an instant, nearly every player looked fired up. The game wasn't over.

The brief timeout ended, and both teams returned to the court.

With their fighting spirit restored, the University of Kansas played solid defense and offense, chipping away at the lead. As the game clock reached the final minute, they had cut the deficit to three.

"Whistle!" A bit too much contact from the University of Kansas sent Carmelo Anthony to the free-throw line.

"Clang!" Carmelo Anthony missed the free throw.

The NCAA used a one-and-one free-throw rule: if the first shot went in, the shooter got a second; if it missed, the players could fight for the rebound.

The University of Kansas secured the rebound and set up a three-point play. The ball eventually went to Langford on the left wing, just inside the three-point line. Langford caught it, jumped, hung in the air, and released.

As more than 60,000 spectators watched, the ball sailed toward the hoop.

"Clang!" The three-pointer missed.

"Rebound!" head coach Roy Williams roared from the sideline.

Whether or not he heard Roy Williams's shout, Graves grabbed the crucial offensive rebound. He landed and was about to go back up for a putback when Syracuse's players deliberately fouled him, sending him to the free-throw line.

Graves made one of his two free throws, helping his team cut the deficit to two.

Possession returned to Syracuse University. With too little time left to defend for a full possession, the University of Kansas had no choice but to foul quickly and send a Syracuse player to the line.

"Swish!" "Clang!" He made one of two, putting the lead back at three.

At this crucial moment, head coach Roy Williams didn't call a timeout. He chose to trust his players.

Collison quickly dribbled across half court, then passed to Hinrich, who had used a screen to get open. Hinrich caught the ball and rose for a three as a help defender closed in.

"Clang!" The three missed again, and the University of Kansas lost another chance to tie the game.

The University of Kansas fans in the arena and watching on television looked devastated. They were going to lose...

Head coach Roy Williams covered his forehead with both hands. Why was it so hard to make just one three-pointer...

Syracuse's Hakim Warrick soared above the crowd and snatched the precious rebound. The instant his feet hit the floor, the University of Kansas players swarmed him and deliberately fouled him, sending Hakim Warrick to the free-throw line.

"Clang!" Hakim Warrick missed the free throw.

The University of Kansas grabbed the rebound. There were 8.7 seconds left, and they still had one last chance.

"Timeout." Head coach Roy Williams used his final timeout. At that moment, he had a bold idea.

Roy Williams turned toward the far end of the bench, where a handsome young man with delicate features and pale skin sat. "Goodwin, get ready to go in!"

The moment Roy Williams finished speaking, the entire University of Kansas bench went still. No way—had the coach misspoken? Goodwin hadn't played a single second that night, and now, at such a crucial moment...

Goodwin, whose name had just been called, curled the corner of his mouth into a faint smile. His deep blue eyes fixed on head coach Roy Williams. "Coach, you should have put me in sooner."

Hearing Goodwin's words, head coach Roy Williams froze. Two seconds later, he came back to himself and smiled faintly at Goodwin. "Goodwin, are you confident you can bring us back?"

What Roy Williams meant was that the next three-point play would be designed for the player named Goodwin.

Goodwin broke into a radiant smile and answered confidently, "Of course!"

"Roy..." The assistant coach hadn't even finished speaking before head coach Roy Williams cut him off. "I believe in Goodwin, just as I believe in every one of you. We're facing a problem like never before. We have to work together and overcome it!"

As he spoke, head coach Roy Williams looked across the team's starters.

The starters nodded. In the end, they agreed with head coach Roy Williams's plan, placing their last hope in Goodwin!