Charles Barkley blasts Florida's late-game defensive breakdown, questioning key decisions that handed Iowa a stunning NCAA Tournament upset.
No. 1 seed Florida didn't play well for most of its contest in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday.
Still, the Gators had a two-point lead with eight seconds to play, but two crucial blunders on the final two possessions cost the team a chance to defend their title in a 73-72 loss to No. 9 seed Iowa.
The Hawkeyes were able to get Alvaro Folgueiras to hit a three-point shot with four seconds remaining.
During an appearance on "The Dan Patrick Show" on Monday, former NBA player Charles Barkley criticized Florida's effort in that sequence, calling it one of the worst defensive calls he's ever seen.
"It was just a bad play," Barkley said.
Barkley didn't understand why Golden didn't put his players in a better position to make a foul before Folgueiras got up for the shot.
"Why are you chasing dudes if you want to foul?" Barkley said. "What I wish he said, and I think coach Golden is a terrific coach, because Iowa outplayed them and deserved to win the game. That's what he should have said ...
"They beat their frontline up with a bunch of little dudes, they outworked them, they outhustled them, their coach (Ben McCollum) had a great game plan."
Following the game, Golden told reporters the plan was to foul Iowa before they could attempt a three point shot, hoping the Hawkeyes would have to make both free throws to tie the game.
Even if Iowa made those two shots, UF would have had time to score a game-winning basket of its own.
"I thought obviously on the last play, we wanted to take a foul to prevent them from getting off a three, and they got away from us," Golden said. "We weren't able to take it and they knocked it down, so credit to them for that. Just a tough way to go out."
Florida still had 3.9 seconds to score after Iowa's three. But Xaivian Lee made a split-second decision to pass the ball to Thomas Haugh instead of attacking the rim with an Iowa defender in illegal position.
The pass was bad, and UF went home.