Doug Gottlieb to Jon Rothstein about fouling up three late: ‘No plan is perfect’

CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein is never shy about sharing his three rules to live by.

3 rules to live by:
1. Never acknowledge The Godfather: Part III.
2. Never waste calories on pizza outside of the Eastern Time Zone.
3. ALWAYS foul up three late.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 2, 2025

Perhaps chief among those rules is No. 3: “ALWAYS foul up three late.”

It’s an age-old debate in college hoops. Foul to make sure an opposing team can’t have an opportunity at a three-pointer to tie it, or play straight up to avoid the risk of an offensive rebound and put-back on an intentionally missed second free throw? The decision really comes down to the coach.

And Doug Gottlieb, the head coach of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix and a Fox Sports radio host, seems to agree with Rothstein. His Phoenix, facing the up-three-points-late situation on Saturday night against the Oakland Golden Grizzlies, decided to foul. Unfortunately for Gottlieb, whose team has won just four games this season, the decision backfired.

Oakland made the first free throw, missed the second, then secured an offensive rebound and a layup to tie the game. The Golden Grizzlies then beat Green Bay in overtime. It’s the exact recipe that makes Rothstein’s strategy a risky one.

On Sunday morning after the loss, Gottlieb decided to inform Rothstein of these flaws on social media.

We did. Jon. And lost. No plan is perfect. https://t.co/OxlXlZ5ve9

— Doug Gottlieb (@GottliebShow) March 2, 2025

“We did. Jon. And lost. No plan is perfect,” Gottlieb posted on X.

Now, critics would likely point out that the Green Bay Phoenix didn’t exactly execute the plan to perfection. The foul-up-three-late strategy is best employed in the final seconds of a game, preferably with so little time that an offensive rebound and layup would be virtually impossible. Gottlieb’s team fouled with eight seconds remaining in the game, more than enough time for Oakland to have a shot at getting the ball back.

That type of execution kind of defeats the entire point of fouling in that situation, so it’s weird that a head coach would willingly draw attention to a blunder that could reasonably be blamed on poor coaching. Of course, self-awareness isn’t Gottlieb’s strong suit.

Otherwise, the Green Bay coach has a point. Fouling while up three points late is not a foolproof strategy by any means. But that’s why proper execution, and coaching, becomes so important when employing it.