Facing a 14 point deficit at halftime, Ed Cooley concocted one of those make-or-break decisions he’d either get lauded or ridiculed for. When he came in the locker room for halftime and announced he’d be starting Makai Ashton-Langford, a freshman guard who didn’t play in the first half, there was no in between.
Either Langford’s defense and ball handling would spark a seismic comeback in the second half or Cooley would be second-guessed for overreacting to a poor start.
The Friars won the second half by 14 and after twenty-five more minutes of play are advancing to the Big East Finals with their 75-71 win against Xavier.