There's a difference between choosing not to take a timeout in the closing seconds of a one possession game and choosing not to take a timeout when a team is putting a significant run on you.
In the first instance, I don't think there's anything to debate because it's probably 50/50 in the coaching world as to whether or not you take a timeout at the end of a game.....and both methods seem to work equally well. Often times, the experience level of the personnel will dictate whether or not a timeout is warranted.
But Fran is the only coach I have ever seen in college basketball that refuses to call timeouts at any point in the first half when his teams are getting significant runs put on them. I watched nearly all the tournament games and time and time again you saw coaches take first half timeout(s) to quell runs by the opposition, and in most instances the timeout served the intended purpose. You can't win a game in the first half, but you can darn sure lose it if you don't get things under control.
