Did Derik Queen travel on Maryland buzzer-beater? Someone called the fun police

The opening weekend of March Madness was devoid of buzzer-beater magic until Maryland delivered an oasis in the desert. Freshman Derik Queen hit a fade away as time expired to put the Terrapins through to the Sweet 16.

Normally, I'd be crushed to see the upset fall short. No. 12 seed Colorado State had their own heroics with a go-ahead triple, but leaving a few seconds on the clock proved fatal. In this case, a buzzer-beater from anyone, even a higher seed, was enough to keep me happy. We have been starving, after all.

Still, it sucks for the Rams, especially when it's pretty damn clear Queen traveled before the game-winning shot. Count the steps: 1, 2, 3, shot.

There is disagreement from the experts about whether it was a travel. There are fewer disagreements about whether the refs should have called it.

On the final play of the game, it would take something egregious for the refs to intervene. No one wants the game decided by the referee's whistle, especially on something that happens regularly without being called. I feel for the Rams, I really do, but if the roles were reversed, people would hate a CSU buzzer-beater being wiped away by a traveling call. We're not examining drives this closely at any other point in the game. In modern basketball, it's just not called that tightly.

Traveling rule explained: What is traveling?

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

No, seriously, it's a big ol' shrugging "hell if I know."

Granted, I know what traveling is supposed to be. For all intents and purposes, traveling is supposed to prohibit players from taking more than two steps after they've picked up their dribble.

I also know what the official rule book says:

Art. 1. A player shall not travel with the ball.

Art. 2. Traveling occurs when a player holding the ball moves a foot or both feet in any direction in excess of prescribed limits described in this section.

Art. 3. A player who catches the ball with both feet on the playing court may pivot, using either foot. When one foot is lifted, the other is the pivot foot.

Art. 4. A player who catches the ball while moving or ends a dribble may stop and establish a pivot foot as follows:

a. When both feet are off the playing court and the player lands:

1. Simultaneously on both feet, either may be the pivot foot;
2. On one foot followed by the other, the first foot to touch shall be the
pivot foot;
3. On one foot, the player may jump off that foot and simultaneously
land on both, in which case neither foot can be the pivot foot.

b. When one foot is on the playing court:

1. That foot shall be the pivot foot when the other foot touches in a step;
2. The player may jump off that foot and simultaneously land on both,
in which case neither foot can be the pivot foot.

Art. 5. After coming to a stop and establishing the pivot foot:

a. The pivot foot may be lifted, but not returned to the playing court, before
the ball is released on a pass or try for goal;
b. The pivot foot shall not be lifted before the ball is released to start a dribble.

Art. 6. After coming to a stop when neither foot can be the pivot foot:

a. One or both feet may be lifted, but may not be returned to the playing
court, before the ball is released on a pass or try for goal;
b. Neither foot shall be lifted, before the ball is released, to start a dribble.

Art. 7. It is traveling when a player falls to the playing court while holding the
ball without maintaining a pivot foot.

That's a lot of mumbo jumbo, which might be why officials seem to close their eyes and pretend they didn't see it when obvious traveling happens.

Again: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯