Pathetic Officiating

[Gato78]

Missed calls, bad calls. 49 total team fouls. They truly affected the game. Players did not know what was and what was not a foul. Seriously, Jim Burr is far superior to tonights crew--not even close. At one point in the game, I wondered if AL McGuire would be tossed before half time if he was coaching. How can the NCAA keep putting such very poor officials on the floor. This relates to both teams though based on disqualifications, it probably affected ASU more than MU.

[MayorBeluga]

Players don't know what a foul is? I'm not sure tonight's crew knew either.

[2012Warrior]

I'm not going to blame the officials entirely. They may be calling it how they were instructed to. This was the general theme in the closed scrimmages. They weren't consistent, but I'm sure they are still working to figure out all these changes.

[kneelb4zerg]

If they are going to call it that way go to 6 fouls.

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

It was bad no doubt about it, I also thought they let the coaches chatter too much, was shocked no technicals were called. Don't get me wrong, the coaches had good reason at times, but the refs need to control it.

[pwh00]

Agree 100%. Still amazed neither Wojo nor Hurley got T'd up, because both of those guys had many legitimate reasons to go nuclear tonight.

Ah, but on the bright side, at least Santa's lost reindeer (John "Prancer" Cahill) will restore some order as the head of Big East officiating. :D

[ge1974]

I thought the officiating was okay until early in the second half. Then, it became "three blind mice". I actually thought the refs were worse last night.

I will say this, the announcers were worse then the refs. They were not good at informing how many fouls each player had last night or tonight. Jones kept asking the same questions (eg who will replace coach K?) or supplying the same information repeatedly.

Any way, I don't care at this point because as Queen would sing , "We are the Champions"... ahem...of the FanDuel Legends Classic.

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

I thought the officiating was okay until early in the second half. Then, it became "three blind mice". I actually thought the refs were worse last night.

I will say this, the announcers were worse then the refs. They were not good at informing how many fouls each player had last night or tonight. Jones kept asking the same questions (eg who will replace coach K?) or supplying the same information repeatedly.

Any way, I don't care at this point because as Queen would sing , "We are the Champions"... ahem...of the FanDuel Legends Classic.

They were lost without Ben Simmons to talk about.

As for the officials I think the coaches got in their heads a bit too and made it worse.

[MU/Panther]

Mark Jones was off his game. Thought Kara Lawson was fine.

The travel call the refs missed on ASU when called the timeout was mind boggling.

[mufan2003]

If they are going to call it that way go to 6 fouls.

I said the same thing. Nobody wants to watch key players sitting on the bench. At this rate, Luke Fischer will be in foul trouble every single game. ASU's big man, did not even seem to play tonight. I am for more offense and freedom of movement, but tonight seemed over the top with foul calls.

[IrwinFletcher]

Mark Jones was off his game. Thought Kara Lawson was fine.

The travel call the refs missed on ASU when called the timeout was mind boggling.

Great little nugget from Kara.

On Carter's shot at the end of regulation, she explained to us that the ball doesn't have to go through the basket before the buzzer goes off, the ball only needs to leave the shooter's hand. She then went on to say that players sometimes forget that and rush their shots sometimes.

Really? Nobody thinks that at all.

[MU/Panther]

Great little nugget from Kara.

On Carter's shot at the end of regulation, she explained to us that the ball doesn't have to go through the basket before the buzzer goes off, the ball only needs to leave the shooter's hand. She then went on to say that players sometimes forget that and rush their shots sometimes.

Really? Nobody thinks that at all.
I thought that was weird when she said that. After watching the ASU player at the end of regulation, maybe she had a point.

[Djgoldnboy]

Yeah they were bad tonight. Several of the calls on Luke he was literally standing straight up with hands raised directly above him and he gets called. Then Henry gets his arm taken off on the fast break, and nothing.

The 7 second buzzer beater by the ASU player was my favorite thing of the night though, I have not laughed that hard in a long time.

[Goose85]

There will be no big man left at the end of any game these guys ref. If I were coaching I would have told guys to drive the hoop as any contact by a big man was an immediate foul.

The touch fouls this year have been a bit much too.
There was one called on I think JJ where he was moving with the guy dribbling, the ASU player puts his arm out to protect his dribble and and makes contact with JJ and MU gets a foul.

The team that can hit free throws this year will always have a chance.

[MayorBeluga]

The team that can hit free throws this year will always have a chance.

Well that doesn't bode well for us.

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

I'm split on this. While there are a ton of whistles, the players need to adjust how they play. Every game has missed calls and the calls were pretty even. Stop slapping when you have no chance at the ball. Within a month or so they'll have it figured out. The best answer would be to have a year with no rule changes, but it doesn't seem that will ever be in the cards.

[IrwinFletcher]

I'm split on this. While there are a ton of whistles, the players need to adjust how they play. Every game has missed calls and the calls were pretty even. Stop slapping when you have no chance at the ball. Within a month or so they'll have it figured out. The best answer would be to have a year with no rule changes, but it doesn't seem that will ever be in the cards.

Kara did make a good point on this during the game. When they were discussing the foul situation, good and bad, she said that the players have to adjust.

The hope is that the mind set changes in regards to taking charges. If defenders stop getting some of these calls, it will open up the driving part of the game once again. It seemed that it has happened early in the season.

[TheSultan]

I'm split on this. While there are a ton of whistles, the players need to adjust how they play. Every game has missed calls and the calls were pretty even. Stop slapping when you have no chance at the ball. Within a month or so they'll have it figured out. The best answer would be to have a year with no rule changes, but it doesn't seem that will ever be in the cards.

I think the idea that this is somehow going to make the game more watchable is pure fantasy. Here the NCAA is obsessing with how to get more fans to watch during the beginning of the year to the point of discussing moving the start date back a month, and then you throw that product out there on ESPN2 prime time. I would have turned that off in five minutes if I didn't have a rooting interest.

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

I think consistency would get the best ratings. The refs and players need to know what's expected, and the only way that happens is if the rules stay the same.

The simple reality is audiences have changed. The NFL is the clear king. They'd be better served finding new ways to market and increasing their steaming sources than making rules changes for ratings. This is an attempt at an old school fix for a new school problem. But the rules and game have changed annually for the past few years. The players need to accept that and adjust.

[Goose85]

I think consistency would get the best ratings. The refs and players need to know what's expected, and the only way that happens is if the rules stay the same.

The simple reality is audiences have changed. The NFL is the clear king. They'd be better served finding new ways to market and increasing their steaming sources than making rules changes for ratings. This is an attempt at an old school fix for a new school problem. But the rules and game have changed annually for the past few years. The players need to accept that and adjust.

I like that idea, with one caveat. I like the one change where if an offensive player jumps into the defender while shooting, it is no longer a foul.
I couldn't stand that when a shooter would jump left or right to make contact when shooting to draw the foul, and often 3 free throws.

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

The occasional tweak is fine, but the annual offseason overhauls can be a bit much.

[CaribouJim]

I'm split on this. While there are a ton of whistles, the players need to adjust how they play. Every game has missed calls and the calls were pretty even. Stop slapping when you have no chance at the ball. Within a month or so they'll have it figured out. The best answer would be to have a year with no rule changes, but it doesn't seem that will ever be in the cards.

I think it was a combination - the refs undoubtedly sucked - that walk at the end that has been referenced previously was unreal, but the players do need to adjust - by the New Year I think it will be mostly a non-issue.

[CaribouJim]

I said the same thing. Nobody wants to watch key players sitting on the bench. At this rate, Luke Fischer will be in foul trouble every single game. ASU's big man, did not even seem to play tonight. I am for more offense and freedom of movement, but tonight seemed over the top with foul calls.

I've been a proponent of the Big East going to 6 fouls for conference games or at least you get a 6th foul if it goes into OT assuming you haven't fouled out in regulation - not a huge thing, but something to set the BE apart.

[Nukem2]

I've been a proponent of the Big East going to 6 fouls for conference games or at least you get a 6th foul if it goes into OT assuming you haven't fouled out in regulation - not a huge thing, but something to set the BE apart.

That sounds good, but might be detrimental once a BE team gets to the NCAAs. I would take a pass on a conference only rule. Doubt the NCAA would allow it anyway, since it would screw up scoring averages, won-loss records, etc. Need to have parity in regards to rules.

[TheSultan]

I've been a proponent of the Big East going to 6 fouls for conference games or at least you get a 6th foul if it goes into OT assuming you haven't fouled out in regulation - not a huge thing, but something to set the BE apart.

The Big East did that back in the late 80s and early 90s.

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2245&dat=19920502&id=bIEzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ejIHAAAAIBAJ&pg=2542,242903&hl=en



That sounds good, but might be detrimental once a BE team gets to the NCAAs.

And that's exactly what happened.

[wiscwarrior]

I understand the NCAA wanting to clean things up on the perimeter, but there needs to be some leeway given to the guys underneath. They operate in a confined space. You cannot call contact fouls under the basket the same way you do outside. Just my opinion.

[CaribouJim]

That sounds good, but might be detrimental once a BE team gets to the NCAAs. I would take a pass on a conference only rule. Doubt the NCAA would allow it anyway, since it would screw up scoring averages, won-loss records, etc. Need to have parity in regards to rules.

I really don't think there would be a concern on messing with stats - the ACC had a 3-point line about 2 feet shorter than the rest of the NCAA's and instituted a 30 second clock in the early '80's before the NCAA instituted a shot clock - a 45 second shot clock. Certainly didn't hurt NC State in '83 when they won the whole damn thing.

http://www.wralsportsfan.com/rs/story/2335951/

The ACC just experimented with a 30 second clock in exhibition games last year as well as the NIT tourney last year. Why not have the Big East take the lead on this one?

I don't see how the integrity of the game would be adversely affected going to 6 fouls for OT or put the league at a competitive disadvantage and don't recall any quantifiable evidence that granting a 6th foul lead to a nosedive for the Big East in the NCAA's - sounds like more sour grapes from coaches - use it as an excuse. It's always been a league know for tough D and that typically goes along with getting more fouls. I recall Calhoun being the one who was ticked that they dropped the 6 foul rule in the Big East. Don't see why granting a 6th in OT couldn't be a reasonable compromise.

[mufan2003]

I understand the NCAA wanting to clean things up on the perimeter, but there needs to be some leeway given to the guys underneath. They operate in a confined space. You cannot call contact fouls under the basket the same way you do outside. Just my opinion.

Agreed. The NBA use to allow an open hand on the offensive player's hip, I don't think anyone wants to see that. If I understand it correctly, 1 "arm-bar" is allowed defensively in the paint, but not a hand on the offensive player. Neither an open hand or arm bar is allowed on the perimeter. That is all fine. Last night though, defenders would have both hands up and if their chest slightly touched the offensive player, it was automatically a foul. I think the ref needs to be allowed to have discretion there, as to whether or not the defender is impeding the offensive player's "freedom of movement." When ASU got an offensive rebound, Fischer on a couple occasions had both hands up, the ASU player in essence jumped into Fischer and drew a foul call on him. Fischer is entitled to his position and that should not be a foul if his hands are straight up. That is where I thought the refs erred last night.