A Conscious Design by the NCAA to Allow More Physical Play and Therefore Call Less Fouls in the Final Four?

[Way We Were]

I'm sticking to what I had previously said-Friday night's loss looked more like school yard ball/street ball than what we've previously been used to. Did the NCAA give instructions directly or indirectly to to the Refs to "let them play" or were the Refs being intimidated by Staley's behavior - In any event I don't like this form of the game. Further was Geno right to be upset and was his apology warranted or is he deserving of an apology. Maybe both!

 

[Padutch5]

I don't understand why ESPN thinks Dee Kantner adds much of anything. The announcers know the officiating rules as do most knowledgeable fans.

Dee Kanter is not going to say that the officiating is one-sided or unfair, whether it is or isn't. She's a paid expert for ESPN. What's she going to say, "One team is getting hosed by the refs?" It would be her last gig.

I was appalled to see Dee as the “expert”. She was one of the worst refs. Whenever we saw her appear to ref a UCONN. Game we all cringed.

 

[BRS24]

So here's my idea - n 90 minutes, we'll see what kind of game is called. If I were Cori or Dawn, I'm not sure I'd know how to prepare, as there's been a lot of dialogue about the physicalness and lack of calls, so buckle up.

 

[Centerstream]

So here's my idea - n 90 minutes, we'll see what kind of game is called. If I were Cori or Dawn, I'm not sure I'd know how to prepare, as there's been a lot of dialogue about the physicalness and lack of calls, so buckle up.

Have the 3 refs been named yet? Huge factor IMO, but I'm still not going to watch the game.

 

[FanSince17]

While UCONN fans will watch their team play anywhere and anytime, this style of play will not grow the game for the general public. It encourages rule violations and injuries. There is no beauty to the game, no elegance. The question is, do the people who make the decisions really care about the game or just attendance, TV audience, merchandising etc.? In order to fix this, something different has to be done. It has to be through the network or the sponsors. It has to be a grass roots movement. The NCAA are a bunch of womens basketball morons.

I think it’s easier than that. It’s about rules. Firstly, you enforce the rules that are already in the rule book. Secondly, you make necessary changes to the rules. Everything else will follow. The game will be fun to watch and fun to play.
Guru of go: Westhead recruiting Gathers and Kimble. They thought his game film was a hoax. “You mean we’ll play like this”.

 

[BBallF]

I think it’s easier than that. It’s about rules. Firstly, you enforce the rules that are already in the rule book. Secondly, you make necessary changes to the rules. Everything else will follow. The game will be fun to watch and fun to play.
Guru of go: Westhead recruiting Gathers and Kimble. They thought his game film was a hoax. “You mean we’ll play like this”.

Problem is they don’t enforce the rules. Someone or some entity is telling the refs to let them play a euphemism for playground ball. Of course at my playground if somebody fouled somebody else the way Sarah was fouled, there would be blood.

 

[BBallF]

So here's my idea - n 90 minutes, we'll see what kind of game is called. If I were Cori or Dawn, I'm not sure I'd know how to prepare, as there's been a lot of dialogue about the physicalness and lack of calls, so buckle up.

Dawn will try to ensure she gets a let them play beat them up game. It’s her MO. Watch her with the refs. If she doesn’t get her way she will scream bloody murder if the game is not a blow out. That has been my problem with all of what happened. It deflected attention away from the fact that she consistently crosses the line and no one dares challenge her for it.

 

[ERWUC65]

Dawn was the master strategist in this match, assigning her two fastest players to face guard Azzi and Sarah and take them out of the game, knowing that without them, UConn was vulnerable. While this is technically legal, it is not basketball as the two players assigned with this task are not participating in the game as it was designed. Perhaps Geno was aware of this possibility, but as he stated, knew of this vulnerability and had no solution. In retrospect, the lack of a qualified big (Serah was a big disappointment and Jana cannot operate at pace) and any other player with a Paige like ability to rally the team was the defining factor and thus precipitating the inevitable conclusion.

 

[BRS24]

Have the 3 refs been named yet? Huge factor IMO, but I'm still not going to watch the game.

Per ESPN page (and yes, there should be a third name there, maybe once the box score goes live) -

Referee: Gina Cross
Referee: Tiffany Bird

 

[Centerstream]

Gina Cross was also a ref in last year's NC game. 😲