I don’t think it is so much a “conspiracy” as a mid-match in styles. As I’ve said a million times, the NBE wants to be seen as a rough, urban, physical almost thuggish league. It’s a marketing thing. You hear play by play guys and other media types mention it all the time (listen to Donny Marshall some time ). The referees call games in keeping with that model and most of the teams play a version of hero ball/hack and grab which fits with that style of officiating. Oddly hand checking is not allowed. But grabbing a shirt is. UConn plays different style of game based on ball and player movement. It works well in the non-conference where grabbing kicking and eye gouging are not allowed. But it is more easily disrupted in the “rough tough New Big East.”