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Geno: Paige Bueckers is 'the worst officiated player in America'
The coach believes his star player deserves a better whistle.
Just Geno doing his job, lobbying for more whistles... good for him, and possibly for Paige and the Huskies. I hope it helps.I get what Geno is saying, but the reason Paige goes to the line less than some others is because she takes less shots. If you look at the number of FTAs per FGA this season Paige has 69 FTAs on 228 FGAs for a rate of 0.303 FTAs per FGA. Looking at the other players mentioned, Clark is 146/483/.302, Olsen is 108/423/0.255, and Hidalgo is 119/341/0.349. Paige is actually getting the same treatment as Clark, and it's really only Hidalgo of that group that gets the better whistle.
I didn't listen to the pod, but the article specifically mentions Paige not getting to the free throw line as much as the others. Getting bumped off your cut doesn't get you to the free throw line unless you're in the bonus which most of the time you are not, and thus wouldn't be much help in explaining a statistical anomaly. TBH I worry more about Aaliyah. Some of the stuff that goes on in the low post almost resembles what you'd see in a WWE match, and she takes the most physical battering of anyone. Fortunately for us those Canadian kids are tuff.The per-fga stat may miss Geno’s point, since he seems more focused on how she is knocked off her cuts too often. He complained about this with regard to Lou last season too. Many of us wondered then if the refs weren’t paying consistent attention to freedom of movement rules. Of course he’s lobbying for better treatment of his star, as @The deacon says. But he may not be wrong. I also suspect Paige is intrepid and throws herself into some kinds of plays more riskily (she plays with abandon) than other players. This may produce fouls the refs aren’t in the habit of looking for.
I agree with your observation but would not limit it to ND. More and more teams apply the “if you can’t beat them, beat them up” game plan against UConn, except now we describe it as the more politically correct “aggressive play”. Some time back I wrote that DT looked like a silver ball on a pinball machine. The same can be said about Paige.Over the years I don't recall anyone being as physically abused as DT (which makes her achievements even more remarkable). She was continuously grabbed and bumped, with no calls, especially against ND. I also recall ND making creative use of their fingernails.
I just watched the "leader" film strip to THE JACKIE STYLES STORY (because C Clark just past Jackie on the Career list.) InIsn't the real question: "Why are they allowing so much rough play?" Let's say that the .3 ratio of FTA to FGA is about right. What do the fouls look like (something a stat can't capture) today compared to 20 years ago? I'm open to being shown that it was as bad "back then" as it is now. But I don't think so.
Stiles shot 44.4% on 3s over 4 years in college.I just watched the "leader" film strip to THE JACKIE STYLES STORY (because C Clark just past Jackie on the Career list.) In
that highlight "leader" to the documentary on Jackie, the commentator comments on the punishment that Jackie's
body took in her career. Those interested can GOOGLE " THE JACKIE STYLES STORY" for more film clips. Jackie
almost singlehandedly beat # 1 seed DUKE in the NCAA "SWEET SIXTEEN" when she scored 41 points for her
# 5 ranked Southwest Missouri State team. No three pointers back then.
If we look at KK, most of her free throw attempts occur after contact, driving to the basket. In contrast, Ashlynn Shade doesn't get to the free throw line as much - she mostly a spot up shooter for now. Most of Caitlin Clark's free throw attempts are from drives to the basket where she is the initiator in making contact. Lucy Olsen does not steer away from contact, she seems to invite it.The per-fga stat may miss Geno’s point, since he seems more focused on how she is knocked off her cuts too often. He complained about this with regard to Lou last season too. Many of us wondered then if the refs weren’t paying consistent attention to freedom of movement rules. Of course he’s lobbying for better treatment of his star, as @The deacon says. But he may not be wrong. I also suspect Paige is intrepid and throws herself into some kinds of plays more riskily (she plays with abandon) than other players. This may produce fouls the refs aren’t in the habit of looking for.
Good post overall and this part really struck me. Brink does seem to suffer from this holdover effect from freshman year. It may not help that she’s such a good shot blocker. Boston was also a great shot blocker and got away with at least as much contact as Brink. Did she have a reputation to get out from under?In my opinion, refs are like the rest of use, guilty of subjective tendencies. Once a pattern or reputation is established, it seldom deviates. For example, Cameron Brink became known for fouling in her freshman year. I feel she is still stigmatized by that reputation, even in her senior season. She is a superstar, but doesn't seem to get the benefit of the doubt, especially on incidental contact.
Agreed, Hedge. While watching the game as I observed comments coming through in the Chatroom, I got a kick out of BYers urging the Huskies to more aggressively double-team Lucy. I just made one comment, that what some might call 'double-teams' occasionally turned out to be mauling Olsen whenever she tried to make a move. It was no wonder she didn't score in the fourth quarter.It looked to me that UConn turned Lucy Olsen into a pinata in the second half last night. It's easy to just look at the Huskies being pushed around.
For reasons that are not clear to me, officials seem to dramatically favor stockier or more muscular players. This is even more noticeable in the men's game. Hidalgo is very talented and very quick but when she or other players like her seem to deliberately initiate contact to bump into opponents or bump them out of the way IMHO it should only result in a no call or an offensive foul but they zebras love to reward such action.I get what Geno is saying, but the reason Paige goes to the line less than some others is because she takes less shots. If you look at the number of FTAs per FGA this season Paige has 69 FTAs on 228 FGAs for a rate of 0.303 FTAs per FGA. Looking at the other players mentioned, Clark is 146/483/.302, Olsen is 108/423/0.255, and Hidalgo is 119/341/0.349. Paige is actually getting the same treatment as Clark, and it's really only Hidalgo of that group that gets the better whistle.
It’s also about quickness. Bumping into a defender on a drive is theoretically about who gets there first. Unlike a charge call, this one doesn’t typically result in a whistle on the offensive player if they don’t get there first. That’s just a no call. Hidalgo mainly tends to get there first. Of course, this is a very difficult call to make so I think the benefit of the doubt often goes to the offensive player if it’s unclear.For reasons that are not clear to me, officials seem to dramatically favor stockier or more muscular players. This is even more noticeable in the men's game. Hidalgo is very talented and very quick but when she or other players like her seem to deliberately initiate contact to bump into opponents or bump them out of the way IMHO it should only result in a no call or an offensive foul but they zebras love to reward such action.
The article states, "She’s been poked in the eye twice ...."
I'm not sure what that has to do with the price of rice.
That's why there's specially designed eye protection for BB just like Ayanna wears.
Paige should try wearing eye protection, maybe it could result in an endorsement deal.
How many times should a player get poked before they realize that pokes are an occupational hazard of BB.
I am mulling over the metric.I get what Geno is saying, but the reason Paige goes to the line less than some others is because she takes less shots. If you look at the number of FTAs per FGA this season Paige has 69 FTAs on 228 FGAs for a rate of 0.303 FTAs per FGA. Looking at the other players mentioned, Clark is 146/483/.302, Olsen is 108/423/0.255, and Hidalgo is 119/341/0.349. Paige is actually getting the same treatment as Clark, and it's really only Hidalgo of that group that gets the better whistle.
Not everything that happens on the court is a foul.So rather than call fouls as they should be, your solution is that players wear combat gear?
Not everything that happens on the court is a foul.
Here's a latest play that shows Caitlin Clark getting elbowed in the ear & it wasn't called as a foul.
The players are moving simultaneously.
Don't you agree that getting poked is an occupational hazard?
How does calling a foul prevent Paige's eye from getting poked?
Calling a foul only punishes the team after the fact while wearing eye protection would prevent it.
Calling it combat gear doesn't mean that it's a bad idea to wear eye protection.
Looks like the elbow caught the head.I'm not questioning Caitlin's honesty, but I see contact with the body but not to the head. What am I missing?
If you're not questioning her honesty, Milford, why the post?I'm not questioning Caitlin's honesty, but I see contact with the body but not to the head. What am I missing?

I like the stats but I think there is a flaw in them and it is this. Paige drives more through traffic and gets hammered more underneath when she does, a lot more than Clark. There were at least 3 times last night that I could see with good angle seats in Nova where the body fouling was ridiculous. Hidalgo is a better comparison because she finishes drives. I don't think you can use the stats unless you use a shot chart comparison which is way too much work even if you could get it. The refs treat CC like the superstar that she is, they don't do the same for Paige. Reminds me of Magic's crack when they were photographing the famous cover of SI for the Dream Team with Larry and MJ. Magic told Larry not to stand too close to MJ or they would call a foul on him. By the eye test, Paige gets fewer calls and gets fouled incessantly.I get what Geno is saying, but the reason Paige goes to the line less than some others is because she takes less shots. If you look at the number of FTAs per FGA this season Paige has 69 FTAs on 228 FGAs for a rate of 0.303 FTAs per FGA. Looking at the other players mentioned, Clark is 146/483/.302, Olsen is 108/423/0.255, and Hidalgo is 119/341/0.349. Paige is actually getting the same treatment as Clark, and it's really only Hidalgo of that group that gets the better whistle.
She also finishes falling away from the basket. Want to get foul calls? Go to the rim.I get what Geno is saying, but the reason Paige goes to the line less than some others is because she takes less shots. If you look at the number of FTAs per FGA this season Paige has 69 FTAs on 228 FGAs for a rate of 0.303 FTAs per FGA. Looking at the other players mentioned, Clark is 146/483/.302, Olsen is 108/423/0.255, and Hidalgo is 119/341/0.349. Paige is actually getting the same treatment as Clark, and it's really only Hidalgo of that group that gets the better whistle.
That’s what legends do……Over the years I don't recall anyone being as physically abused as DT (which makes her achievements even more remarkable). She was continuously grabbed and bumped, with no calls, especially against ND.
Yes it's his job just like every other coach to lobby officials and the stats presented by hoopsfan22 confirms this is just more lobbying.Just Geno doing his job, lobbying for more whistles... good for him, and possibly for Paige and the Huskies. I hope it helps.