Nice refs

[homer the dog]

But the announcers never questioned the disparity of foul calls between the two teams. They mentioned that MSU should expect to have some calls even up against them, but that never happened. ESPN announcers refuse to criticize the officiating & most of the time, they defend the refs.

As a long-time observer of hoops i have seen that sometimes it's not how many they call but what they call and whenf

 

[MainefanSC]

so one official is neutral ?

Yes, typically just one is brutally awful. Last night 2 were such. So yes, one was neutral.

 

[Rayvin56]

When they hack and push in every possession, lo and behold, a lot don’t get called. We have no enforcer.

Bring back Bam-bam!

 

[PacoBlaze]

Even the announcers are saying that foul trouble kept AZ from doing what they do. Really stinks to see a game of this caliber being played like this. Sad.

True but all the "chalk" teams advanced, right?
The refs work paid off but maybe not quite as well as was planned.

 

[PacoBlaze]

It took them 5 minutes to figure out this was a flagrant foul? And the UCLA coach was upset?

And yet it wasn't a shooting foul. Kinda hard to bring your arms up when you are being mugged.

 

[vtcwbuff]

Jobbed by the refs - again! People here are starting to sound like orange fans.

 

[GoUconn7961]

Not at all biased. Not at all letting the game be too physical. Over the back...pushes in the back...hip checks...on and on.

 

[ricky]

The fouls were basically even (15- 14) & two of UCLA's starters had 4 fouls. So we shouldn't point to officiating as an excuse for a close game. We need better offense from Walker & KLS vs. Louisville.

I don't understand the notion that claims that an even number of fouls called is indicative of a fairly called game. Please explain.

 

[HuskyNan]

It took them 5 minutes to figure out this was a flagrant foul? And the UCLA coach was upset?

A Danny-eye view of the play. I’m sure it didn’t help Lou’s back any. Wasn’t there also a play early where Lou was hit in the back?

 

[my2cents]

UCLA was holding and bumping our players off screens and impeding their movement, especially on Lou. When we use the word "physical"...it really means fouls that are not being called.

 

[jaydee602]

I don't understand the notion that claims that an even number of fouls called is indicative of a fairly called game. Please explain.

Oh, I wasn't praising the refs. I thought they were inconsistent & they let UCLA knock around the Huskies. And many times, officials even up the fouls after they sabotaged a team. And I haven't seen a well- officiated game yet in this tournament. I just didn't think they were a major factor in UCONN's struggles vs. UCLA. None of our players were in foul trouble & UCLA had 2 starters with 4 fouls.

 

[npignatjr]

Agree completely. Unfortunately, our kids play 5 on 7 too often. It makes me wonder if the officials EVER watch a replay to see just how bad they are.

When you have an agenda which some seem to have, why would you think they care?
If the NCAA really care about the game they would demand/expect better officiating, last year's final four really was 3 games with exceptional athletes defined by atrocious game deciding calls or non calls.

 

[jaydee602]

I think we should be resigned to the fact that the officiating will be inconsistent for the rest of the tournament. It is a serious problem that ESPN & the NCAA will not address. Kara Lawson justifies questionable calls, but won't criticize the officials. The foul shots were 38-10 in the MSU/ ASU game, but nobody is questioning the disparity. Even the "top refs" become whistle- happy & affect the outcomes. We just have to hope that we don't get a 46 foul fiasco like last Sunday from unqualified, renegade refs.

 

[jaydee602]

When you have an agenda which some seem to have, why would you think they care?
If the NCAA really care about the game they would demand/expect better officiating, last year's final four really was 3 games with exceptional athletes defined by atrocious game deciding calls or non calls.

And those games were officiated by the "cream of the crop" who decided to determine the outcome. And nothing is being done to improve the officiating!

 

[ricky]

Oh, I wasn't praising the refs. I thought they were inconsistent & they let UCLA knock around the Huskies. And many times, officials even up the fouls after they sabotaged a team. And I haven't seen a well- officiated game yet in this tournament. I just didn't think they were a major factor in UCONN's struggles vs. UCLA. None of our players were in foul trouble & UCLA had 2 starters with 4 fouls.

I would agree that wcbb officials have been very strange in general. This can't be by mistake. I dread watching an ND matchup. ND has asterisks all over there record.

 

[jaydee602]

It took them 5 minutes to figure out this was a flagrant foul? And the UCLA coach was upset?

Mechelle Voepel from ESPN was squawking on twitter that this should not have been a flagrant foul, so I sent her this photo. Here is her ridiculous response:
"She went for the pump fake and had nowhere to land, then put her arms down to try not to crash. Would it have been better she just fell on top of Katie Lou with her whole body?"

 

[chrissaran]

That was not the biggest goof of the refs. They actually called a non-shooting foul. Meaning UConn would not shoot FT's and had to take the ball from the sidelines. Clearly a pump fake by KLS is part of a shot attempt. That was so blatantly wrong, it was criminal.

Totally agree. Katie Lou got mugged. UCLA does what every other school does. Foul UConn over and over because they're not going to call everyone. As Doris always says, you can't not call fouls to make the game closer.

 

[Bronxjeff]

I only got to see the 4th quarter live last night, and am watching the replay now. It is infuriating! UCLA is playing b'ockey (hockey basketball) and the refs are abetting them. Every shot we make should be an "and one" and every breath we take near a Bruin is called a foul!

 

[ochoopsfan]

Mechelle Voepel from ESPN was squawking on twitter that this should not have been a flagrant foul, so I sent her this photo. Here is her ridiculous response:
"She went for the pump fake and had nowhere to land, then put her arms down to try not to crash. Would it have been better she just fell on top of Katie Lou with her whole body?"

It is amazing that a seasoned writer , like Mechelle Vopel is "supposed" to be, does not know what a flagrant foul is in WBB. She had nowhere to land? That doesnt give her the right to do a choke hold on Lous neck. she also shoved her from behind with her leg or hip. Watch the replay at the 51.30 mark on the video tape.

Now one other thing to watch on the play. Missy Barlow appears to be calling a 2 shot foul, I believe she puts up 2 fingers as if the player is shooting at the 51.44 mark on the tape. The other ref, the blond with the pony tail shakes her head no. Now the ref who said no, look at her view at the 51.55 mark of the tape. She appears to be blocked by both Williams on UConn and Cordasco of UCLA. How in the world would she be able to over ride the call and say Lou wasnt making an upward shooting motion.

 

[UConnNick]

It took them 5 minutes to figure out this was a flagrant foul? And the UCLA coach was upset?

It should have taken about five seconds. It looked like KLS had a temporary hood ornament attached.

 

[UConnNick]

Jobbed by the refs - again! People here are starting to sound like orange fans.

Which orange? Tennessee, Syracuse, or both? I'd vote for both.

 

[TheFarmFan]

It is amazing that a seasoned writer , like Mechelle Vopel is "supposed" to be, does not know what a flagrant foul is in WBB. She had nowhere to land? That doesnt give her the right to do a choke hold on Lous neck. she also shoved her from behind with her leg or hip. Watch the replay at the 51.30 mark on the video tape.

Now one other thing to watch on the play. Missy Barlow appears to be calling a 2 shot foul, I believe she puts up 2 fingers as if the player is shooting at the 51.44 mark on the tape. The other ref, the blond with the pony tail shakes her head no. Now the ref who said no, look at her view at the 51.55 mark of the tape. She appears to be blocked by both Williams on UConn and Cordasco of UCLA. How in the world would she be able to over ride the call and say Lou wasnt making an upward shooting motion.

This won't be a popular view on this board, but I agree with Vopel. Once Drummer was up, I think she was worried that if she didn't brace herself on the way down her whole weight would come down on Lou's head, which it would have. To me, it did not look like she was trying to make "excessive" contact - she was just trying to minimize impact on the way down, and the best she could manage was to try to get her hands on Lou's shoulders to brace the fall. As she went down, her hand slipped off and her arm went around Lou's neck, which was definitely non-ideal. But seriously, ask yourselves what you would do different/better if you're Drummer and go up and then Lou pump fakes and you're suddenly literally falling on top of her.

I agree UCLA was very physical all game, and sometimes pushed the boundaries, but I really don't see what Drummer should have done differently once she was up in the air right over Lou.

To me, the correct call was a shooting foul but not a flagrant or unsportsmanlike.

 

[donalddoowop]

I have watched all of the games and have seen some of the worst officiating I have ever seen. I have seen players intercept a ball in the front court and land or dribble into the back court. That is over and back. There have been traveling calls when the player did not move it's pivot foot. Hard contact allowed and touch contact called. I believe that since ESPN is showing the games, there are certain teams they do not want eliminated before the FF. It's a lot about the dollars. If the game is close don't expect the underdog to get a favorable unless the underdog is playing UConn. After each game the officials are supposed to be evaluated. I wonder what they are hearing.

 

[uconnfan68]

Mechelle Voepel from ESPN was squawking on twitter that this should not have been a flagrant foul, so I sent her this photo. Here is her ridiculous response:
"She went for the pump fake and had nowhere to land, then put her arms down to try not to crash. Would it have been better she just fell on top of Katie Lou with her whole body?"

So intent is now involved in calls?

 

[the Q]

Dumb call by Kara, who is usually exceptional and knows way more than me about basketball. I would ask Kara how can it be a no call? KLS was sent 5 feet out of bounds and to the floor, where she in no way can participate in the follow on play, assuming a no call. Don't you think players on both sides deserve to be on the floor to have any chance of playing fair? So it is either a foul on KLS or a foul on UCLA.

If she thought it was a flop, that would explain it.