Officiating in the Post-Season

[KnightBridgeAZ]

You want officiating to be more consistent? Show them the money.

As we know, the NCAA has no "control" over officials until the NCAA tournament. Until then, it's the conferences.

The NCAA Rules Committee (Man, it was a pain to try and track down the members: COMMITTEE SELECTION LINKS: A JSP APPLICATION) id's points of emphasis, changes, etc. They're decided on and then sent out to the conferences/teams via PDFS/Links/Videos and carrier pigeons.

FWIW - each edition of the rule book includes the committee at the time the book was issued. In the current NCAA rule book, some of the terms expired in 2023. All the rest are per your list.

Back in the day, Barbara Jacobs autographed our NCAA Rule Book, she was the editor or some such position. I guess she remembered us, because as we were walking out of the arena one day she definitely told us something that fans would not normally hear about a specific play and the official that messed up.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Which conference has the best officials? Just wondering cuz I am not going to miss the Pac-12 refs next season. ;-)

None, really, per se. The conferences share officials, the "best" of whom work 6 or even 7 days a week all over the country.

The PAC is slightly different, the vast majority of officials don't work the other Power 5 conferences, though a few do. Historically, the Big 12 shared the most PAC officials, but a few also did, for example the B1G (Lisa Jones I think, Tiffany Bird is another). Mike Price used to work the SEC, probably not anymore. They work the other western conferences, such as Big West, WCC, Mountain West, Big Sky, etc.

Of course, the officials that work primarily the other four conferences (actually, as of a few years ago, most worked around 3 of them in a season) also work a selection of smaller conferences, as well. For the 2 years I "studied it", probably 7 - 10 years ago, Cameron Inouye worked the most games, virtually almost everyday. For a couple years, she also worked a weekend or 2 in the PAC, as did Roy Gulbeyan another supposedly good Eastern referee.

The PAC had some horrible refs, my least favorite were Tyler Trimble and Kyle Bacon (another who also works or worked a bit in the B1G). Among the best, Lisa Jones and Brenda Pantoja. I could never make up my mind about Missy Barlow.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

I watched more PAC basketball this season than ever before, especially the tournament because they had so many good teams going at it. I was shocked how physical the play was. I've always thought of the PAC as a more finesse style of basketball, more pretty and free flowing. Maybe I've just been wrong all along. I certainly was this season. It was brutal at times.

I admit to being disappointed. I'm an SEC fan by virtue of my Vandy affiliation, and I see that type of basketball constantly. Can't say I really enjoy the style of play, but it seems to be spreading in P6 conferences. Luckily, I'm a secondary fan of some mid-major programs where the style of play is much less physical. I like that.

Just like every conference, the referees tended to call games similarly. Most conferences have a "style". For the PAC, a lot of physical play was tolerated in the post - but if you touched a shooters arm gently, expect a foul. Very strange. Also very tolerant of scrums for the ball, but not so much of touch fouls. In the end, yes, physical, but pretty consistent.

 

[jake0414]

None, really, per se. The conferences share officials, the "best" of whom work 6 or even 7 days a week all over the country.

The PAC is slightly different, the vast majority of officials don't work the other Power 5 conferences, though a few do. Historically, the Big 12 shared the most PAC officials, but a few also did, for example the B1G (Lisa Jones I think, Tiffany Bird is another). Mike Price used to work the SEC, probably not anymore. They work the other western conferences, such as Big West, WCC, Mountain West, Big Sky, etc.

Of course, the officials that work primarily the other four conferences (actually, as of a few years ago, most worked around 3 of them in a season) also work a selection of smaller conferences, as well. For the 2 years I "studied it", probably 7 - 10 years ago, Cameron Inouye worked the most games, virtually almost everyday. For a couple years, she also worked a weekend or 2 in the PAC, as did Roy Gulbeyan another supposedly good Eastern referee.

The PAC had some horrible refs, my least favorite were Tyler Trimble and Kyle Bacon (another who also works or worked a bit in the B1G). Among the best, Lisa Jones and Brenda Pantoja. I could never make up my mind about Missy Barlow.

Agree with your opinion of PAC refs. I find Lisa Jones and Brenda Pantoja among the best. I liked Cameron Inouye as well but haven’t seen her at PAC-12 games the last couple of seasons. I think Inouye lives in the San Gabriel Valley in So Cal. Missy Barlow used to strike fear into many school’s fans but she seems to have improved recently. Mike Price and Alecia Ann Murray call games pretty balanced as well. I think Benny Luna, Kyle Bacon and Tyler Trimble are among the worst. They call fouls on the slightest contact (or perceived contact) and disrupt game flow. Infini Robinson and Tiffany Bird also on my not favorite list.

One indication of who the conferences views as its top referees can be gleaned from who worked the PAC-12 tournament championship game: Lisa Jones, Brenda Pantoja and Michol Murray.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Agree with your opinion of PAC refs. I find Lisa Jones and Brenda Pantoja among the best. I liked Cameron Inouye as well but haven’t seen her at PAC-12 games the last couple of seasons. I think Inouye lives in the San Gabriel Valley in So Cal. Missy Barlow used to strike fear into many school’s fans but she seems to have improved recently. Mike Price and Alecia Ann Murray call games pretty balanced as well. I think Benny Luna, Kyle Bacon and Tyler Trimble are among the worst. They call fouls on the slightest contact (or perceived contact) and disrupt game flow. Infini Robinson and Tiffany Bird also on my not favorite list.

One indication of who the conferences views as its top referees can be gleaned from who worked the PAC-12 tournament championship game: Lisa Jones, Brenda Pantoja and Michol Murray.

Inouye hasn't done the PAC recently. At one time she was married? to Bryan Enterline and based in the mid-west. Of course things change, but I tend to associate her with games in the mid-west.

Yeah, Benny Luna isn't a favorite, but I really have no particular feelings about the others you mention. Bob Schofield is from Tucson so he always gets greetings from some fans. He doesn't do a lot of our games, but almost always has done at least one of the 2 pre-season, and others from time to time.

 

[jake0414]

Inouye hasn't done the PAC recently. At one time she was married? to Bryan Enterline and based in the mid-west. Of course things change, but I tend to associate her with games in the mid-west.

Yeah, Benny Luna isn't a favorite, but I really have no particular feelings about the others you mention. Bob Schofield is from Tucson so he always gets greetings from some fans. He doesn't do a lot of our games, but almost always has done at least one of the 2 pre-season, and others from time to time.

Aren’t Lisa Jones and Brenda Pantoja also Arizona or ASU grads?

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Aren’t Lisa Jones and Brenda Pantoja also Arizona or ASU grads?

Pantoja was a teammate of Adia's at Arizona and is not allowed to ref Arizona games.

Jones went to ASU and worked for the fire department in Phoenix up until fairly recently, I think. Adia mentioned her as one of the best refs in the league on her radio show.

 

[Matthew1589]

I'd like to see officials be required to do a post game and answer any questions reporters may have. Often there wouldn't be any questions, but I've seen some games where they should be made to answer for their calls or no-calls.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I'd like to see officials be required to do a post game and answer any questions reporters may have. Often there wouldn't be any questions, but I've seen some games where they should be made to answer for their calls or no-calls.

That's an interesting idea. Sometimes the head of officials for a conference issues a statement, but generally speaking there is a lack of accountability.

 

[Vowelguy]

I'd like to see officials be required to do a post game and answer any questions reporters may have. Often there wouldn't be any questions, but I've seen some games where they should be made to answer for their calls or no-calls.

I’m gonna disagree. It’s already a thankless job and they get abused by fans. To then have to get grilled by reporters?

I’m a big believer in $$. It will draw more people in and increase competition, which will allow the better refs to rise to the top. Also, as folks get paid more, they get more concerned about losing that good salary, so they spend more time reviewing tape, reading the rules, going to seminars, etc.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

One indication of who the conferences views as its top referees can be gleaned from who worked the PAC-12 tournament championship game: Lisa Jones, Brenda Pantoja and Michol Murray.

Interesting - same crew did Mountain West Final. Pantoja and Murray did the WCC with Benny Luna. Big Sky on the other hand was Schofield, Bird and Trimble.

 

[Matthew1589]

Just read this article about WBB officiating...

March Madness: As women's game grows, will officiating improve? 'We just want it to be at the level of game play'