So Carolina vs Miss State

[Kmoney]

REFS are damaging women's basketball Whether this is pre-meditated, favoring the most popular, keeping games close for advertisers or just poor training ?

I don't think refs are intentionally causing harm.

I think the game of basketball may not be able to be properly officiated any longer. Look at the NBA. You would expect they would have the best officials in the world. It sure doesn't seem like it. As you go down the pecking order the quality of officials gets worse. By the time you get to women's ncaa basketball, you are getting lower quality refs.

I would like to have a study done on this. They could start by putting cameras on the refs, so that we can see from their perspective how difficult their jobs are or how inept they are.

 

[oldude]

I think it's more than simply, "The refs are bad." The game has changed. Players are bigger, stronger and faster. Contact is a given. It is such an incredibly fine line to determine the difference between incidental contact and contact that creates an unfair advantage. The refs have an incredibly difficult job, and on occasion they are going to get it wrong. The one thing you would like to see is consistency, and even that goal is very difficult to achieve.

In the end, my admonition to any player who feels that the refs may have cost them a game as the result of one or two bad calls is, "Why did you let the refs decide the game?" That may seem unfair, but think about UConn's incredible run. How many games might have been decided by the refs, had the Huskies not made a sufficient number of plays so that the refs had no impact on the final outcome? Can anyone ever remember a game when Geno blamed a loss on the refs?

 

[CocoHusky]

Is Kaela Davis as good as Deshields?

My question is based on ESPN box score. I am at work and I cannot watch the game.

Kaela Davis can be as good & as bad as Diamond DeShields.

 

[BroadwayVa]

This year's UConn is not invincible. It is all about match ups and hiding your weaknesses. Geno has said as much. There are certain teams UConn should avoid. If UConn gets similar refs in the USC game as in the Tulane game, that will be trouble.

Has UConn played anyone this year that plays Defense like those two teams? I thought ND and Texas played good defense for the most part. USC and MSU are on another level.

This current UConn team, in my opinion, has 3 major weaknesses that can be exploited. They are size, depth, and fouls. All of those are related to a few players, so the chance of all 3 occurring in the same game are higher. It just can't happen against teams like USC or MSU.

In my original post, I stated theses teams would give UConn trouble. I consider a team trouble if you have to play you starters for most of the fourth quarter. I don't know why I would have to be considered not serious for that.

I love this UConn team. There has not been one game in which I didn't feel entertained or satisfied with the performance. I hope Geno can continue mask and duct tape their deficiencies all the way to the championship.

The weaknesses you present appear to be the same weakness--i.e.
1 or 2 bigs get in foul trouble--bench inserted--lack of mobility/talent., lack of use able size. It all comes down to 2 players --who had foul trouble
at the wrong time-- if they stay healthy, out of foul trouble--UConn has an excellent chance to go all the way. In the wrong game --foul trouble could crash this train.
At this point those weaknesses if not known by the REAl competition--they are just plain dumb -- Geno isn't masking them--he is working around them and with them.

 

[Los24]

Watching SC and MS last night, clearly they have size, bench, bulk over my huskies. But I love my huskies just because we are undermanned, undersized and short bench. On any given day or game, any team can be beaten but no one will compete with more heart, more energy, more courage and more spirit than this year UConn team. I love my team !!!

Also, everyone talks about size and bench but lets not forget that skill and execution beats those all day long.

 

[Rixxx]

Coco, you are probably right about K.Davis. I have just not seen enough of her to put her in the same conversation with DD. I guess I have yet to see her take over a game like DD did against ND. To me, K. Davis has been very unproductive most of the season. I may be wrong, but I was wondering if you had the same observations about K.Davis.

 

[donalddoowop]

I don't think refs are intentionally causing harm.

I think the game of basketball may not be able to be properly officiated any longer. Look at the NBA. You would expect they would have the best officials in the world. It sure doesn't seem like it. As you go down the pecking order the quality of officials gets worse. By the time you get to women's ncaa basketball, you are getting lower quality refs.

I would like to have a study done on this. They could start by putting cameras on the refs, so that we can see from their perspective how difficult their jobs are or how inept they are.

Officiating is not easy. However, it should be a lot easier since a third official was added. I think it is wrong to think that women's basketball gets the inferior officials. They are held to as high a standard as men are and believe me there are many, many bad male officials officiating men's basketball. I officiated women's basketball and it is not as hard to officiate as men are because the game is played below the basket and is not as fast. It is just as rough sometimes. In last nights game there were obvious fouls NOT called on SC, imo.

 

[Plebe]

Officiating is not easy. However, it should be a lot easier since a third official was added. I think it is wrong to think that women's basketball gets the inferior officials. They are held to as high a standard as men are and believe me there are many, many bad male officials officiating men's basketball. I officiated women's basketball and it is not as hard to officiate as men are because the game is played below the basket and is not as fast. It is just as rough sometimes. In last nights game there were obvious fouls NOT called on SC, imo.

I have always said, even back to when I was playing basketball in high school, that basketball is a virtually impossible sport to officiate well because there is so much contact that is (a) hard to see accurately at real-time speed, and/or (b) very borderline in terms of whether it should be called a foul. I also realized, after witnessing the intense and unrelenting verbal abuse to which referees are subjected at the hands of coaches, that it's a small miracle that any sane person wants to do it. I have officiated other sports but I have always said I'd never do basketball.

 

[BobbyJ]

I have always said, even back to when I was playing basketball in high school, that basketball is a virtually impossible sport to officiate well because there is so much contact that is (a) hard to see accurately at real-time speed, and/or (b) very borderline in terms of whether it should be called a foul. I also realized, after witnessing the intense and unrelenting verbal abuse to which referees are subjected at the hands of coaches, that it's a small miracle that any sane person wants to do it. I have officiated other sports but I have always said I'd never do basketball.

I agree. A lot of the problems for referees could be taken care of with one rule change. Coaches and players shouldn't be allowed to open their mouth to an official. Why allow it? I've never seen an official reverse a judgment call after a coach or player screamed at them. If a coach wants to question a rule, they can use one of their timeouts to do it. That would eliminate the stupid back and forth so the officials can do their job.

 

[donalddoowop]

I have always said, even back to when I was playing basketball in high school, that basketball is a virtually impossible sport to officiate well because there is so much contact that is (a) hard to see accurately at real-time speed, and/or (b) very borderline in terms of whether it should be called a foul. I also realized, after witnessing the intense and unrelenting verbal abuse to which referees are subjected at the hands of coaches, that it's a small miracle that any sane person wants to do it. I have officiated other sports but I have always said I'd never do basketball.

The attitudes of coaches, players, and fans are the main reasons I stopped officiating. The attitudes and the politics. It was not so much about how good an official was that got them the prestigious games. It was more about who an official knew. That is one reason there are so many games in which the officiating is bad.

 

[donalddoowop]

Yes the refs were bad, but the execution of both teams was worse. Clearly, Vic Schaefer needs to spend some more time with Geno talking offense.

If Schaefer went into the locker room at half time telling his players how proud he was of them and to keep playing like they were playing, I believe he made a mistake. That is what he told the lady who interviewed him before going to the locker room. I don't believe Geno would have been satisfied with that small a lead and would not have told the team he was satisfied with their play. He would have, I believe, told them what they needed to play a lot better. That is one thing that sets him apart from other coaches. He is rarely satisfied with his teams' play and is always pushing for more. Remember I stated, IF Schaefer told his players that.

 

[DaddyChoc]

I dont understand why the total fouls should add up to the same amount for both teams... without it being called "homecooking" or the "refs suck".

Are the numbers always even for UConn vs their opponents? Oh, "UConn never fouls... they teach that in practice". (Hear it enough you start to believe it)

 

[Ukonnfan]

The attitudes of coaches, players, and fans are the main reasons I stopped officiating. The attitudes and the politics. It was not so much about how good an official was that got them the prestigious games. It was more about who an official knew. That is one reason there are so many games in which the officiating is bad.

think you nailed it.

 

[Tonyc]

All this talk about foul trouble. SC is in big trouble if Wilson gets in foul trouble. Dawn said after the game if it had not been played in SC they wouldve lost. Thats all we need to know.

 

[oldude]

All this talk about foul trouble. SC is in big trouble if Wilson gets in foul trouble. Dawn said after the game if it had not been played in SC they wouldve lost. Thats all we need to know.

GP. Both Wilson & Coates are prone to foul problems. They lower their heads and drive straight to the basket. While it requires some fortitude to step in front of them, they are susceptible to charging calls. On defense they try to block everything and are like bulls in a China shop going after rebounds, all of which makes them foul prone.

Unfortunately or fortunately, how the refs call the game could be a big factor on Feb 13. Frankly, I would prefer that they just let them play because I believe our best 5 is better than their best 5.

 

[donalddoowop]

I looked at the SC-MS game again and saw that the reason Vivians last shot was so short was that Coates hit her on the right wrist. Coates got away with two fouls in those last few seconds and both were against a shooter.

 

[ricky]

All this talk about foul trouble. SC is in big trouble if Wilson gets in foul trouble. Dawn said after the game if it had not been played in SC they wouldve lost. Thats all we need to know.

Can I say it? Home ........

 

[Striper69]

I looked at the SC-MS game again and saw that the reason Vivians last shot was so short was that Coates hit her on the right wrist. Coates got away with two fouls in those last few seconds and both were against a shooter.

One of the SC players mowed down the coaches daughter in those last few seconds and no foul was called...


Home Court Advantage, maybe?

 

[Longtime fan]

Both teams seems like they're trying to feel out the other. MSU started out more aggressively but A'ja Wilson turned it on and took ownership of the game.

No offense to Dawn Stanley, who I respect, but I wish Wilson had come to UConn. She could have been another Tina Charles.

We all wish A'ja had come to UCONN, but it was never going to happen. She is from South Carolina, and wanted to bring the University its first NCAA championship. If that all happened, largely due to her skills, she could run for Governor. And Staley is an impressive recruiter and coach. I watched the Miss. St game and it was Wilson who took over and won it for South Carolina. She is a force. It will be fascinating to see how the Gabby/ Nephessa combination works against a talent (and size) like that. Soon, we'll get to see that.

 

[Striper69]

If Gray has a game close to this one Cuevas steps up once again then SC has a chance to beat UCONN.

 

[oldude]

If Gray has a game close to this one Cuevas steps up once again then SC has a chance to beat UCONN.

I would add several more "ifs" to the "SC has a chance scenario." If SC doesn't wilt against the Huskies as they have in the past 2 seasons. If Wilson & Coates stay out of foul trouble. If SC can execute their offense consistently, contrary to what Kara Lawson said the other night. If UConn has a terrible shooting night. If Gabby & Pheesa get into foul trouble. If Danger doesn't catch lightning in a bottle like she did against Baylor.

Yes, then SC has a chance to beat UConn.

 

[SCGamecock]

All this talk about foul trouble. SC is in big trouble if Wilson gets in foul trouble. Dawn said after the game if it had not been played in SC they wouldve lost. Thats all we need to know.

Perhaps this isn't obvious enough.. she's crediting the fans, not the referees. No coach would diminish a win by thanking the referees.. even if the referees did pull favors.

 

[SCGamecock]

I dont understand why the total fouls should add up to the same amount for both teams... without it being called "homecooking" or the "refs suck".

Are the numbers always even for UConn vs their opponents? Oh, "UConn never fouls... they teach that in practice". (Hear it enough you start to believe it)

Thanks for your honesty. UConn is a very fundamentally sound team.. but I watch almost all of their games on ESPN/WatchESPN and they get away with more than their fair share of fouls.. and part of that is due to the idea that there's no possible way UConn could commit fouls. The numbers are almost never even for UConn either.. never home and hardly ever away.

 

[SCGamecock]

One of the SC players mowed down the coaches daughter in those last few seconds and no foul was called...


Home Court Advantage, maybe?

If any foul were to be called on that play it should've been on Blair Schaefer for setting a moving screen.

 

[Eggman]

If any foul were to be called on that play it should've been on Blair Schaefer for setting a moving screen.

That's ludicrous. She was standing there before another sc player ran by her. Then she got run over. Also, Wilson got three blocks; the problem with those blocks is she fouled the shooter on every one. Referees seem to think if you block a shot you can run over the shooter and it's not foul. Ridiculous. Grinder did that a lot and never got called for fouls.