Officiating tonight

[Orangezoo]

It is frustrating sometimes. The worst was on that air ball at the end of the shot clock where the Pitt big man just caught it and laid it in. Replay shows Grant just standing there and watching. Never went for the ball and never moved even though he was a few feet away. A short time later there was a timeout and they panned the SU bench. JB was giving Grant an earful. I'm sure it was due to that lack of effort.

Yeah Grant has been the man on the boards for us in a lot of games but holy smokes last night he was just awful at times ball watching. Its frustrating when you have a 6'7 PG in Mike G getting his hands on more boards than your stud 6'9 PF. Seemed as though he was checked out mentally. Hope he gets back on the horse asap.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Stephens is as bad as Burr, Higgins, and Hess combined. The Ohio State and Michigan games stand out because it was the tournament and the two Triche charging calls in both games, but last night did it for me. Absolutely the worst officiated game I've ever seen at any level next to Lakers/Kings 2001.

 

[Orangezoo]

I think Robinson (pretty sure it was him) was there well before Ennis got there, but he sort of leaned out of the way as if he was scared to take a charge. I thought it was going to be an easy charge call and that kid just blew it, and then his teammate hacked Ennis at the last second.

Robinson was there maybe more than a split second before but never squared up and set his feet. He moved away as ennis was attacking and was backpedaling. A charge every time it should be.

 

[ClamOtto]

A play that many forgotten that was atrocious was one where we were down by two, ennis had the ball..drove down the lane...his forearm was clearly karate chopped as he left the ground ...and his shot was then partially blocked...pitt gets a run out breakaway and they are up four...four point swing...i couldnt believe it when i saw the replay after the ticky tack crap called vs us

This is the one that sent me running out of the room yelling "the fix is in." He literally got punched in the face driving to the hoop with no call. And then people are going to look at the box score and say "same number of fouls called on each team" without realizing how many blatant no-calls there were.

 

[Knicks411]

Not sure if you are referring to the play at the end of the game, where Ennis got fouled. If so, I completely disagree. The primary defender was moving all the way and slid under him. No way that is even close to being a charge.

I think he's talking about the one where they called a charge on Pitt? (Maybe I'm wrong). I agree, for sure, that one with Ennis on the drive was a block.
The one where they went to a timeout and we didn't know what the call was on a drive; on a replay, I thought for a second they were going to call Ennis for a foul because it looked like he had his hand on the back of the Pitt player before he went barreling into our defender. (Can't remember who it was. I also remember the official who called the foul on us originally saying it was on 11, so that's also why i thought they were going there).

The Cooney foul; don't even know what to say on that one. There was also one where Michael Young shoved Grant out of the way to grab an offensive board. Jerami pretty much went flying.

On the other side, I'd like a chance to see those back to back out of bounds plays that went our way.

I really thought it would get better in the ACC, but it's exactly the same.

Always thought the people who were thinking this in the off-season were, for lack of abetter word, naive.

 

[Orangezoo]

Stephens is as bad as Burr, Higgins, and Hess combined. The Ohio State and Michigan games stand out because it was the tournament and the two Triche charging calls in both games, but last night did it for me. Absolutely the worst officiated game I've ever seen at any level next to Lakers/Kings 2001.

Higgins and Burr were annoying and certainly made bad calls. I have never seen someone as bad the entire game as Stephens. He doesn't seem to know the rulebook. His facial expressions range from lost to someone with bad gas. Dude is just a horrible official and oughta be doing HS games not D1 games.

 

[Orangezoo]

This is the one that sent me running out of the room yelling "the fix is in." He literally got punched in the face driving to the hoop with no call. And then people are going to look at the box score and say "same number of fouls called on each team" without realizing how many blatant no-calls there were.

This game would have been a good one for Bilas to call. He would have ripped them to pieces. They showed that replay and Doris says he gets blocked after the three chops at his arms...

 

[PhatOrange]

i hate that when a pitt big man steps out on ennis and bumps him impeding his progress that a foul isn't called. i kept imploring ennis to fall down after the bump. I just dont see how that's not a foul.

and the moving screens geez.

 

[OrangeTown]

I normally don't complain about the officiating as I think it evens out, we get calls we dont' get calls. But last night's game was as bad as I've ever seen.

My sentiment exactly. This is the first time I've ever posted here with a complaint about the officiating. I've never complained (at least not formally here - I'm constantly yelling at the TV), even in games which we lost, as I always felt eyes could be turned elsewhere to see problems with the game.

I couldn't get over some the horrible calls and no-calls last night. Most have already been discussed in this thread.

 

[SWC75]

Higgins and Burr were annoying and certainly made bad calls. I have never seen someone as bad the entire game as Stephens. He doesn't seem to know the rulebook. His facial expressions range from lost to someone with bad gas. Dude is just a horrible official and oughta be doing HS games not D1 games.

You want high school games to be badly officiated?

 

[RF2044]

A side benefit to winning is that I can say without hesitation, without prejudice, and without whining, that that was an old fashion screw job by the refs. They missed a few against us but it was another game the refs let go right in the toilet and allowed Pitt to commit assault.

The NCAA needs to do something about Stephens.

Agree 100%, across the board.

 

[Orangezoo]

You want high school games to be badly officiated?

Consider it rehabilitation...

 

[OttoMets]

It's not just the moving screens on Pitt's end.

On defense their idea of hedging is to jump out and crash into the ball-handler. Never gets a whistle, but it sure is disruptive.

 

[pfister1]

With Pitt getting the officiating advantage that they did last night, it really makes you wonder just how bad that Duke game at Cameron is going to be?

 

[Mano22]

Completely agree with this. I am not one of those homers who thinks Cuse can do no wrong, Ennis is the best player in the country, Cooney > Reddick, etc. But this officiating was just atrocious. So many little things, and at least 2 just AWFUL calls. The "charge" on Cooney was probably the worst call of the year, and earlier in the 2nd half after another Pitt offensive rebound when Patterson drove and got the and 1 over Rak. Watched that play like 8 times, there was literally no contact whatsoever. Rak didn't even touch the ball! Was just no contact between Rak, Patterson, or the ball.

 

[OGBJ20]

:rolling:

Okay, we got the win. And I'm extremely excited about CJ's / Ennis's late game heroics.

But I've just watched the replay of the game for a second time, and now that I've seen it twice and had a chance to depressurize and soak things in without being in the heat of the game, I am simply stunned by what an atrocious job the refs did tonight.

Please note, having watched the game twice [with a much calmer eye the second time], this isn't just a post griping about how the refs were out to get us. But they were terrible tonight. Inexcusably bad / inconsistent / absurd in the way they allowed contact on one end of the floor, providing an advantage to the home team. It was ridiculous.

So much for the points of emphasis the NCAA communicated this past off-season. Tonight was pure slop house ball--a situation facilitated by incredibly poor officiating.

Despite all that, we still won. We came all the way back despite the disparate calls, and overcame a lot to secure tonight's win--but why were we subjected to such nonsense? What happened to cleaning up the game? Why do certain venues get a different set of rules in terms of how games are officiated than others? Because there really isn't an excuse [my opinion, I want to own this] for the hatchet job we were subjected to tonight from the refs on both ends of the court.

I'm just curious to see if others felt the same way about the zebras tonight, and what others make of how the game was officiated, to say nothing of what it means in terms of the refs either officiating to the intent of the rules changes or not.

Or if you think I'm off target, I welcome that feedback as well. I just don't think that's the case--and I don't see how anyone could make that claim with a straight face given what transpired in tonight's game. I played, and I know many others have played competitive hoops as well, so if I'm off target please share your thoughts and help me understand the mockery of officiating I witnessed tonight. For the record, there were also some bad calls that favored us -- but bad calls are bad calls.

Regardless, really proud of our kids tonight. Glad we pulled out the win... despite the officiating.

Homer Simpson sent by the ACC to take out SU. It was very obvious and I was ready to :bat:Smack someone!! A testament to a true winner in this team with all the attributes to go along with it, (character, teamwork, chemistry, the will to win, etc.) Definitely, one happy camper!:rolling:

 

[orange2win]

I can only imagine how this thread would have sounded if they had waived off the final shot - as they seem to have been seriously considering.

 

[TBCuse11]

I'll have to watch again but it seemed rediculously one sided to me.

because it was...

 

[swish7]

I am simply stunned by what an atrocious job the refs did tonight.

I don't feel I need to preface this by saying "I don't complain about the refs often". I don't think it makes one's opinion any more valuable. Also, I complain about everything. Even muffins and unicorns. That said, I try to not over-use bad reffing as an excuse for a loss.

The referring last night was universally awful. I noticed bad calls from each of the refs. There was at least one bad call against Pitt. There were many more bad calls against Syracuse. I would end up just repeating what's already been listed here if I were to point out the issue with each one of them.

What got me was the abundance of anticipation calls. Usually it happens once a game or every other game. It happened 3-4 times last night, in the 2nd half alone. The refs were blowing their whistles before contact was made. And in a couple cases, contact never happened.

Basketball is such a great game, but the reffing is the absolute worst. And there is little recourse for bad reffing. It's not far from being akin to judging ice dancing at the olympics. I don't recall ever experiencing this personally in HS or my brief experience in college ball.

The question is, will this continue into the NCAAs? Imagine if this were an elite 8 game? Vegas will want us to lose then too.

 

[Marsh01]

Stephens is the worst official in college basketball bar none. Give me Higgins, Burr and Hess over him any day.

I thought for the most part the game was very one sided in Pitts favor. we got a couple of calls (the two plays in a row where the ball looked like it went out of bounds on us and we were awarded the ball come to mind) but for the most part it was pretty inconsistent. The last foul on Zanna was a total anticipation foul. Maybe he got him on the arm or maybe he didnt but that whistle blew before contact was made.

I can only imagine what blue blood home school officiating we will see next Saturday night.

I say F them and lets keep on winning.

 

[NineOneSeven]

Complaining about the officiating in this game is really funny to me after some of the calls that went our way in the Duke game. I completely agree the officiating was awful for a good part of the game last night (Cooney's charge, lack of calls on our drives to the hoop, phantom and 1's on anticipation fouls, etc), but we also got some calls too. A few times the ball was blatantly off us and we got it. It was pretty bad both ways, it just seemed like we were getting the short end of the stick due to style of play.

Take the win and run. Zanna could teach Fair and Grant a thing or two about physicality.

 

[85SUAlum]

Completely agree with this. I am not one of those homers who thinks Cuse can do no wrong, Ennis is the best player in the country, Cooney > Reddick, etc. But this officiating was just atrocious. So many little things, and at least 2 just AWFUL calls. The "charge" on Cooney was probably the worst call of the year, and earlier in the 2nd half after another Pitt offensive rebound when Patterson drove and got the and 1 over Rak. Watched that play like 8 times, there was literally no contact whatsoever. Rak didn't even touch the ball! Was just no contact between Rak, Patterson, or the ball.

Yeah, I still want an explanation from the refs how this is an offensive foul?!?

 

[Melancer46]

Complaining about the officiating in this game is really funny to me after some of the calls that went our way in the Duke game. I completely agree the officiating was awful for a good part of the game last night (Cooney's charge, lack of calls on our drives to the hoop, phantom and 1's on anticipation fouls, etc), but we also got some calls too. A few times the ball was blatantly off us and we got it. It was equally bad both ways, it just seemed like we were getting the short end of the stick due to style of play.

Take the win and run. Zanna could teach Fair and Grant a thing or two about physicality.

To me, it seemed like we got the benefit on out of bounds calls. They got a gargantuan benefit on foul calls.

And I still believe that Duke got just as many calls that went their way as we did. We just got them in the closing moments. For example, Jabari fouled out on an iffy call, but he could have easily fouled out earlier if they had called him for an offensive foul when he actually swung his elbows and instead drew an And-1 from Keita.

 

[rrlbees]

Complaining about the officiating in this game is really funny to me after some of the calls that went our way in the Duke game. I completely agree the officiating was awful for a good part of the game last night (Cooney's charge, lack of calls on our drives to the hoop, phantom and 1's on anticipation fouls, etc), but we also got some calls too. A few times the ball was blatantly off us and we got it. It was equally bad both ways, it just seemed like we were getting the short end of the stick due to style of play. Take the win and run. Zanna could teach Fair and Grant a thing or two about physicality.

Equally? After 3 viewings, it gets worse with each one.

 

[jordoo]

Matt Park actually reported that Stephens twice came over to Boeheim to apologize for bad calls- one right after halftime regarding the belated call on Grant at the end of the first half and again after the flop that got the offensive call on Cooney in the second half. Assuming Park was serious, that is something I never heard of. A ref apologizing for what he knew was a bad call during the game.

Perhaps he should get them right during the game. Stevens is horrid worse than Hess in my mind.