Bleacher Report - Articles by Matthew Lofton

Referees Becoming The Show: Lay Off!

Matthew Lofton — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 16:58:03 -0400

Whenever I see horrible calls in major, BCS conference basketball, I reflect on times where I viewed mid-major and Division III basketball and thought to myself "At least this is better."

No more.

First and foremost, the second technical on Stanford's Trent Johnson was asanine at best. The whole "he came out of the box before the timeout was recognized" is bull.

It was a media timeout. What does the bench do when there is a deadball and they know a media timeout is coming? The managers put stools on the floor so the starters may sit.

Johnson deserved the first technical, the second was just horrible.

After the game, Stanford's coach put all the blame on himself. That is the politically-correct thing to do. The real response would have been fun, but dare the NCAA get mad and impose penalties because someone decides to stand up to those over-protected individuals known as referees.

I mess up at my job, I am reprimanded. Screw up numerous times, I am fired. Unless I am official. If I screw up less, I am promoted from a mid-major conference to a major conference.

Then comes the Duke-West Virginia battle. In the first five or so minutes, every travel and a double-dribble is called. Ok, fine.

And then, all of a sudden it became fine to switch pivot feet. Call it all or do not call it at all.

And what did we get this past off-season? An emphasis on the coach's box?

Try this, improve officiating and maybe the coaches will not leave the coaching box.

Referees screw up at least half of charge-block calls (Apparently, being in the air before the defender is set does not matter, it is a charge). So, NCAA basketball needs the circle under the hoop. Then maybe the wrong charge-block calls can improve to 25%.

But the argument is that the game has become to physical and if every call is made, everyone will foul out.

Where is the rule that this is illegal? All it takes is a few games at the beginning of the year where the refs call anything and everything.

Watch the coaches make changes.

And then they're officials who cannot stand up to the boos of the crowd. Call two straight fouls on one possesion on the home team, be ready for the boos. And the visiting team needs to make their next shot, or there will be a rebounding foul on the visitor (if not a bogus offense foul before the shot).

My other favorite is the officials sallowing whistles at the end of the game "to not decide the outcome." Not calling a foul when there is also decides the game.

This will continue until someone wins a national championship on a call.

NCAA Officiating: Problems Need to Be Addressed

Matthew Lofton — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 14:04:30 -0500

Georgetown-Villanova, Georgetown-West Virginia

Need I go on?

Ignoring women's college basketball (Tennessee-Rutgers anyone?) and mid-major basketball (anyone who has watched mid-major basketball knows the home team is always favored).

But the officiating problem is not about favoring anyone, but it is.

The big-name teams and big-name players get favorable treatment.

Some of the older generation who has watched Atlantic Coast Conference from the very founding of the league believe Tyler Hansborough may be the most "ref-protected" player in the history of the conference.

And then there are hand-checks and close officiating on the perimeter, but yet post players are allowed to mug each other.

Then there is a difference among conferences between what is and is not a foul. The Big 10 and the Big East tend to allow more "banging" underneath the hoop, while a conference like the ACC is known for calling many fouls at the top of the key.

And then there is flopping (note: there is a difference between flopping and exaggerating a foul call. If there is contact but not a lot and the defense falls to the ground, this is a accentuating a foul).

Then is it not funny when a team, that is more physical, have maybe none or one foul out while the other team has four or five foul out?

Or how about when an official makes a foul call on one end of the court and the exact same event occurs at the other end and it is either a no-call or an offensive foul?

The NCAA needs to do something about officiating. Rules are not open to interpretation.

It is like baseball when each individual umpire has their own specific strike-zone (that even varies from pitcher to pitcher).

It is better than NBA officiating cannot be an excuse anymore.

Duke Basketball: Old Dogs Can Learn New Tricks

Matthew Lofton — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 14:00:28 -0500

It was irony at its finest.

In the first half of the Duke-Maryland basketball game, ESPN analysts Dick Vitale and Mike Patrick started discussing the Phoenix Suns and the recent addition of Shaq (in Vitale's defense of his inane rambling, the game following the Duke-MD tilt was Phoenix against the Golden State Warriors).

The question asked by the duo: how will Phoenix's high-powered, run-and-gun offense change with the addition of a big bruiser inside?

Many would answer, "Who cares?"

Actually, it was fit perfectly in a Duke broadcast. The Blue Devils, without an over-whelming inside presence, has employed the Suns' "spread" offense, certainly a byproduct of Coach Mike Krzyzewski coaching alongside Phoenix's head coach Mike D'Antonio in USA Basketball.

Coach K has a bit of a reputation of being stubborn. Over the years, his refusal to switch from man-to-man defense to a zone has drawn ire from the Duke faithful.

Well K, who turned 61 today, certainly has proven the sports world wrong.

The college basketball public is starting to debate whether Duke can win it all without a "big."

If the last few minutes of the Maryland games this season are any indication, the answer is a resounding yes.

In today's game, Duke spread the court out shortly after the under-four media timeout. The Blue Devils scored four of five times for eight points before the Terrapins started fouling intentionally. And they were all driving to the hoop.

The only miss was a reverse layup by Lance Thomas when he received the pass from teammate DeMarcus Nelson too far underneath the basket.

Apparently, the offense is working. Duke has had a double-digit lead in the second half in every ballgame this season.

K continues to amaze at 61.

Ty Lawson's Injury Does Not Guarantee Duke Victory

Matthew Lofton — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 15:46:36 -0500

It was 2001. Duke had their title aspirations seemingly go up in smoke with a home loss to Maryland.

Not simply because of the defeat, but because of the injury to their starting center, Carlos Boozer.

What loomed was a trip to the Dean Dome, the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament, and then the NCAA tournament. No analyst gave Duke a chance at Chapel Hill to close the season. How could injury-riddled Duke overcome the might Tar Heels?

One man remained confident, and his name was Mike Krzyzewski. He called a meeting with the coaches and players early the next morning after the Maryland loss.

The message: we will win the national championship.

Duke won nine of their next 10 games by double digits en route to their third national championship.

Fast forward to February 2008, and the injury to North Carolina point guard Ty Lawson. Many are saying Duke will certainly win this game because the Tar Heels are without their star point guard.

Last time I checked, this is a rivalry game, and the unexpected should be expected.

Duke must continue to do what they do best—create turnovers and force long rebounds.

Where former Tar Heel Sean May made his living was not on the initial shot. Where he killed the Blue Devils was on offensive rebounds and putbacks. Duke must limit these opportunities.

Losing the rebounding battle is not the end-all, be-all (Clemson outrebounded Duke by double-digits). But it is the norm this season, and was the norm in games against the best from the "BCS" conferences in 2001.

However, there is a major difference between Boozer's injury and Ty Lawson's ankle sprain (if Lawson does not play), a point guard is a critical loss. Who cares what you can do inside if you do not have a point guard to get the ball in the post in the first place?

North Carolina is one of the few teams that could run with Duke and/or even out run them. With the point guard hurt, UNC must beat Duke in the halfcourt. The Tar Heels need to take a page out of Pittsburgh's book and make this a physical game.

In the past, Duke would get flustered in a physical game (see the 2007 tournament loss to Virginia Commonwealth). However, Clemson, Miami, Virginia Tech, Florida State and Pitt have tried just those tactics. The only teams successful was the Panthers on a huge three-pointer and the Seminoles (about a month ago).

Last year, if you forced Duke into a halfcourt, slow-down game, a team could beat Duke. The Blue Devils have not only preserved leads in the halfcourt, but extended leads.

Signs point to a Duke win, right? Do not bet the farm. Lawson being out could be coach speech by Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams.

And people fight the hardest when their back is against the wall.