Officiating in the NCAA Tourney

[AdaSooner]

I love the way officials let teams play in the NCAA tournament! What I don't understand is that when some of these same guys officiate in the Big 12, they blow their whistles so much they ruin the game. Why not be consistent in league play and right on through the postseason?

 

[MNsooner]

I wonder if this has to do with the neutral sites. I've always felt that home court advantage plays out a lot in the officiating.

 

[AdaSooner]

Good point, MN. I never thought about that.

I'm sure weeding out weaker officials also plays a role. But I've noticed that guys like Tom O'Neil and John Higgins, who is calling today's ATM/Purdue game, have a completely different approach than when they are officiating Big 12 games. Too bad they feel compelled to blow the whistle more in conference play instead of letting the kids decide the game. Maybe the Big 12 gives out bonuses for the number of whistles blown. lol

 

[soonerczech]

I think officials are graded after each game and then the officials for the next round are chosen from the highest ranked.

 

[campbest]

If you ask a lot of coaches and analysts, in the past they have complained that the officiating has been too tight during the tournament. Wonder if there was a conscious change in the approach.

 

[NickZepp]

You don't exactly see Ed Hightower's doing NCAA Tourney games anymore.

 

[Tony]

You don't exactly see Ed Hightower's doing NCAA Tourney games anymore.

Yes, you do.

 

[AdaSooner]

You don't exactly see Ed Hightower's doing NCAA Tourney games anymore.

You rang? :ed

 

[campbest]

You don't exactly see Ed Hightower's doing NCAA Tourney games anymore.

lol. He worked the Thurs/Saturday games.

 

[Krugerfan52]

I love the way officials let teams play in the NCAA tournament! What I don't understand is that when some of these same guys officiate in the Big 12, they blow their whistles so much they ruin the game. Why not be consistent in league play and right on through the postseason?

I agree. The officials in this tourney have done a great job. I am so sick of some of the officials in the Big 12. Especially Ed Hightower. I haven't seen him in an NCAA tourney game yet and it has been refreshing.

But that short little guy that reffed the Texas Tech game in Norman and most of our games down the stretch was the worst this year. He pissed me off, along with Jeff Capel, Cade Davis and just about everybody else.

 

[sooner333]

I don't see anything wrong with blowing the whistle in conference games. Sometimes I think they let them go a little too much in the tournament.

 

[brumFTW]

Speaking of Hightower, I remember reading that he was one of the most over-worked officials -- something like 29 games over a 31 day period.

 

[sooner333]

Speaking of Hightower, I remember reading that he was one of the most over-worked officials -- something like 29 games over a 31 day period.

I think that might be Steve Welmer. Hightower seems to pick and choose games more often, especially given that he is the Superintendant of a school district in Illinois.