Clemson Sets NCAA Record for Futility, Officiating Takes the Spotlight (Updated 3:15 pm)

07-08 Basketball179

Preface – Poor Oliver Purnell. Now he knows how Rick Barnes felt. And, we just happen to have a great little reminder for him of how Frank Haith felt last year that you can see by clicking here.

We are updating what was once the ‘open entry’ for Sunday with more fallout from Sunday’s Clemson-Carolina basketball game.

I’ve been swamped with work and and just haven’t had any time to be focused on the blog…so, it wasn’t until I went home for lunch and heard everyone on sports radio talking about the officiating last night until I realized that it really wasn’t just me who saw what I thought I saw on Sunday night. (You know, sometimes I worry).

Until now, we had limited our quick comments on the officiating with just a few quick points, but in light of the reaction that is out there it is definitely worth elevating some things including Micky Plyler’s rant that can be seen here.

If you are tired of hearing about people bitching and moaning about the officiating from last night’s Clemson-North Carolina game then you probably need to stop reading now and get back to whatever you were doing.

Simply stated, Ted Valentine, Bernard Clinton, Tony Greene ought to be ashamed of themselves! They should return their paychecks from last night so they would not feel that guilty.

See, this should not be a surprise to anyone. It has happened for years and will continue to happen.

DUKE AND NORTH CAROLINA PLAYED HOME BASKETBALL GAMES THIS WEEKEND AND THE BLUE DEVILS AND TAR HEELS COMBINED TO SHOOT 69 FREE THROWS WHILE THEIR OPPONENTS SHOT 20. DUKE AND NORTH CAROLINA COMBINED TO MAKE 51 FREE THROWS AND THEIR OPPONENTS MADE 10.

The outcome has been pre-determined so why even make the trip. Here is my suggestion:

Since we know they won’t let us win, I ask, “Why even go up there?”

We had originally limited our comments to the following quick observations…but there is so much more!

Somehow UNC-CH can trap without fouling and Clemson cannot. Strange?! Must be the coaching!

UNC takes 36 free throw attempts
Clemson takes 7 free throw attempts

^ This DESPITE Clemson’s consistent attacking the basket with dribble penetration and balanced offense that didn’t ignore James Mays and the post.

What is sad is that we ALL knew it was going to happen. One of best friends is a Clemson graduate and he was at the game. With the Tigers lead around 10 points in the second half I sent him the following, “This is going to be even more painful. You know that the officials simply aren’t going to allow this, don’t you?”

I guess I just got lucky.

At least this time Tyler Hanbrough wasn’t allowed to basically tackle Clemson’s shooter on the final play of regulation like was allowed in LittleJohn earlier in the year.

Folks, what you saw last night was a CLASSIC example of why Rick Barnes no longer coaches at Clemson and left the ACC. Unfortunately, it is a no-win situation for most programs. A couple of other observations made by the SFN team of authors:

* In 50 minutes of play, Clemson got only 7 free throws versus 37 on the other side. In other words, about every one and one-third minute UNC was getting a free throw, and Clemson had to wait over 7 minutes for one.

* Not one player on UNC had more than three fouls including Hansbrough who played 47 minutes. Have you ever seen a double over time game when a team did not have a single player in foul trouble?

* I remarked to my wife last night that the ACC doesn’t even try to hide their bias any more — the foot-stop-and-kick “fast break” being the worst example we’ve faced this year. I find it harder and harder to watch any ACC contests the worse this gets.

* In the first half last night KC Rivers picked up two back to back tacky fouls – one on offense and one on defense. I immediately remarked to my wife that is the kind of little stuff that goes unnoticed and completely changes games especially in light of the amazing way that Tyler Hansbrough literally runs over people and ‘plays so physical’ and yet NEVER…I mean NEVER even remotely gets in foul trouble.

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07-08 Basketball

179 Responses to Clemson Sets NCAA Record for Futility, Officiating Takes the Spotlight (Updated 3:15 pm)

  1. Ed89 02/11/2008 at 6:11 PM #

    ^^^I’ll be the first to admit to fan bias. When I watch a game, I cuss and yell at every call that doesn’t go UNC’s way. However, after I cool down I recognize that often my yelling and screaming is just… fan bias. I’m not sure that everyone on this board could truthfully say the same thing.

    i could. good point, especially from a tarheel. 🙂 but the 5th foul on booker was b.s. while yes, it is better that clemson lost. the main thing is that we have to beat b.c. on thursday night. also, tarheelfan, good posts above. and that’s enough praise of tarheels for the day.

  2. RedTerror29 02/11/2008 at 6:12 PM #

    I firmly believe the blatant bias towards UNC and Duke has far more to do with the sorry state of ACC basketball than expansion. How do you attract a coach to a non-blue school when the Acc is going to do their best to ensure you finish no better than third in the conference?

  3. redfred2 02/11/2008 at 6:19 PM #

    doates, Calls always go both ways in almost any game and I agree with your most all of your points, as matter of fact anyone would, they’re basically generalizations. But what I really asked though, was for you to give me your honest evaluation of that Frank Haith video, the one involving an actually BB game with Miami and UNC.

  4. redfred2 02/11/2008 at 7:00 PM #

    I will say this, if a player/team comes in and is playing physically from right from the gitgo, then the officiating does adjust to that type of play in most cases.

    The problem I have is when one particular team/player plays physically and gets by with it all night long, while the opposition plays with more finesse and does not even challenge the officiating. But then at crunch time, let that finesse team/player finally adjust and start playing just like their competition has been getting by with all night long, and listen to the whistles start blowing all over the place.

    A foul is a foul. It shouldn’t matter who it is, what uniform they’re wearing, what they’ve done and gotten by with, or what they haven’t done, at any time in the past. That goes for last season, last week, or the last trip down the court.

    If Hickson shoves on one end, and Hansbro shoves on the other, I simply expect it to be a foul, or not a foul, but the same for BOTH of them. A player’s past reputations shouldn’t be in consideration when a foul is committed, or used as an excuse by the offials, or their fans.

  5. wbnation 02/11/2008 at 7:37 PM #

    I don’t necessarily buy into the Duke, UNC bias, but I do buy into the fact that the ACC has some of the worst officiating in the country. I see ACC officials always being inconsistent to the detrement of the visiting team. I think that that is one of the reasons it is so hard to win on the road in the ACC. The fact that teams play better at home and the fact that ACC officials seem to defer to the home team on calls. Its just the inconsistency of the officiating thats got to stop. Call it the same everywhere and all the time, or don’t call it at all.

    Now as to last nights game… it was just clemson being clemson. They have played this soft since there inception into the ACC and I don’t see it changing. Oliver Purnell, while I like the guy and for all the praise bestowed upon him by the announcers, you can bet, and mark my words, Clemson will be looking for another coach in 2010. You can’t keep losing these games every year because your team always plays stupid down the stretch, and year after year, Clemson brings the same difficiencies it had the year before.

  6. cowdog 02/11/2008 at 7:41 PM #

    You’re deadRED Fred a foul is a foul. Why it is no longer clear in the game what the f a foul is beyond me. My take is that officials travel too much in the land of the new streetball and then have rare moments of lucidity. Stay away from the X box sir Zebra. And who the f cares about what UNC and Clemson or Duke or anyone else does or doesn’t do or get away with..we are Wolfcrackers!

  7. smile102 02/11/2008 at 8:09 PM #

    “i find it funny Smiley102 took offense to the Walmart fan analogy as a stereotype of carolina fans, and then goes on to write, “WalMart customers are uneducated, rural, blue collar jobs, lower income.” that sure isn’t a stereotype, is it? it just was funny to me…”

    The demographics are fact not opinion; my disappointment was in the use of the disadvantaged as an insult. Thanks for the FAN explanation as different from grad or DD attendee.

    “UNC got fouls(and presumably FTs) whereas Clemson got shots at the basket”

    Good point I’ve never considered. A statistician could evaluate points per possession to tell us the ft % necessary to make foul shooting better than a shot (I’m not one, but I appreciate their work).

    Dr. BadgerPack, this is a throw away blog, not a doctoral thesis, so can the grammar critiques. Impress us w/ your pithy comments and insight rather than as a chemist calling himself Dr.

  8. SaccoV 02/11/2008 at 8:13 PM #

    My four cents:

    1) The reason most of us (State Fans/Alumni) hate the officiating is because of a lack of consistency at both ends of the court. This is an especially appropriate concern when playing UNC because Hansborough is the ONLY big man (Joe Wolf is the only other one I can think of) who, at his size, is allowed to “guard” a smaller player 20 feet from the basket. Every other big man in ACC history (and NCAA history) has been kept in check from guarding a dribbler on the wing, but Hansborough is allowed to put his larger frame on a 6’2″ or 6’3″ guard up at the top of the arch, play after play with no fouls called. Looking at the history of the game, guys like Malone (6’7″ 240) and O’Neal (7’0″ 280) usually fouled out of many games because of their sizes and there willingness to bang on the inside. Hansborough, to the best of my knowledge, hasn’t fouled out in his entire career, and yet plays a “physical” style of ball on the interior AND on the wings when switching on a screen. What makes this kid such an anomaly? Why is he immune from the same balances at the college level that other similar players endured in days when even light contact from a big to a small would illicit a whistle?

    2) Officiating in any sport REQUIRES uniformity. Either making a call or REFUSING to make a call AFFECTS the outcome of a game. As a wrestling coach, the stalling call is tough, not when it is called, but when a referee doesn’t make the call because he is allowing one wrestler to dodge his way out of action. Basketball officiating, especially in this conference, encourages this type of conspiratorial debate when disinterested third parties (people not associated with any ACC school–in my case, the in-laws) make repeated comments regarding the disparity of foul calls made against Clemson in the game. Too often, I believe that referees fall into the great trap of refusing to make certain calls to avoid the appearance of bias, when not making those calls is indeed giving one particular team an advantage.

    3) This officiating crew is indeed the worst possible tandem to have in this situation because, outside of Valentine, I was not familiar with them, and if Valentine was the most experienced referee there, that is in itself cause for concern as Valentine is hands-down my pick for worst referee in the league since Lenny Wirtz left back in the 80s (or maybe 90s).

    4) This matchup between UNC and Clemson brings back to mind the 50 foul game in Chapel Hill about 12 or so years ago when Rick Barnes I believe threatened to physically assault every member of the Tarheel team, including Dean Chain-smoke. How in the world there was no referee punishment or reprimand in that game was beyond me. Either way, this matchup has a history of one-sided refereeing, and last night’s episode was no different.

    Sorry to drone on. I believe I am the only English major here, and trust me, we’ve all got grammar issues!

  9. Primewolf 02/11/2008 at 8:25 PM #

    Someday, someone will take all the camera shots and produce a 3d playback of a game with automated analyis of fouls, using images and physics based modeling.

    That would probably indicate the refs miss 50% of the fouls and the fouls they do call are wrong or inconsitent 50% of the time.

    It is amazing how baby T never gets into foul trouble.

    Of course, as soon as the heels and the dukies get into the NCAA and don’t have the refs behind them, they will crumble one more time.

  10. Dr. BadgerPack 02/11/2008 at 8:32 PM #

    “Dr. BadgerPack, this is a throw away blog, not a doctoral thesis, so can the grammar critiques. Impress us w/ your pithy comments and insight rather than as a chemist calling himself Dr.”

    I will not turn this into a p#ssing contest, however when you earn a doctorate, you are in fact a Dr.; not “calling yourself” one.

    People come on this and other sites and use bad spelling/grammar all of the time– I do not make a point of calling it out. However, if one is going to make a point of painting State fans with the broad brush of “officiating whiners,” they’d best come strong, or not at all. 🙂

    I’ve stated my opinion on officiating before, but it bears repeating. Officials are undeniably human, and almost always the calls will go against the visiting team due to “peer” (or in this case screaming fan) pressure. There are also the “name brand” teams that always seem to get the benefit of the doubt– Kentucky, Kansas, UNC, Duke, etc. That “benefit,” and inconsistent enforcement of the rules WITHIN A SINGLE GAME are the two things that need to stop.

  11. cowdog 02/11/2008 at 8:41 PM #

    Prime you spot up well in the post…come dance time teams will either be allowed to pound the piss out of each other or conversely keep their hands to themselves…another conundrum

  12. Greywolf 02/11/2008 at 8:50 PM #

    By the time I calmed down enough to post, it is likely too late. Does anyone have a clip of the timeout called by Roy with Clemson in possession? That seems so proposterous that I think I am going to have to see it to beleive it. My major was Recreation and Park Administration so back off with the English comments. OK? 😉

  13. highonlowe 02/11/2008 at 8:55 PM #

    Ask and you shall receive. A Clemson fan just uploaded last night’s game to YouTube. Plenty of phantom- and no-calls documented in here. Video is here

    Like SFN has said, the ACC has got to hate the internets.

  14. SaccoV 02/11/2008 at 9:00 PM #

    I just watched the Haith video again, and I remembered in the 1st half last night, Quentin Thomas (I believe) was lying flat on his back with HALF of his body out of bounds and the ball comes towards him. He hits it with his hand toward another Tarheel and the play continues to score a basket for UNC. Also, Just before that was a wonderful BS call on Trevor Booker against Tyler “Can Play Defense against Your Point Guard” Hansborough. Anyone remember the textbook definition of “insanity”?

  15. jones92 02/11/2008 at 9:11 PM #

    A friend of mine told me to check out this blog. I must say, it has been a truly hilarious experience reading what you nit wits spend so much time writing (and whining about!) [Flattery won’t get you far around here] Do you realize how pathetic you sound? Why do you spend so much time focusing on a team you envy (I mean, hate) [Hate is correct] so much? It never occurs to me to bitch about the refs, or players, or coaches of any State game – because I honestly couldn’t give a rat’s rear! [And yet, here you are.] God, you people are obsessed with UNC, or UNX, or the holes, or whatever your childish little nicknames are for Carolina [all acceptable]. That’s what makes you so pathetic to most Tarheels – we couldn’t care less about you (unless you’re playing us) and you care more about us than your own ridiculous team – or school, for that matter do you give a crap who pulls for Carolina, or where they buy their damn t-shirts from? Get a life! [Says the guy on a fan blog of the team he could care less about] Your obsession for all things Carolina looks an awful lot ilke jealousy to me – and if I were in your classy red shoes and impressive looking red blazer, I probably would be too.

    LRM: Jones, I ordered my pizza almost 30 mins ago. Quit playing on the damn internet!! I’m hungry!

  16. redfred2 02/11/2008 at 9:16 PM #

    ^I watched about a minute of that video, that’s all I could tolerate.

    There’s no doubt that there are some questionable calls and no calls, but there’s absolutely no question who they favored about 98% of the time.

  17. redfred2 02/11/2008 at 9:24 PM #

    “It never occurs to me to bitch about the refs…”

    I summize from a statement like that that this guy may be a bowling or figure skating fan, but no way in hell is he, nor has he ever even watched a game, with a unc BB fan.

  18. packfan4ever 02/11/2008 at 9:29 PM #

    What about the Frank Haith video some of you mentioned? Is there a link for that?

  19. redfred2 02/11/2008 at 9:34 PM #

    ^Yes, it’s in the SFN header at the top of the page.

  20. jones92 02/11/2008 at 9:35 PM #

    redfred2, your powers of deduction are astounding. I am a season ticket holder at unc. (for bball and football). maybe you should take up figure skating instead of obsessing about unc. envy is bad for the soul.

  21. LRM 02/11/2008 at 9:39 PM #

    Jones, Thanks for setting us straight there. You are a fine representative and clearly a true fan of your “Tarheels.”

    Guess we won’t be seeing much of you around here anymore. Durn it.

    [Golenblock called them the “Tarheels” as well.]

    SFN, sorry about the liberties I took with his post. Wait, no I’m not. I haven’t had a column idea in a while and I was bored.

  22. highstick 02/11/2008 at 9:39 PM #

    Who we got heah, Basketball Jones?

    I suggest that everyone go actually read the NCAA rules. It says “must” in a lot of places, not “it’s up to your discretion”! Basketball has been dumbed down to allow those who cannot play within the rules to get scholarships and an entrance ticket to the NBA! And remember we’re talking about McDonald’s All Stars, not the Angus Barn team either!

    What is played on the court now, in no way resembles how the game was intended to be played.

  23. redfred2 02/11/2008 at 9:50 PM #

    J92,

    Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that Clemson didn’t blow that game. I watched when I could but I didn’t see all of it.

    I’m speaking in general, and about common sense. Please, explain to me how a BB player with TH’s reputation for banging on the interior has N E V E R E V E R been in serious foul trouble?

    I’ve watched and played BB for decades upon decades, and if TH played for the Pack instead, I am pretty damn sure I wouldn’t be so blind or ignorant enough to talk myself into believing that something just wasn’t quite right about it.

  24. redfred2 02/11/2008 at 9:58 PM #

    ^Oh yeah, about the figure skating, I did that, but they said I had an unfair advantage on landings with three skates. The tights were hard as hell to find and never looked quite right either.

  25. packpigskinfan23 02/11/2008 at 10:12 PM #

    muahahahahahaha!

    redfred-have you ever done stand-up? I nearly choked on my cookout!

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