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. redfred2 02/11/2008 at 10:15 PM #

    No ppsf23, never have. I pretty much just HANG around the skating rink these days.

  2. beowolf 02/11/2008 at 10:51 PM #

    There’s a bit of unwitting comedy when a guy starts writing multiple posts to condemn others for “obsession.”

    As for this:

    Yet I don’t hear anyone here howling about poor officiating in State games (unless it’s that State is getting screwed).

    You never looked, of course. You just assumed. And you assumed wrongly.

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

    Like I said before, with statements like those, has he ever even really been to a game, much less an NC State game?

  4. packpigskinfan23 02/11/2008 at 11:03 PM #

    yeah… we rip into Ted Valentine at any given chance…. especially for the “ass slapping”

    what a freak.

  5. redfred2 02/11/2008 at 11:20 PM #

    Whoa ppsf23, bad example there. I don’t think our special guests tonight would conjur any negative images from the words “ass slapping”. Maybe you should try something different.

  6. wolf 97 02/11/2008 at 11:21 PM #

    Off the subject but yall got to see this ,some idiots on IC are talking about going undefeated next year in FOOTBALL . I spit my drink out all over the wall when i saw this sh$$$t.

  7. redfred2 02/11/2008 at 11:27 PM #

    ^Did you happen notice if there were any expiration dates attached to those comments?

  8. wolf 97 02/11/2008 at 11:34 PM #

    no but I did notice their defensive cordinator expired

  9. statered 02/11/2008 at 11:37 PM #

    It occurred to me as I watched the Texas Kansas game what the surest indication ACC officials suck is. It is the fact that the ACC is the floppingest league by far led by the top two teams, UNC and Duke. The sorry officiating rewards the flop and the flopping perpetuates itself. If the sorry officiating did not exist neither would the flops as there would be no reward for it.

    What a joy is was to watch a good basketball game where the officials were hardly noticable and there was not one flop that I can recall from the entire game. You would think that Swofford and John Mc would realize that the sorry officiating, while it may prove beneficial for TV ratings in the next Duke UNC matchup, ultimately screws the league as it reduces the chances that one of the ACC’s teams will make it to the finals. Other officals don’t fall for the flop quite like ours do.

  10. redfred2 02/11/2008 at 11:48 PM #

    statered, AGREED.

    I swear, when I watch games involving other conferences nowadays I’m thinking, “that guy was fouled, this guy got fouled, he just got murdered,…” but then after a few minutes I settle in and realize that the officiating isn’t hampering the play, or dictating the flow, nor is it giving one team the advantage. They can’t, when they just stay out of the way.

  11. gcpack 02/12/2008 at 1:17 AM #

    TarHeelFan wrote,

    “I do know I questioned a couple of calls that went against UNC but I also never generally complain about the refs because I believe there are enough opportunities in a game to win it without needing a crucial call from the refs.”

    Isn’t that just big of him to say that he generally never complains about the refs. Of course you don’t. I wouldn’t either if my team got the calls that UNC HISTORICALLY gets.

    Yes this year State gets more calls than usual and that is probably due to going inside to Hickson. The inexplicable factor is that UNC doesn’t just get the calls on occasional years when they happen to have an active big guy such as Brad Daugherty. UNC gets them year in and year out on a regular basis. And it’s not just getting the fouls called on their opponents but also NOT getting fouls called against UNC. At the end of the Ga. Tech game Hansbrough rides a Tech player out of the endline under the Tech basket. Normally this would have been called and free throws allowed for Tech. Two made Tech free throws and that game ends entirely different.

    We can go on and on with scenarios where this occurs in the ACC. It’s just that the only common factor with these is UNC is usually the beneficiary. They get the benefit of the doubt overwhelmingly game in and game out.

  12. gcpack 02/12/2008 at 1:27 AM #

    By the way earlier in the blog there was plenty of talk about the UNC/Walmart fans. This may have been mentioned here at SFN before but I just heard it on the radio this past week.

    It was an interview with Jason Williams regarding a game Duke played in C.H. He said for 30 minutes all through warmups that this older lady decked out in baby blue attire kept calling his name. Williams said he generally ignored her but finally looked at her as he was running back to the locker room. He thought she was going to say something nice to him since she kept trying to get his attention for 30 minutes. When he looked at this elderly woman who was obviously a UNC fan she stuck her arm high in the air and gave him the bird.

    Williams said he was shocked at it and that it gave new meaning to him on what a rivalry is. It doesn’t shock me at all though because despite all the declarations that UNC has the monopoly on class many, not all, of their fans behave like that old lady in baby blue.

  13. b 02/12/2008 at 2:12 AM #

    jones92 says envy is bad for the soul.

    Consider vanity is likely worse.

  14. Rick 02/12/2008 at 8:06 AM #

    “It occurred to me as I watched the Texas Kansas game what the surest indication ACC officials suck is. It is the fact that the ACC is the floppingest league by far led by the top two teams, UNC and Duke. The sorry officiating rewards the flop and the flopping perpetuates itself. If the sorry officiating did not exist neither would the flops as there would be no reward for it.”

    That game was fun to watch. I did not even notice the refs. I did think there was no way any team in the ACC could play like that. Sad really, I would prefer to watch that game than any ACC game and it was because of the refs.

    BTW
    That video is a thing of beauty. I also notice all of our UNC “friends” fled since there is now actual proof of what we are talking about

    I cannot find this information but maybe someone has it. What are the # of fouls per half?
    What are the # of TOs per half?
    I know Clemson had alot more turnovers in the second than in the first. That means UNC was playing harder D thus there SHOULD be more fouls in the second half than the first. My guess will be there are not.

  15. RickJ 02/12/2008 at 8:36 AM #

    The most damning stat I’ve seen about this game is that UNC went 12:21 in the first half without a foul being called on them. Clemson led during this period of time and had 10 fouls called on them. This didn’t register with me during the game as Clemson was maintaining a nice lead.

    As a State fan, I have a terrible feeling about our game in Raleigh this Saturday against Clemson. Part of the byline of this game will be something like “Can Clemson get a fair shake on Tobacco Road?” I see a potential for us getting screwed in this game.

  16. b 02/12/2008 at 8:46 AM #

    A couple of articles related to officiating, not necessarily in response to the outcry from Sunday’s debacle (read deb-U-cull for Tarheels), though.

    http://www.newsobserver.com/734/story/938581-p2.html

    http://blog.news-record.com/staff/sportsextra/2008/02/more_thoughts_o.shtml

  17. RAWFS 02/12/2008 at 8:49 AM #

    Carolina fans are thinking that the Heels might go undefeated in football?

    ORLY? They may want their doctors to trim back their prescriptions just as tad.

  18. Pack84 02/12/2008 at 9:43 AM #

    I fully admit that this is a bit extreme. But I’ve felt for years now that everyone in the ACC should simply form their own conference minus the two blue bellies. I know it will never happen and would never work, but I swear I’m tired of watching those two get all the officiating breaks game after game, year after year. The way the blue bellies games are officiated isn’t a whole lot different that the way WWE matches are officiated.

  19. Tar Heel Fan 02/12/2008 at 10:16 AM #

    Please ignore any UNC fans talking about going undefeated in football. I saw the schedule and I think bowl eligibility is still going to be iffy business, especially breaking in a new def. coord.

    Someone dropped this on my blog. Interesting charts on foul diff in the ACC and where the Clemson-UNC game ranked this season as well as how all the teams do with foul diff.

    http://www.scacchoops.com/forms/tt_NewsBreaker_External.asp?NB=1068

  20. RAWFS 02/12/2008 at 10:30 AM #

    I would say Carolina has a great chance of getting to a bowl, after all, you need no more than six wins. I wouldn’t be surprised to see seven even eight wins out of a team that was close. But undefeated? It must be springtime, when football hope springs eternal.

  21. Tar Heel Fan 02/12/2008 at 10:36 AM #

    Also, I would point out from the link above that UNC-Clemson was 2nd in the ACC this season in foul diff. #1 and #3 was NCSU who against Cincy enjoyed a 35-17 foul edge and had 50 FTA to UC’s 14. Against Western Carolina NCSU had 17 fewer fouls and shot 33 FTs to WC’s two. So let’s be honest when we evaluate this stuff. NCSU has 128 fewer fouls than their opposition which leads the ACC. UNC is second with 120. UNC and Clemson play polar styles on offense and defense which probably had more to do with the diff than black helicopters and John Swofford fixing games for his former employer.

  22. LRM 02/12/2008 at 10:36 AM #

    That was an interesting analysis. But as an industrial engineer, one of the things I must understand is that while numbers never lie, they never tell the entire truth, either — there is always a qualitative analysis accompanying the quantitative.

    In this case, that State-Cincy game was the most physical game I’ve seen by an opposing team; Cincy used hyper-aggressive defense to counter one of our better offensive performances of the season; they literally contested every drive and every shot with contact (this was the game we lost Degand on a hard foul).

    The problem I had Sunday night was that the play was physical on both ends of the court, but only one team benefited from it. But if Clemson had hit even 25% from the line in regulation (1-4), they’d have won even still.

  23. Rick 02/12/2008 at 10:46 AM #

    Interesting chart.

    What is especially interesting is NCSU is on both ends of that chart while UNC and Duke are only on the benefitting end. Color me shocked

  24. Rick 02/12/2008 at 10:48 AM #

    I told my wife when the OT started that UNC would win the game and would score more points on the FT line than from the floor.

  25. Rick 02/12/2008 at 10:51 AM #

    I jut went and loooked it up.
    UNC had 13 points of FTs (14 attempts)in OT and 8 points form the floor.
    Clemson had 1 point from FTs in OT (3 attempts).

    Hard to win when the refs make sure your opponent will score.

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