**** the NCAA

[another shocker]

The NBA is a far more watchable product than CBB is. If you think CBB wasn't broken before this year I really don't know what to tell you. It was bad. Almost un-watchable in many cases.

the problem with cbb has always been over-officiating. what solution did they come up with in the off-season? over-officiating.

[Cdizzle]

The NBA is a different game. Why does everyone seem intent on making the college game like the NBA? I don't want to watch a bunch of dudes ISO and jack up shots. Especially in college, when they aren't going to hit 70% of their wide open shots like NBA players do. I want to see offensive schemes and plays, and defensive strategy and well, any defense.

There were a multitude of people in my section that left part way through the second half commenting that they couldn't take watching the refs any more, because that's what their money had bought them, not a basketball game.

[proshox]

Watch film from the eighties with our hyper athletes doing truly electrifying stuff. There was hardly any contact on most plays other than legal screens. Do I necessarily think that is better than what we have had in the last decade? Probably not. With that stated I can't pretend like basketball players have no ability to adjust to a tighter whistle.

[Steeleshocker]

Things I liked about the new emphasis include:

Calling fouls on moving screens (Evansville is in trouble).
Calling fouls on defenders riding a ball handler 50 feet from the basket (clearly impeding progress, that crap was annoying).
As long as you show your hands and move your feet you can make body contact. Shamet and Taylor were pretty good at this.
As long as the players didn't get overly aggressive and were vertical, they favored the shot blocker on drives where the offensive player initiates contract.

What I didn't like:
Very inconsistent on the bumping of cutters. Seemed like Anton was getting shoved around all game when he would make a move.
The attempts at calling charges. Hamilton was leaning when he got one. And McDuffie clearly split the double team on that lame double foul call.

It's going to be tough for a while, but I'm of the opinion that once players adjust it will be a lot better. There will always be bad calls (like the ball Ron cleanly knocked away).

[Eric]

Another plus, "Hollywood" Higgins' hairdresser will make a fortune. He will get more TV time than the players!

[im4wsu]

Comparison of 2013-14 and 2014-15 fouls per game

	WSU	OPP	TOTAL
2013-14
NON-CON	18.1	22.2	40.3
CONF	16.5	20.6	37.1
POST	15.8	18.6	34.4
2014-15
NON-CON	18.2	18.8	37.1
CONF	15.6	18.7	31.3
POST	17.6	18.4	36.0

[im4wsu]

For the 230 Div 1 teams that have played a game, there were an average of 22.3 fouls called per team.
Last season, in 11143 games, the average per teaam was 18.1.

Here is the breakdown of total fouls per game (both teams)

Tot Fouls	Games
27	1
28	1
30	1
32	3
33	2
34	2
35	4
37	4
38	6
39	8
40	3
41	8
42	8
43	4
44	6
45	2
46	7
47	7
48	8
49	1
50	1
51	7
52	3
53	1
54	5
55	2
56	1
57	2
58	2
59	1
60	1
61	1
63	1
66	1

[pinstripers]

I have raged about the game moving more and more toward the "Big East" style, or the NBA style; but last night was ridiculous.

[proshox]

The successful teams in the NBA (excluding ones with Lebron) move the ball like crazy. I think the fear of NBA like officiating causing ISO play is unwarranted. In fact, The ISO NBA was before the tighter whistles.

I don't care what the rules are as long as games are consistent. If they are all like last night, players will adjust and the whistles will go quiet.

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

I would have been furious after last night due to all the fouls and stoppages in play. No flow. Total joke.

But then I realized that WSU has about 5 possible NBA draft picks on the roster, will be competing for a national championship, and has all the pieces to easily remain top 25 next year despite graduating two of the best players in program history.

The fouling thing will work itself out soon enough. The Shox winning 95% of their games is here to stay for awhile.

Now trying to stop at Sonic at 21st and Hillside for ice cream afterwards, and being told they couldn't sell any ice cream or shakes because they were cleaning the equipment (on a Friday night at 9:30?)... now that might have irritated me a bit.

[Rlh04d]

Truth.

There IS a problem with the NCAA, and many people recognize it, but this isn't the solution. Or at least it's not the solution if it takes the entire season to work itself out.

[shockmonster]

This is happening because of the Big Networks demanding it. ESPN, ESPN, ESPN, etc.

[McShocker]

I don't think last night's game was poorly officiated because of the mandate. I think it was just poorly officiated, period. There were at least a dozen fouls called that were not fouls, even with the new mandate. I'm pretty sure players bumping into each other on loose ball plays or rebounds has not been mandated to be called a foul when no advantage was gained. I'm pretty sure Ron digging and getting ALL BALL is not a foul due to the mandate. Everything I've read and heard about the changes involve freedom of movement, and there were plenty of those called, as well. I am in the camp that supports the changes, because as teams adjust the product on the floor will eventually be better. If you remember a couple of years ago, our guys did a better job of figuring it out than most teams, and our defense was still excellent. We have the best coach in the country, and just keep getting better and better incoming players, so we will still be winning. I personally look forward to seeing us win games 80-70 instead of 60-50. It may take free throws to get there initially, but eventually the game will be more free flowing and I can't wait to see what players like Shamet and McDuffie can do in that kind of game.

[im4wsu]

I don't think last night's game was poorly officiated because of the mandate. I think it was just poorly officiated, period. There were at least a dozen fouls called that were not fouls, even with the new mandate. I'm pretty sure players bumping into each other on loose ball plays or rebounds has not been mandated to be called a foul when no advantage was gained. I'm pretty sure Ron digging and getting ALL BALL is not a foul due to the mandate. Everything I've read and heard about the changes involve freedom of movement, and there were plenty of those called, as well. I am in the camp that supports the changes, because as teams adjust the product on the floor will eventually be better. If you remember a couple of years ago, our guys did a better job of figuring it out than most teams, and our defense was still excellent. We have the best coach in the country, and just keep getting better and better incoming players, so we will still be winning. I personally look forward to seeing us win games 80-70 instead of 60-50. It may take free throws to get there initially, but eventually the game will be more free flowing and I can't wait to see what players like Shamet and McDuffie can do in that kind of game.

Don't you mean 80-50? 3G is still going to demand defense!

[ShockerFever]

I don't think last night's game was poorly officiated because of the mandate. I think it was just poorly officiated, period. There were at least a dozen fouls called that were not fouls, even with the new mandate. I'm pretty sure players bumping into each other on loose ball plays or rebounds has not been mandated to be called a foul when no advantage was gained. I'm pretty sure Ron digging and getting ALL BALL is not a foul due to the mandate. Everything I've read and heard about the changes involve freedom of movement, and there were plenty of those called, as well. I am in the camp that supports the changes, because as teams adjust the product on the floor will eventually be better. If you remember a couple of years ago, our guys did a better job of figuring it out than most teams, and our defense was still excellent. We have the best coach in the country, and just keep getting better and better incoming players, so we will still be winning. I personally look forward to seeing us win games 80-70 instead of 60-50. It may take free throws to get there initially, but eventually the game will be more free flowing and I can't wait to see what players like Shamet and McDuffie can do in that kind of game.

I'm hoping and praying it was just a shitty-ass officiated game.

I wonder if we can get a walkthrough from "That is all" guy.