**** the NCAA

[Royalno5]

If I wanted NBA basketball I would watch the NBA, this sucks!

[Shockeriffic]

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.

Another thing that points to terrible officiating is how many times the ref right in front of the play would get overruled by the guy on the other side of the court.

[Ricardo del Rio]

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

If Higgins gets more TV time, it will kill my game buddy. He hates Higgy with a passion. Deep purple passion.

[Aargh]

If Higgins gets more TV time, it will kill my game buddy. He hates Higgy with a passion. Deep purple passion.

[molly jabali]

great reason to play a long time favorite....

[Aargh]

Today, I've referenced a David Allen Coe song, linked a Merle Haggard song and a Deep Purple song. I've got to do something else or I'll be guilty of needing diversity therapy. I'm not about to link a hip-hop or a rap song. I don't actually know any of those to link, so I'll go with some Buddy Guy to show my diversity.

[ShockdaWorld]

Bilas is on Twitter bumping on about how players need to adjust...then says he hasn't seen the game, but his guess is that fouls were called and then guys kept fouling. Told him his guess was wrong and that he should watch the game before trying to defend those hacks.

[DJShocker10]

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

Doesn't he already?

[atlwsu]

Two questions:
1) How does the NCAA grade the games? Do they see the 66 foul game as called they they wanted it called, or the 44 foul game? Our opinion isn't the one the refs will listen to.

2) What impact did the calls have on non-freethow scoring? Did, or will, it have an impact on in-paint points? The overall scoring should go up because of the # of points made with the clock off.

Maybe # 3) Will the shorter shot clock result in more shots taken with a drop in shooting percentage and more rebounds or actually increase scoring? I bet efficiency drops and more shot clock violations.

[Ashockalypse]

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.

We have won because we have been allowed to play defense. These rules are created to help blue chippers playing for blue bloods. It won't help us in the long run and makes for a crappy game. Will also enhance unfair home court advantages by depending more on referees.

[Kel Varnsen]

Would not be surprised to see a lot of teams (us included) go to a zone or Box and One (or anything resembling it) with the new rules. A lot less risk of foul trouble. Obviously if the team you're playing against has shooters that's trouble.

But I think that's where Conner may be able to step in and help relieve some pressure. Throw four shooters out on the floor (which will not be difficult to do), and we could counter a zone pretty effectively. Shoot, a team with Taylor, Shamet, Brown, and Kelly at 1-2-3-4 could be devastating in both regards. Uber athletic and they can all shoot.

[im4wsu]

The WSU/CSU game had the most fouls called in teams' first games played (140 of them).

In the 16 games that had a team playing its 2nd game, the avg. fouls per game in the first contest was 44.1 compared to 33.4 in the second contest.
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[ksshoxfan]

I dont know if how many of you watched the UNM/NMS game tonight but these guys have been mugging each other and the refs seem to have swallowed their whistles.

Being officiated far more loosely than our game was.

Aren't the rule changes for all of the NCAA? (Sarcasm)

Chris

[WSUwatcher]

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

Just like the government -- identify a perceived problem, create a program to "fix" it, and then when (not if) it doesn't work, claim the program was inadequate and expand and enforce it even more.

Many on here appear to vote for and support this approach all the time on policy matters, whether because it corresponds with their own philosophical preferences or because they simply don't see it (perhaps because it corresponds with their preferences). When it gets out in the open and away from philosophy, and turns instead into a visible application of the concept on the basketball court, it's pretty ugly -- isn't it, guys?

We can hope Friday's game was an anomaly, as COS suggests that it might have been. And there have been heavily officiated games in WSU's past, too -- even the fairly distant past of glorious, pristine basketball, judging from the school foul and FT records that WEREN'T broken. But it was still tiresome and ugly, and even if the players adjust there will be at least some other games like it this season. You can take that to the bank.

I'm just glad WSU is deep, and smart, and appears to be able to shoot FTs. Because a foul fest with super zealous refs is one of the variables that on a given night, with a given crew and set of prejudices, could turn a game upside down -- and when you figure to be justifiably favored in pretty much every game you play, you don't need things that turn your games upside down.

[WSUwatcher]

I don't think last night's game was poorly officiated because of the mandate. I think it was just poorly officiated, period...

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.

Hope you're right, McShocker, and if you are I'll even agree that the product will be better. But it's hard to be enthusiastic at this point.