NCAA ball inflation

[MUBurrow]

We lost. Period.
This is all nonsense. I’m sure some of the posts were tongue-in-cheek, but I think some are actually serious.

Cmon. They’re serious. Dumb. But serious.

You guys think someone has to be dumb to be suspicious that the balls in this tournament are overinflated?  As Dish pointed out, we had historical anomolies vs the under/over in the Dallas games yesterday.  Today the top two offenses in the NCAA are a combined 8 for 38 from three.  There is precedent for this type of thing during the juiced ball MLB season+.  I don't think this is tinfoil hat crap at all.

Updated to note that we had the coach of a #2 seed publicly complaining about the tight nets at the SLC venue - very reasonable to think that was also partially attributable to a ball overinflation issue.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

You guys think someone has to be dumb to be suspicious that the balls in this tournament are overinflated?  As Dish pointed out, we had historical anomolies vs the under/over in the Dallas games yesterday.  Today the top two offenses in the NCAA are a combined 8 for 38 from three.  There is precedent for this type of thing during the juiced ball MLB season+.  I don't think this is tinfoil hat crap at all.

It’s complete tinfoil nonsense.

[TallTitan34]

We lost. Period.

This is all nonsense. I’m sure some of the posts were tongue-in-cheek, but I think some are actually serious.

I don’t think we lost because of the ball. Both teams had to play with it.

But you can’t deny the evidence that something is effecting three point shooting across the tournament.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

I don’t think we lost because of the ball. Both teams had to play with it.

But you can’t deny the evidence that something is effecting three point shooting across the tournament.

It’s called defense.

[Uncle Rico]

It’s complete tinfoil nonsense.

Probably the lead story on Fox News then

[TallTitan34]

It’s called defense.

Vegas apparently didn’t see defense coming.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Vegas apparently didn’t see defense coming.

Yes. So obviously it’s over inflation of basketballs. 🙄🙄🙄

[TallTitan34]

Yes. So obviously it’s over inflation of basketballs. 🙄🙄🙄

You can see the balls take bounces that aren’t normal.

[TallTitan34]

When is the last time Vegas missed the O/U in three consecutive games all by over 25 points?

[statnik]

It’s called defense.

Eye test says teams have been getting as many open 3s as normal, certainly we got enough.  This isn’t an excuse, it affects enjoyment of tournament games in general, not just ours.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

You can see the balls take bounces that aren’t normal.

lol. Sure.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Eye test says teams have been getting as many open 3s as normal, certainly we got enough.  This isn’t an excuse, it affects enjoyment of tournament games in general, not just ours.

“Eye test…” 😂😂😂

[MUBurrow]

It’s complete tinfoil nonsense.

I'd love to be as confident about anything as you are about most things, but players and coaches have been complaining about it, it would explain the three point shooting percentage drop, and we have unheard of point total disparities vs Vegas expectations.  Reminds me a ton of the juiced baseball thing. To just broadly proclaim its stupid nonsense seems odd to me.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

I'd love to be as confident about anything as you are about most things, but players and coaches have been complaining about it, it would explain the three point shooting percentage drop, and we have unheard of point total disparities vs Vegas expectations.  Reminds me a ton of the juiced baseball thing. To just broadly proclaim its stupid nonsense seems odd to me.

It’s stupid.

[TallTitan34]

“Eye test…” 😂😂😂

There’s shot quality data to back it up too.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

There’s shot quality data to back it up too.

Sure.

[DegenerateDish]

MU lost because they didn’t hit shots. Period.

Analytically, it wasn’t NC State’s defense that beat MU, MU beat MU with bad shooting.

There is something “off” with the inflation of the balls and tight rims at the regionals. Three straight games have gone 25+ points below their game total, with 5 top 21 KP teams in those games.

All of the above are true.

[Jockey]

I don’t think we lost because of the ball. Both teams had to play with it.

But you can’t deny the evidence that something is effecting three point shooting across the tournament.

I can deny it.

[SonOfWarrior]

Just put a dollar for the under. Boom.

[TallTitan34]

It’s not a new issue in the NCAA Tournament. From The Athletic on last year’s tournament:

“They need to take some air out of the ball. It’s too much and I think everyone’s shot has been off lately. Everyone in the tournament,” [Kateri] Poole said. “And I’m not trying to make excuses regardless, but throwing the ball off the backboard, it sounds like it’s gonna pop.”

But Poole said Sunday that the ball was so hard that it hurt LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson’s finger and split one of Morris’ nails. Asked about Johnson’s finger, an LSU media relations staffer deferred to one of the Tigers’ student athletic trainers. The trainer said she was not authorized to speak about potential injuries. An NCAA spokesperson also declined comment about LSU’s claims.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Anecdotal nonsense.

[TallTitan34]

Sportico:

“Yeah, I just feel like sometimes the balls are just a little too bouncy,” Alabama guard Jahvon Quinerly said earlier this week. “I don’t think it’s affected me personally this tournament, but, you know, it’s been something that the guys talk about in the locker room.”

AP:

After last weekend’s first and second-round games were plagued by low shooting percentages from 3-point range, murmurs began about whether slick or excessively inflated basketballs may have been the culprit. Even the tourney’s top overall seed, Alabama, has been airing it out inside the locker room during March Madness.
“We’ve kind of had the discussion as a staff,” Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats said Thursday. “You can pump up any ball to be too hard. It would be great if the referees actually made sure it was within the guidelines of how hard it’s supposed to be because, obviously, if you pump it up to where it’s a rock, you’re not going to shoot as well.”

[CountryRoads]

Alabama/Clemson start:

Boink…doink…clank…doof

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Sportico:

“Yeah, I just feel like sometimes the balls are just a little too bouncy,” Alabama guard Jahvon Quinerly said earlier this week. “I don’t think it’s affected me personally this tournament, but, you know, it’s been something that the guys talk about in the locker room.”

AP:

After last weekend’s first and second-round games were plagued by low shooting percentages from 3-point range, murmurs began about whether slick or excessively inflated basketballs may have been the culprit. Even the tourney’s top overall seed, Alabama, has been airing it out inside the locker room during March Madness.
“We’ve kind of had the discussion as a staff,” Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats said Thursday. “You can pump up any ball to be too hard. It would be great if the referees actually made sure it was within the guidelines of how hard it’s supposed to be because, obviously, if you pump it up to where it’s a rock, you’re not going to shoot as well.”

More anecdotal nonsense.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Alabama/Clemson start:

Boink…doink…clank…doof

And then they hit shots.

Really a lot of tinfoil being passed around this evening.