Refs

[Detfan23]

I am sorry but these refs are straight unnatural carnal knowledgeing us.  Hayward and Burke just got screwed back to back.

[Detfan23]

And now Butler gets called for some strange reason.  Thabeet can do no wrong.  I swear if we hold on and win it should count for 2.  We beat UConn and the refs.

[mr.MUskie]

4 mu players with 4 fouls, and dj out.  i'd better suit up.

[ecompt]

They set the tone early when Thabeet hip-checked Jerel on a layup and refused to call it. But that wasn't the reason we lost.

[GGGG]

Stop.  The only overtly bad call was the Burke block.  Otherwise they were fine with some questionable stuff either way.

[tower912]

Its 'A' reason, but not 'THE' reason.   Price goes off, no rebounds, no DJ also major contributing factors.

[MUWarrior06]

They set the tone early when Thabeet hip-checked Jerel on a layup and refused to call it. But that wasn't the reason we lost.

+1

Sad that "the refs blew it" came out so early.

Yes, it was a poorly called game, and it doesn't help along with losing your PG and getting out rebounded... seems like everything is against us.

But they weren't the reason we lost. Sucks that we had to watch a lot of crappy calls, but that's how it goes

[ErickJD08]

They were pretty bad.  The three point play with Thabeet and Hayward got called for the foul.  I didn't know jumping backwards into a group of guys means you can't get touched.

[MUWarrior06]

They were pretty bad.  The three point play with Thabeet and Hayward got called for the foul.  I didn't know jumping backwards into a group of guys means you can't get touched.

Saw a lot of this. Seemed like they'd drive the side of the lane, do a spin type move and jump into the lane backwards to draw a foul. At times they looked out of control really.

[Pakuni]

They set the tone early when Thabeet hip-checked Jerel on a layup and refused to call it. But that wasn't the reason we lost.

MU definitely didn't lose because of bad calls (though there were several), but the fact the refs allowed UConn to play a very physical game certainly factored heavily. I'm not suggesting the refs were right or wrong in that regard, but the more physical play allowed, the greater the advantage to the bigger and stronger team (duh).

The primary factor in the loss - other than UConn's size - was the loss of DJ's defense on Price. He, IMO, would have done a far better job of sticking with Price than McNeal or anyone else Buzz tried against him.

[g0lden3agle]

+1

Sad that "the refs blew it" came out so early.

Yes, it was a poorly called game, and it doesn't help along with losing your PG and getting out rebounded... seems like everything is against us.

But they weren't the reason we lost. Sucks that we had to watch a lot of crappy calls, but that's how it goes

Ok, well if it wasn't the fact that the refs made some bad calls OR that Dominic was out almost the entire game, what reasons were there?

[maxpower773]

they were horrible tonight, don't kid yourself.... everytime marquette made a run a foul was called. look back at it, it happened everytime.  uconn got away with push offs on rebounds and thabeet just pushed people around through the lane (he actually grabbed lazar's jersey and pushed him through the lane while the ref was 10 feet away).  if tonight wasn't a poorly reffed game i don't know what is.

[warrior_jr]

they were horrible tonight, don't kid yourself....

Agreed.  People love to come on here and tell people to stop whining about the refs, that it didn't change the game, but tonight...come on.  You all know that NCAA ball is ALL about momentum, so do all the math you want on how many extra FTs they got and how that doesn't change the game, etc, but as someone who was sitting 4 rows behind the band tonight, I can tell you, the energy went sour every time there was a questionable call.  And a lot of them were plain and simple bad calls.  That energy is what gives us a strong home court advantage.

And of course, as many mentioned, DJ's absence was a huge factor.  To his credit, Acker did very well filling that spot, despite a very unimpressive season thus far.

[MUWeb7]

Word is: Dickie V said that he needed a striped jersey to throw on because he could do better.

[LovinCrowder]

and it seemed like every time Marquette would have the momentum and cut the lead down, the refs saw to it that the momentum shifted back to UConn

[statnik]

I think if anything shows how incompetent the refs were tonight, it was the fact they had to make sure McNeal's 3, when the score was 20-19, was in fact a 3.  He was about 2-3 feet behind the line, not even close, so if they had doubt about that play, they surely weren't watching the game very closely.

[warriormom]

I thought it interesting that the team fouls stood at 7 for UCONN and 3 for MU when Calhoun gets his T and is hounding the refs.  What happens next?   7 straight fouls called against MU.

[Daniel]

I hate compalining about the officaiting, but I'll get over that for now: they flat out sucked tonight.  There were a lot of no-calls, especially on Thabeet who was man-handling and bumping everyone around him. 

So - we lost and I'm not blaming the official for our loss, but the refs stunk it up big time tonight, and everyone around me up in 420 were saying the same thing.  DSomeone mentioned that they were saying something on TV too - did they?

[Pardner]

Donato pointed UCONN's way 12 straight times...Shaw was a bit less brutal and even gave us a few make up calls for Donato who should be reprimanded (hyperbole) as everything went only one way with him...but when Thabeet had 6 fouls at half time but only one was whistled (Wes's drive--blatant... and the no call scrum when Thabeet tackled Rel from behind) it was just inconsistent when the touch fouls were going against us.  Call it on both ends guys:  touch fouls always called / low body fouls forget it.

The major problem I have is when Donato is talking to Calhoun on every play/call.  These crews needs to be held accountable for consistency--and impartiality.  As someone pointed out--MU was in the bonus with 7 UCONN fouls--and Jimmy C. went to work...end of story.  They wouldn't even talk to Buzz.  It is a broken record with me so I apologize--but these refs work too many different leagues in too many different nights in too many different cities.  There is absolutely no QC to their work despite the league talk to the contrary.    

That said...we lost this game on the boards--especially offensive...and AJ Price is a stud...he totally schooled Jerel.  

[muwarrior87]

sad thing is, if Timmy Higgins didn't injure himself the other night, he would have been reffing this game. I don't know if Donato took his place or not but it would be interesting to see how it would have played out w/ Higgins out there.

[muhoosier260]

http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=12868.0

zing. to all of you.

[warriormom]

Even my son's co-worker who is an ardent Badger fan said MU got jobbed by the refs.  Just watched it on DVR some of the calls and non-calls were horendous.  Really wish coaches could call out refs on poor officiating.  Why not???

[GGGG]

I think if anything shows how incompetent the refs were tonight, it was the fact they had to make sure McNeal's 3, when the score was 20-19, was in fact a 3.  He was about 2-3 feet behind the line, not even close, so if they had doubt about that play, they surely weren't watching the game very closely.

That's not what they were checking.  They were checking to see if the interior foul called on Burke (?) occured before the shot or after.

The refs were fine.  They called a consistant, but physical game.  That is going to benefit UConn, but that is also the way BE refs have called games for decades.  It really is pathetic that this group has to pile on every....single....game...

[Norm]

Latvian,

I do not comment on the refs every game. I noted earlier that Calhoun worked the refs pretty good and they swallowed the whistles on UConn in the last 15 minutes of the game. You claim it was consistently called both ways. But at least 2 of the fouls called on Hayward were pathetic ticky-tack stuff that Thabett did every time on defense. Thabett got away with hip checks, grabbing jerseys, not having his feet set, leaving his feet on defense and slamming into MU guys driving the lane. That's all fine. But then they call a foul on Hayward when Thabett is moving backwards and rams into Hayward with his butt. They call a foul on Burke when he gets all ball. They call a charge on Matthews when the UConn defender has one foot off the floor and isn't set. Yes, it was a physical game, but UConn got more discretion from the refs than MU did.

[Marquette_g]

I noted earlier that Calhoun worked the refs pretty good and they swallowed the whistles on UConn in the last 15 minutes of the game.

Jim Calhoun may have won a lot of basketball games, but he is a bully, whiner, and all round jag.  For some reason the fact that he has a laundry list full of players who would be suspended by most teams for their off-court actions is overlooked by the ESPNs of the world. 

He is a very unlikable guy, that Jim Calhoun.