No help at all

[MUfan12]

Pitt plays football in sneakers when they're allowed to. And this crew let them get away with a ton of contact off the ball. This negated a lot of MU's quickness, and by extension the drive and kick game. While it didn't cost MU the game, it sure as hell didn't help. They have to establish it from the start, or things degenerate into Butler getting dragged down by his jersey at the end of the game.

And this is my frustration with the college game, in particular the Big East. It's becoming even more physical than the NBA. Gotta reel it in, beyond the non-conference games.

Also, I f*cking hate Bob Donato.

[KipsBayEagle]

Us losing this game had nothing to do with the physicality, or the refs letting pitt be physical.

[MUfan12]

Us losing this game had nothing to do with the physicality, or the refs letting pitt be physical.

So MU's struggles in the halfcourt offense had nothing to do with that? Interesting.

That was the worst they've looked in the halfcourt. No flow, no rhythm to their game at all. They were slowed down a lot by the grabbing and body contact off the ball.

Again, not like it cost them the game, but to say it had nothing to do with it is incorrect.

[schubert33]

When you live by the jumpshot you die by the jumpshot!  Recruit size!!!!!!!!!!   I would love to see a guy like Mcghee in a MU jersey...

[KipsBayEagle]

So MU's struggles in the halfcourt offense had nothing to do with that? Interesting.

That was the worst they've looked in the halfcourt. No flow, no rhythm to their game at all. They were slowed down a lot by the grabbing and body contact off the ball.

Again, not like it cost them the game, but to say it had nothing to do with it is incorrect.

Oh it did, but the physicality wasn't the core problem.  the core problem is that we play one power forward (if you consider him a power forward)  to match up to that physical play.  We have No power forwards/ centers on the bench.  Of course physical play is a problem, but is the problem that pitt is just too physical, or because we play a team that ranges in height from 5'8 to 6'6?  Pitt won that game because in the 2nd half, other that the one three they hit, the average distance of their field goals from the basket was probaly 10 inches.  That's physical play by default.  If you play a team with 5 guards on the floor in the big east, your always going to claim physicality as a problem.  Thats our problem however, not Pitt or the refs.

[karavotsos]

Think of all the times in all the games when you see guys beg for a non-foul call by holding their arms straight up.  Not one guy all night tonight did that.  The principle of verticality took the night off.  I thought that was reffing 101.  Arms come down, that's a foul.  Not tonight.  Consistently.  I guess you have to adjust.

[KipsBayEagle]

Pitt= Chris Brown, Marquette=Rihanna

[Tom Crean's Tanning Bed]

So MU's struggles in the halfcourt offense had nothing to do with that? Interesting.

That was the worst they've looked in the halfcourt. No flow, no rhythm to their game at all. They were slowed down a lot by the grabbing and body contact off the ball.

Again, not like it cost them the game, but to say it had nothing to do with it is incorrect.

When I can see Lazar's jersey being pulled off his body coming off a screen at the basket facing the MU bench sitting in section 428 (the complete opposite side of the court) and that going off as a no-call, that's all I need to know about the quality of the officiating tonight. 

Yes, Pitt is a physical team.  Yes, Marquette is undersized.  But when I'm seeing jerseys being pulled off bodies sitting 60 yards away, push-offs by Pitt's guards on nearly every offensive possession, and Jimmy repeatedly getting jumped into by defenders on drives to the hoop getting uncalled possession after possession, that certainly makes a major impact in the ballgame.

[skianth16]

Pitt= Chris Brown, Marquette=Rihanna

i love it. well said

[mklenn]

its easy to blame the refs for the lack of calls on Pitt but did anyone else notice the blatant illegal screens being set by Lazar? my section was shocked that he was not whistled, let alone tossed from the game. our best player needs to keep his head in the game better than that for us to have a chance against a tough team. point is, they seemed to let a lot go both ways. the fouls were pretty even in the 2nd half until we started fouling to stop the clock.

[mileskishnish72]

Hard to blame the zebras for this stinkeroo. It was like watching the end of last year's Nova game in the BE tournament - good defense out top, good pressure - oops, an opponent alone under the hoop with the ball. Two of the refs would have had to put on MU uni's to beat a team shooting 68% inside the arc. Plus, the offense was disjointed and except for a couple of bursts was painful to watch.

[tower912]

Pitt was the more physical, more aggressive team.   That generally gets rewarded by the officials.   More important was how they always had a hand up on our 3 point attempts.   Our driving and dishing and spinning the defender just wasn't there.   I give Pitt's defensive scheme most of the credit.   If we shoot our season % from the 3 point line, we win.    Sure, I thought we should have gotten some more calls.   We didn't.    Make shots.

[4everwarriors]

This game was about as successful as the gold-out.

[tower912]

This game was about as successful as the gold-out.

I blame PRN, DiUlio, Wild, and last but not least, Crean.

[Guy Fieri's Dad]

I agree the officiating was was abysmal.  However, it was abysmal both ways.

[d6]

Refs were abysmal----both ways.  Lazar on the wing almost got knocked down, but somehow maintained his dribble.  Then just glared at the ref.  Their guard (Wanamaker?) got whacked at the free throw line before finding one of their bigs for an easy dunk.  No calls.  Butler get yanked to the floor. 

Yes, the refs were brutal.  Considering the physicality of each team, advantage-game-set-match: Pittsburgh.

[axaguy]

Lazar failed to finish at least 5 times he got down low, that's 10 close in points. I know we are small and avoid the inside like the plague but we HAVE to score when we get it that close. Can't grouse about the lack of size now, been short all season. Have to finish!!!!!!!!! Lazar can't match up against bigger, stronger guys but he HAS to finish when he gets in the lane and in close..........................

[TallTitan34]

Officiating has been brutal all year in college basketball.  Last night it was brutal both ways.  Missed  travels each way, Lazar getting away with stuff, Jimmy getting thrown down by the jersey.  Just because it's bad both ways doesn't mean it's right.

The thing that pisses me off the most is when the official on the other side of the court calls a foul when the other 2 are right next to the play.  Then when Lazar bounces off a guy 5 feet from him he misses the call.

In the last week alone I've seen brutal calls in the Notre Dame/Louisville, Louisville/Syracuse, and Kentucky/Miss State games.  These are painfully obvious calls that I can see without replay on my 30" hotel room tv while a guy 30 feet away misses. Missed goaltending calls, calling the foul on the wrong player, and other basic calls are getting messed up.

If you ever watch Big Monday games with Jay Bilas he hammers these guys for their suckfest of a season.. He'd like to see their schedules cut back.

[MUBurrow]

So we're becoming a finesse, small, 3 point shooting team that assumes any off the ball physical play must be off the ball fouls because it disrupts our offensive flow?  Oh my god we've become Notre Dame.

[JohnThomasisAngry]

Could I be of any help? I am known for my thrusting, penetrating nature. I happen to know something about taking it to the hole.

[Tom Crean's Tanning Bed]

Could I be of any help? I am known for my thrusting, penetrating nature. I happen to know something about taking it to the hole.

That's what she said.

[Hards Alumni]

Officiating has been brutal all year in college basketball.  Last night it was brutal both ways.  Missed  travels each way, Lazar getting away with stuff, Jimmy getting thrown down by the jersey.  Just because it's bad both ways doesn't mean it's right.

The thing that pisses me off the most is when the official on the other side of the court calls a foul when the other 2 are right next to the play.  Then when Lazar bounces off a guy 5 feet from him he misses the call.

In the last week alone I've seen brutal calls in the Notre Dame/Louisville, Louisville/Syracuse, and Kentucky/Miss State games.  These are painfully obvious calls that I can see without replay on my 30" hotel room tv while a guy 30 feet away misses. Missed goaltending calls, calling the foul on the wrong player, and other basic calls are getting messed up.

If you ever watch Big Monday games with Jay Bilas he hammers these guys for their suckfest of a season.. He'd like to see their schedules cut back.

I am right there with you buddy.  I couldn't agree more.

[WellsstreetWanderer]

We  never adjusted to the way the game was being played. I expected something being done at the half. great D by Pitt

[GGGG]

The refs were fine.  Pitt extended their guards to get in our guys faces all night, and their bigs>>>>>>>>our bigs so they could do this without reprisal.  It would have helped if Lazar didn't have his worst game of the year...but that's life.

[Golden Avalanche]

Us losing this game had nothing to do with the physicality, or the refs letting pitt be physical.

Pitt played a very good game that included physicality. There is nothing wrong with that as basketball is a contact sport.

When Pitt punched MU in the mouth, our guys retreated and spent more time flailing their arms for a whistle and complaining to the zebras.

So, yes, losing the game had to do with the physicality.