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The Horrendous Officiating that has Hurt College Basketball Continued Last Night

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The biggest stage in College basketball, the Final Four, has had some pretty controversial/wild finishes in its history. Chris Webber calling a timeout Michigan didn’t have against North Carolina, Mario Chalmers hitting a buzzer-beater to tie the game against Memphis, and Aaron Harrison’s 3-pointer to beat Wisconsin are some of the dramatic moments that come to mind. But, last night was dramatic in a different way.

Virginia’s Ty Jerome hit a three with 5:20 left in the 2nd half, giving the Cavaliers a 10-point advantage and it looked like they would cruise to victory from there. That didn’t happen. Back-to-back threes from Bryce Brown cut the Virginia lead to just three points with 3:20 left. Danjel Purifoy drove to the basket for a layup, then Brown hit another clutch three-pointer to give the Tigers a 59-57 lead.

Then Chaos ensued. Anfernee McLemore hit two free throws, giving Auburn a four-point lead with 17 seconds left. Then, Kyle Guy hit a corner three-ball with 6.8 seconds left, cutting the Auburn lead to 1. Jared Harper was fouled, hit 1/2 free throws, and Virginia had a chance to tie or take the lead.

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Coming down the court, Virginia’s Ty Jerome dribbled the ball off his foot, picked the ball back up, and dribbled again. An obvious double-dribble that the referees missed. But, before this, there is a jersey pull by Bryce Brown, which was not called either. Looking back at the replay, the jersey pull didn’t effect Jerome’s dribble and it wasn’t really even a foul. Good no call.

Look at the replay and see for yourself:

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The Tigers had fouls to give, so Virginia didn’t go to the line for two free throws, which maybe would’ve been a better result for Auburn fans than what would happen next.

Virginia calls a timeout and Tony Bennett sets up a play. The ball comes to Kyle Guy in the corner, he shoots a three for the win that misses, but a whistle is blown right as the ball hits the rim, “did I hear a whistle?” Jim Nantz says. A foul on a 3-point shot by Samir Doughty. Yikes.

Looking back at the play, as much as I hate to see a game end that way, it was the right call. Doughty came into Guys air-space and bumped him. Guy, who openly struggles with anxiety and after the game admitted to being terrified at the line, clutched up and sank three huge free throws. Auburn, with .6 seconds left, needed a miracle. It didn’t happen and Virginia won the game.

Here’s the call that gave Virginia the win:

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This has to be one of the most heartbreaking losses in college basketball, especially for Auburn with it being their first Final Four in program history.

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I have no problem with the call. I do have a problem with the missed double-dribble though. You cannot miss that. Virginia shouldn’t have even had the ball and Auburn should’ve been in the title game.

This blown call continues what has been a horrible season for college basketball officiating. It has been bad for a while, but nothing compared to this year. I know the NCAA won’t do anything, but it has to be embarrassed at the job it’s officials have done this year.

Tomorrow, two teams who have never played in a national championship game will square with a championship at stake. Be prepared for nervous basketball and a very low scoring game.

Let me know who wins because I will not be watching.

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky Basketball Players Say They Think About Winning National Championship “Every Second”

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Kentucky basketball players celebrate after their big over Duke.
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The expectations at Kentucky are the highest of any school in the country, and there is good reason why. The winningest college program ever. Eight national titles, under five different coaches. Seventeen Final Four appearances. You get it, a lot of success.

Fans want the players to have those same expectations. Despite not having the elite talent or preseason hype of great Kentucky teams past, this year’s team still has their eyes set on doing something “people will remember forever”, winning a national championship.

Asked on social media, if hanging banner #9 was all the players thought about “every second”, Ansley Almonor had a response.

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“We do.”

It takes a lot to win a national championship, including some luck, but this team is certainly going to be loved for their desire to live out their dream of playing at Kentucky and their unselfishness. Those two things can take them a long way this season .

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Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart Seemingly Takes Shot at John Calipari, “Anybody Can Recruit”

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Mitch Barnhart sitting next to basketball coach John Calipari.
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John Calipari and Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart had their differences over fifteen years, but success can hide a lot of things. Not that they hated each other, but they each had vastly different personalities. As that success weaned towards the end of Calipari’s tenure, those issues started to be noticed publically.

If you need evidence of that, despite their efforts to dispute it, there is the infamous press conference where Barnhart talked about “entitled” coaches, shortly after Calipari publicly called for a new practice facility. Then, there were multiple times when Calipari expressed that the administration was not on the same page and that he was facing “headwinds”.

That said, Calipari is now at Arkansas, but those differences and some disdain remain. During an interview on the Kentucky Football pregame show, Barnhart seemingly took a shot at Calipari when asked about Mark Pope’s recruiting philosophy and prioritizing fit.

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“I tell people all the time, ‘Anybody can recruit, not everybody can evaluate,’” Barnhart said. “You can recruit. You can be phenomenal at bringing people to your program. But if it does not fit you, it’s really not helpful.”

Of course, Calipari is one of the best, if not the best, recruiters in college basketball history. At times, he prioritized talent and athleticism over fit.

Quite the coincidence.

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ESPN’s Jay Williams Gives Message to Kentucky Fans, “You’re Not Going to Like It…”

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ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Williams gives a message to Kentucky fans after the Wildcats win over Duke. "You won't like it."
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Back in April, opposing fanbases like Duke, told Kentucky fans to “cope with Pope” following the hire of Mark Pope and the corresponding initial shock. On Tuesday, those same fanbases had to watch as Mark Pope outcoached Jon Scheyer and Duke in the final minutes of the Champion’s Classic to get his first marque win in just his third game at Kentucky.

Of course, shortly after the game, Duke fans began to rationalize the loss by highlighting their team’s youth. While true, it sounded like an echo chamber of what Kentucky fans said for years under John Calipari. One notable example was former Blue Devil Jay Williams.

At halftime, while Duke was leading 46-37, Williams called this year’s Duke team the most talented since the 2001 team that he was a part of at halftime. To his credit, he complimented Kentucky on the comeback victory, specifically on their offense and maturity, but then 36 hours later he posted a message to Kentucky fans on social media.

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“Let me put you on to something,” Williams started. “Whether you like it or not, networks are going to sell Cooper Flagg. He’s going to be the number one pick in the draft. You’re going to talk about whether he won the or whether he lost the game, regardless of the outcome.”

“You’re not going to like it. There should be more kudos to Mark Pope and Kentucky,” Williams continued. “Regardless of whether you won the game or not, they’re still going to sell Cooper Flagg because he is selling the sport. Sorry.”

William’s statement is true. That said, it comes off as ‘sour grapes’ about losing. Cooper Flagg is a great talent and will likely be the first pick in the NBA Draft, but most Kentucky fans would say they would much rather have the win than the marketing.

Futhermore, Kentucky and its ‘brand’ has raised the level of multiple players and coaches, and will continue to do so. A deeper impact than Cooper Flagg will have on Duke in just one season.

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