http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-ucla23mar23-pg,1,1337040.photogallery?index=2 this is a pretty obvious intentional foul but the refs think its all ball , I never compain about refs in basketball but how the hell can the refs let this pass
When I saw the game live, I immediately thought foul but I don't recall the announcers being interested in showing the replay, instead they focused on the late dunk by UCLA. I also remember thinking that Donald Sloan's attempt was eerily reminiscent of Rafer Alston when he throws up a prayer to beat the shot clock or game clock.
They were more screwed by the loose ball foul they called an offensive foul on UCLA resulting in no free throws for the Aggies.
I've said it before, and I'll say it a million times more. During the last 9 minutes or so, there were at least three times that Davis was trying to lay it up in the low post, and there were 3 UCLA defenders all over him...and no call. With this in mind, the no call on Sloan's drive shouldn't be a surprise.
But every time we took the ball into the low post down the stretch they were all over Davis and Jones with no call. It was a consistent swallowing of the whistles. All this after A&M had been so dominant in the low post earlier in the game. And somehow this is just a coincidence? UCLA was basically playing rugby down there during the last 9 minutes, with few or no calls.
Yeah, it was only a two point game where two free throws could have tied it and sent it to overtime. Had no real impact on the outcome.
Not to mention the ball that was called out of bounds on A&M that even the CBS announcers said went off the UCLA player's legs, and the moving screen 23 feet from the basket that was uncalled that sprung Collison to make the take the lead basket.
It may or may not have mattered. -Sloan is a 67% free throw shooter. In a big-time pressure situation and hostile environment, certainly no guarantee he hits them both. -Even if he hits them both, UCLA gets the ball back with enough time to potentially win the game anyway. -Even if he hits them both and UCLA doesn't win in regulation, the momentum and experience (and talent) was definitely on their side going into OT. Before seeing the replay (and after, too), I thought it was a poor decision in the first place. He was going into a crowd, and wasn't all the way to the basket. The defense collapsed on him, and he tried to shoot it anyway. That said, the officials swallowed their whistles, and it usually hurt the Aggies. Kevin Love did one of the most blatant moving screens I've seen and it wasn't called. I also thought one of the calls late was strange where they called an offensive foul on UCLA instead of a loose ball foul. A loose ball foul would have sent A&M to the line (though it would've been a 60% FT shooting Bryan Davis, iirc).
What? He did exactly what he was supposed to. He took it in strong and drew the foul. Thats pretty much the ideal play.
It happened pretty damn fast. I couldn't tell right away whether it was a foul or not. Seeing the pic, it was clearly a missed call and Sloan should have been put on the line. A&M played UCLA very tough. But this is March Madness. Much like the NBA playoffs, you're going to have to basically get shot to get a foul called. Yes, Love got away with a moving screen and there where other bad calls. There were missed calls when Collison drove into the paint, too. A&M blew a good lead and it wasn't because of the refs.
It is a little odd that A&M's lead disappeared during the stretch where the officiating got really bad, and UCLA was allowed to do damned near whatever they wanted to (moving screens, batting the ball out of bounds and getting it back anyway, etc).
I had UCLA picked in my bracket, am not an Aggie alum, nor do I know any Aggie fans....but that is bad.
^ Yeah, that says it all...Saw the game and I was like WTF... I must say though, the Aggies couldn' score the 2nd half, but you can't let a team win like that...total bs...
Isn't there supposed to be a ref standing somewhere along this angle, too. That isn't just a missed call. There are multiple still photo's from different angles where it is obviously a foul. You can't replay the game or anything, but you can fire referees, and all 3 working that game should be let go.
That argument we're currently having with one of my roommates is maddening. I'm waiting for the other to chime in because they were both going for UCLA and were making excuses for the officiating when they b**** about how terrible officiating is all the freaking time.
