CBS College Basketball Writer Matt Norlander had a chance to talk with NCAA Director of Basketball Officials John Adams after the Kentucky/Arkansas game. Adams told Norlander he thought the officials were doing a good job so far with the new rules.
“I’m pretty honest about stuff like this,” Adams told CBSSports.com. “Given everything that was thrown at officials this year … I think they’ve done a very, very good job of adapting quickly and officiating games according to the standards of the NCAA and their conferences. I don’t think there’s any question that anecdotally these rule changes have worked. Scoring through Jan. 5 was up six and half points through this time last year. There were only four more fouls per game. Turnovers are down almost two per game and with exception of [Kentucky-Arkansas], the games that we’re able to time are coming, the vast majority, under two hours.”
Adams was in attendance at the UK/Arkansas game.
The loudest bemoaning most recently sprouted during Tuesday night’s Kentucky-Arkansas game, which went to overtime and took two and a half hours to complete. It featured 60 fouls and 81 free throws. As coincidence would have it, Adams was at the game.
“I hope my presence doesn’t have any affect on the officials,” Adams said when I asked him if he thought his attendance affected the way the crew called the game. “They have much more things to worry about than me sitting 150 feet from the court. I thought the referees in the game, assigned by the SEC, did exactly what they’re supposed to do. What happens in games like that … the players on each team fail to adjust to the way the game is being called. At some point, you have to stop fouling. And if you don’t, why would you expect the officials to change the way they’re calling the game?”
Some believe conference play has led to a regression to the sluggish, physical game that college hoops had morphed into in recent seasons. Adams said there have been instances where fouls that should have been called weren’t, but overall that criticism is too broadly painted.
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