You can try and blame the refs...

[VolsLFC]

3 fouls on one possession was odd, yes, and Pat Adams‘s dust up with Barnes was awkward. That said, I get tired of hearing every losing fan base in the history of college basketball immediately blame the refs - that is truly simple minded. It’s cheap and unbecoming, but I guess fans have that luxury. It’s a victim mentality

See I don’t see it as trying to being a victim. I’m just hoping discussions and accountability lead to improvement. If we can’t criticize officials without being labeled a whiner or victim, then I don’t think we will ever see improvement.

I guess we can agree to disagree and Go Vols.

 

[ColinS]

It would have been good to have had Uros last night.

Yep, I have to admit that we have missed him especially against physical inside play. Never thought I would go down that road.

 

[ColinS]

See I don’t see it as trying to being a victim. I’m just hoping discussions and accountability lead to improvement. If we can’t criticize officials without being labeled a whiner or victim, then I don’t think we will ever see improvement.

I guess we can agree to disagree and Go Vols.

Every UT fan noticed the sequence you mentioned but magically had a blind eye to the SC defenders getting fouls called on them during a stretch when they had perfect position on three or four drives. Selective blindness is what that's called.

 

[Col_Cathcart]

It can be both.

It's fair to point out that the officials called the game completely different from the 1st half (10 total fouls) to the 2nd half (24 total fouls).

It's also fair to note that we missed 15 layups and 8 FTs.

It's also fair to note that USCe hit a 10 3s on a night where we couldn't throw it in the ocean.

It's also fair to question Barnes's defensive strategy to with a small defensive lineup down 5 points and gifting points to SC's big man on three straight possessions.

We failed in a lot of aspects with our play and coaching, but we also got hosed by Pat and the boys in the 2nd half.

On the highlighted point, that strategy might have worked better had the refs decided not to call consecutive fouls on Mashack for standing still.

 

[TNVOLFN]

See I don’t see it as trying to being a victim. I’m just hoping discussions and accountability lead to improvement. If we can’t criticize officials without being labeled a whiner or victim, then I don’t think we will ever see improvement.

I guess we can agree to disagree and Go Vols.

We both agreed the Vols were ultimately responsible for the loss.

Anyway, I’m definitely not a referee apologist and I’m a tremendous supporter of Coach Barnes.

With that said, I worked with a guy who officiated Sun Belt and some other lower level college basketball games. They go through a rigorous process and review film and fill out reports at much as players and coaches. They’re graded and evaluated. They have an incentive to do well and grade well because that leads to better assignments and, hopefully, they do well enough to earn a NCAA Tournament assignment.

Do they foul up and suck at times? Absolutely and I think Pat Adams was out of line on that possession of three foul calls, especially how he approached Coach Barnes, but I don’t think there’s a conspiracy to screw a team on any given night.

 

[cncchris33]

On the highlighted point, that strategy might have worked better had the refs decided not to call consecutive fouls on Mashack for standing still.

While true, there's also a good chance they look elsewhere for points if Aidoo or Awaka are guarding him. Or perhaps they manage to hold him off his spot and force a poorer attempt. It just felt like lunch money asking JJJ and Mashack to guard him.

 

[Col_Cathcart]

While true, there's also a good chance they look elsewhere for points if Aidoo or Awaka are guarding him. Or perhaps they manage to hold him off his spot and force a poorer attempt. It just felt like lunch money asking JJJ and Mashack to guard him.

I don’t totally disagree, but I would have liked to have seen him actually have to attempt a shot. He’s hefty, but not super tall so there’s a chance they could have bothered his shot. That sequence was super frustrating all the way around

 

[cncchris33]

I don’t totally disagree, but I would have liked to have seen him actually have to attempt a shot. He’s hefty, but not super tall so there’s a chance they could have bothered his shot. That sequence was super frustrating all the way around

Same. I discussed Mashack's defense on thise two possessions in another post, but in short, he defended the exact way the rules ask him to, and both times he was whistled for doing it. Just bad.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

The practice of a player lowering his shoulder to keep pushing a defender backwards has completely gotten out of hand. The defender is allowed his space and any physical activity to dislodge him from that space is an offensive foul. This needs to be corrected by all the officiating at all levels.

The interpretation of charging has all but but removed offensive fouls this year. So the USCjr coach smartly exploited that and had his big butt kid repeatedly bump TN’s smaller defenders out of his way until he was under the basket and could flip in easy baskets.

Taking out charges made the game safer for players, but has made the game uglier and less entertaining.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

Bellyaching about the refs is weak minded. They beat us, straight, in damn near every stat that matters. We shot a higher FG %, but that’s only because DK made a few toward the end. THIS is exactly how we’ll get beat in March, 2 points from JJJ and 2 points from Ziegler, and 8 points off the bench, absolutely terrible.

Stating facts is not weak minded. However, I agree we lost the game because of lack of offense production by our entire team. DK had an unexpected shooting first half and at the free throw line. To his credit, he was the only player who was on the floor after the game shooting free throws . One would think that some of the other players would put in some extra time in the by honing their skills.

 

[gamecockfan19]

Prediction: you’ll go ice cold at UGA on Saturday and lose an ugly one. And then you’ll be #26 in the rankings again

Just back to say that we won by 10 at UGA