Upsets, Upsets, Upsets and some bad calls 3/06/2022

 Wow!  It must be March and the madness has already begun with upset, after upset, after upset.  Teams that ranked high in Gramps Braggin Rights ratings are dropping off the board left and right.  It makes you wonder if the MSHSAA play-off system needs to be revised so that the best basketball is not played in the District semi-final or final game but rather in the final four?

There were some very controversial games too.  I do not have the details, but KC Center lost to Pembroke Hill because of a technical call because a fan ran over the Pembroke Hill bench after Center scored an apparent winning basket with 1.4 seconds left.  One of the Pembroke players actually tried to grab the driving Center player but there was no call.  When I first looked at the video, I thought the official was calling an intentional foul on the Pembroke player which would have waived off the basket, and given Center two free throws and the ball.

And that ref did call a technical, but against Center for the taunting fan.  The three referees huddled to confer and it appeared the official who made the call could not be dissuaded from awarding the technical.  Pembroke made both free throws to win 34-33.  I sent that video to my referee buddy in Maryland, who is in the hospital recovering from a hip replacement-replacement and he sent me this:

The rules on fan behavior and the ability of home game management to control it are not crystal clear.  by rule, "an official may penalize a team for fan behavior that is detrimental to the game but should do so judiciously".

1. in a neutral site game how effective is true game management?

2.  for spectators running on the court during play, shouting obsenities or throwing objects on the court from the stands, the penalty is ejection w a verbal warning via PA system that further violations will result in techs and free throws.

3.  can one be absolutely sure that the fan is a follower of one particular team?

4.  when this call was made, the 3 officials should have come together to discuss this. for me, I would have tried to talk my partner out if this decision.

5. I would have never made this call.
it is harsh and not fair to the teams.
In 35 yrs I never seen this call made or even had to discuss it. the crew failed in regards to this situation.
🏀

I don't know why officials take the game out of the players hands.  In a neutral site, you don't even know if the kid who ran over to taunt the Pembroke bench was from Center, do we?  Even if he had a Center hoodie on, he might be from a different school.  Let the players play.  At that point in the game, a PA announcement would have been the most prudent decision and escort the fan out of the arena.  

There were some other controversial games but I don't have enough specifics to comment on any of them.  I probably don't have all the facts in the Center-Pembroke Hill game either.  It is tough to be too critical of officials because there aren't enough men and women that want to be subjected to our hooting and howling throughout the game.  But sometimes, the refs need to swallow the whistle, as it appeared in this instance.

The top ten has changed dramatically as Cardinal Ritter, as I suggested Friday, upset #1 Westminster Academy 50-48.  It wasn't the only upset but it was a major one that might take Ritter to another state title.  Threepeat.  Father Tolton beat Blair Oaks by three in another thriller so that makes 4 teams of the best teams in my Missouri top 10 that have been eliminated before the final four for their class.

Here's the new rankings, which includes undefeated Mexico in class 4: