Bilas: College basketball’s officiating problem is getting worse

[SC Official]

Article on ESPN+ this morning. Is anyone a subscriber and able to post the text of the article?

[Raymond]

No, but here is a very short synopsis someone posted on FB.

"Jay Bilas on ESPN this morning, ranting about how there's too much physical contact - illegal contact - being allowed in the NCAA, and mentioned as evidence that the number of fouls called per game is at an all time low.

He doesn't blame the officials, just those who are telling them what to (not) call. "

[JRutledge]

Bilas should just shut up. He does not know what a block or charge is. He never talks about what the rules apply, he just rants about it.

The reason we have fewer fouls is that many things that used to be allowed are not allowed and players are not doing those things or coaches are doing a better job to not have those things called. I hardly get any crap about 10-1-4 fouls from coaches. I do not want to hear from him until he becomes more educated on the issue.

Peace

[crosscountry55]

Yeah, he's a blowhole.

Did he even watch five minutes of the NBA playoffs last year? Not saying the professional and college games are entirely comparable, but to incite that that excess physicality is a feature that is unique to the NCAA game is farcical.

By the way, wasn't this the same guy who complained that there were too many fouls called in the Villanova/Gonzaga championship game a few years back? STFU, Jay....

[justacoach]

Jay Bilas is the current frontrunner for the cherished "Billy Packer" award for the most inane and misguided comments on college officiating.
Bill Walton is the reigning champion in the NBA ranks.

Contrast with Fran Fraschilla, who earns mad props for his rules savvy nearly every game.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by justacoach

Jay Bilas is the current frontrunner for the cherished "Billy Packer" award for the most inane and misguided comments on college officiating.

How do I vote?

I still miss Billy Packer's on-air colleague Al McGuire.

He was born to coach college basketball, and to announce college basketball games.

I remember McGuire announcing the 1979 championship game between Indiana State (Larry Bird) and Michigan State (Magic Johnson).

It was probably my second favorite NCAA final, after 1985 Villanova (Ed Pinckney) and Georgetown (Patrick Ewing).

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by justacoach

Jay Bilas is the current frontrunner for the cherished "Billy Packer" award for the most inane and misguided comments on college officiating.
Bill Walton is the reigning champion in the NBA ranks.

Contrast with Fran Fraschilla, who earns mad props for his rules savvy nearly every game.

Do you hear Walton cover games out west? My God, him and Bilas are about the same. Bilas just has more platforms he uses and Bill can be kind of cooky.

Peace

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Bill can be kind of cooky ...

... as he was with the UCLA Bruins, the Portland Trail Blazers, the Clippers, and my beloved Boston Celtics.

[hoopologist]

We've had Jay on our podcast and in that sense I "know" him and appreciate most of what color he adds to commentary. That said, I blatantly disagree with most of what he believes/says when it comes to fouls especially in the block/charge area.

As a coach (not an official) I see the playing floor as real estate and players are entitled to stake a claim to a part of the real estate ... and what makes basketball not football is that you can't displace an established player from the real estate he's legally claimed. Jay doesn't seem to feel this way - he seems to believe that once you've passed the ball, you may run over whomever you'd like, wherever you'd like. I think that's antithetical to the game.

Walton is another matter - periodically entertaining but I don't find him providing much insight to what's happening or might happen on the court.