My thoughts are that the game was great! But, there were a couple of illegal screens toward the end of the game. But, I am on the couch and they are in the game!

I thought that May got away with a PC early. I also thought that May got away with at least one travel. On the one travel, with which my friends and I watched in slo-mo on TiVo, it appears that he travelled before he was fouled. Also, the guy that fouled out (name?) well, on his 4th you could have given the foul to either one of two guys. Since I felt that one of his earlier fouls was weak, I'd had given the 4th foul to the other guy.

What did you think of the screens that Illinois was setting?

Screens
 

I noticed those illegal screens as well. At least 3 on the last 3 or 4 possessions. I was rooting for those shots not to go in for the sake of the officials. You certainly don't want to nickel dime down the stretch, but at least 2 of them were bad. #50 both times.

I agree, Maye got away with a big travel in the second half. But it did look like he got bumped a little. That PC was kind of close though, look like more of a flop from the defender.

Near the end, most of them were illegal!

Maybe this is a new thread, but y'all bring up a great point. My guess is Illinois was setting those screens all game, and weren't called. So, I'm surmising you don't want to call them at the end of the game either. And if you call them early, you'll hear "Let them play...ticky-tack foul...the referees are deciding the game" and all that crap. How do you handle that? I've always been of the philosophy, if you call it early, then it isn't a surprise when you call it late. Of course, I've never refereed a national championship game either.

Good point, but what about the ticky-tack fouls on Illinois center that caused him to foul out. The last foul he got actually was on the guy to the left of him.

When coaches or fans make those statements it makes my skin crawl. Here's the deal; if the players don't do it, we won't call it.....k?.....deal? The players are making a decision when they commit the act that causes us to hit the whistle. I really don't understand how that is the referees deciding the game.

Actually, there was 3 guys around him and any one of them could had been tagged but Augustine seemed to have gotten his hack in there. I know because B. Packer said he didn't move his feet.

I thought the no-call by Cahill in the 1st half on the potential PC foul by May was great. Defender obviously starting diving before any contact. Get up!


My favorite Packer quote from the night: "They haven't called moving screens yet, so they may as well keep setting them."

Inadvertently he made it sound like he knew the rule, but it was obvious that he didn't know moving screens are legal, as long as there is no contact.

I thought the game was very well called and controlled the whole way through. I thought Cahill and Corbett showed great respect and restraint towards Illinois's coache Bruce Webber.

He kept coming onto the floor constantly. Yes, most of the time he was coaching his players, but there were a couple of times he was making a point to come on the floor when Cahill or Corbett were right in front of him.

The 5th foul on the Illinois center was a foul. Why he was in there at that point in the game was beyond me. That player was in the wrong place at the wrong time most of the night.

Just my opinion from watching the game.

I agree. I thought they were consistent throughout and gave Weber plenty of room.

The 5th on Augustine was a good call. And I have to agree with Packer, he had no business in the game when he picked up his 3rd and 4th. May wasn't even in the game. But those fouls were consistent with the way the entire game was called.

I found the body language of the officials confident, yet relaxed, and routine, yet attentive.
mick

Wrong, the last foul was in the post and nobody else was close.