Good for Teddy. I, for one, am glad to see him back in the Final Four for the first time since doing the final in 1997, which was also in Indianapolis.

Did I see on a previous post that anyone who advances from last weekend advances with his crew? Would I be safe in assuming that Hess and Kersey are going with him?

Care to identify your source?

a guy i officiate w/ is tight w/ ted...he was informed yesterday of his semi...

Officials do not advance to the Final Four based on crews; they are individually selected and assigned. If Valentine is working, you cannot assume his partners from last weekend are going as well.

Based on tonights NIT semi's from Madison Square Garden - we now know that Bob Donato, Pat Driscoll, Tom O'Neill, and Reggie Greenwood will not be working in Indy this weekend......they are working the NIT semi's tonight.

Add Tom Lopes to that list too.....

Would this be the first time Hightower and Valentine worked together since the Bobby Knight incident? How about that for a story line...

Very true. The NCAA has the following in its handbook:
"For the Final Four, each official will agree to not accept any offciating assignment within five days of the national semifinals for reasons of health and safety."

Interesting. Not sure.

Looks like I was wrong about Valentine for the final, but I had a strong hunch he would be back at the FF this year. He's earned his way back.

Teddy V.
 

Guess he bounced back well after his crew's early season mistake in BGSU/VA Tech game. Goes to show you that one missed call shouldn't ruin your entire season.:)

Maxwell is in. He may be the alternate.

Don't forget Randy McCall and Tom Lopes...They both worked last night as well.

From what I have heard from a buddy who is tight with John, Higgins is out. Curtis Shaw is in. Not sure which game.

OK - so we know Tom Lopes, Bob Donato, Pat Driscoll, Tom O'Neill, Reggie Greenwood, Randy McCall, and (according to JeffRobinson) John Higgins are out. Not sure who is working NIT conso. and champ. games Thr. night (they would be out as well).

That leaves: (with my guesses)

Bruce Hicks- YES
David Hall - YES
Jim Burr
Bryan Kersey
Karl Hess
Ted Valentine - YES
Gary Maxwell - YES alternate
Mike Sanzere
Curtis Shaw - YES
Gerry Pollard
Verne Harris - YES
J.D. Collins- YES (alternate 2yrs ago)
Hal Lusk
John Hughes
Ray Perone
David Libbey
Joseph Lindsey
Steve Skiles (crew had rough Wash v UConn game)
Patrick Adams (crew had rough Wash v UConn game)
Dick Cartmell (work champ game in 02,03,04 - too many)
Terry Wymer (just getting feet wet - maybe next yr)
John Cahill - YES
Tim Higgins
Scott Thornley - YES
Tony Greene
Zelton D. Steed
Ed Corbett - YES
Ed Hightower (made nearly every call in FL vs Nova)

jeff,

I'm with you on most of your picks and your reasonings, but not with Harris and Collins...I think that both are tremendous officials (obviously), but I would put Harris and Collins in the same list as Skiles and Adams in that they did not have a great game in the last round imo.

Harris, Collins, and Lusk missed some big calls at the end of the Nova/BC game and I think that will cost them. I still can't believe the travel call on Williams, and I have never, nor will I ever root for BC.

I really think that Tim Higgins will be back this year. He was last there in 2004 and my guess is that he might even get the championship game this year. Just a guess though.

I thought J.D. had a very good game. As for the Verne Harris travel call - I didn't have as much problem with it as you and others did. It certainly occurred during a stretch of several calls going against BC. One travel call made/missed is not going to keep someone out of the Final Four - IMO.

By the way, do you remember the travel call against 'Nova a year ago in the UNC game. People were evenly split on that call then. Interesting how "karma" works...