Men's Championship Game, v2

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

Starting up a new one....

As a graduate of Memphis (when it was Memphis State), I think the officials did a fantastic job. There were certainly judgement calls that could have been different...but no more in favor of one than the other. I do think there was a bit of showmanship going on in the officiating (mostly Hightower)....but not in a way that changed the game...only in drawing attention to themselves. I don't like it but it doesn't mean he's not a good official.

Memphis had the game won with 2-3 minutes left in regulation. But, the reason Memphis lost was three basic items:

1. Missed FTs in the last couple of minutes of regulation
2. Sloppy handling of the ball that lead to KU steals
3. Dorcy playing aggressive defense on the sideline when he had 4 fouls

Up 3 with seconds to go, Memphis should have fouled a KU player before they got to a shooting position...send them to the line for 1+1 (or 2) instead of a chance for 3.

The thing is, Hightower always looks like he did last night.

That said, I listed all the Final Fours he's worked since 1988. I see guys in my state working 5, 6, 7 state tournaments, and I wonder....

Do the national/state assignors not realize how important it is to a lot of us to one day reach the summit of our avocation? We work hard, go to camps, try to do the right things, and then those assignors make easy, predictable, even lazy choices instead of working harder to identify those people who haven't been there who will come in and do a fantastic job.

While I'm happy for Hightower and the guys that made it, there are a dozen others who would do just a good a job and haven't gotten the chance because Hightower has been there 10-15 times.

If I was ever made king and got to assign state tournaments, you would get to go once and once only until everyone I deemed qualified had gone once. Which means, in all reality, you wouldn't get another one for 10-15 years. But more people would be able to share in the experience. The only people that would hate this are the ones who are currently in favor and going 2 out of every 3 years.