as I posted earlier there is past practice of a small number of officials advancing to the 2nd weekend after only working the first round. Good for Mike Kitts, maybe he responded with a good first round game, but I still say that those veteran officials only getting a first round game is a big message from Adams.

His first round game was the double OT game between Ohio State and Sienna. I wondered if that was any factor in not working the second round, but from the discussion here, it seems that second round assigments are already made prior to first round games even being played.

I would think that for each round of the tournament you would want your best officials working. If someone can be selected to work the second weekend, but not in the second round, doesn't that imply that the best aren't necessarily working the second round?

I watched Valentine in person last night in Glendale in the Mizzou Memphis. Very solid game. Tough game, too. Both teams were essentially driving in the paint all game long. There were two technicals, and they needed two video reviews. I think Valentine may have had 5 of the first 6 calls of the game -- five fouls and a violation. Very demonstrative to start, but then he settled down. I think those guys were probably a bit winded by the second half. That game needed an athletic crew. I bet there were 80 free throws shot in that game.

Interesting watching games in a football stadium. They have massive screens. It looked like right before Calipari got whacked in the second half, he said, "fu*k you, I don't care if you throw me out. Fu*k you." I was surprised he got the second one out.

The crew before them in the CT/Purdue game didn't have the best night. Solid, but they kicked a few. Calling a game in an environment where there is a 200 foot screen showing replays of BI call seems like a pretty tough gig.

EDIT: Sorry -- this was meant as a response to the Valentine post above, which I neglected to quote.

Or it could mean that someone who worked only a 1st round game had an excellent game.

Who called the T on Calipari?

So no Jim Burr nor Ed Hightower past the 1st weekend.

Any other big dawgs who didn't advance that usually do?

Dave Libbey and Tim Higgins.