But apparently that was the whole problem here. For some reason, they thought the game was over when it wasn't. Making one of the calls in this play, then finding out it was after the buzzer, would have been infinitely better than what actually happened.

Because I believe the new lead (after the turnover) would have the best view of when the dribble ended as opposed to the center who wouldn't have a clear view of the gather because the player gathered it on the side furthest from him. This is a call the new L and even the new T should have made.

+1...Nice!

If you but a different face and name on Tim Higgins right now and had him go to camp nobody would hire him. It is so hard for guys to say goodbye especially with the money out there...this is a tough call for the assigner to let veteran (Final Four) officials go.

This really can't be argued imo also. They screwed up and that fact won't change. They also deserve the flak they're getting for their officiating mistake. What they don't deserve is the personal crap some people are throwing at them. Saying their careers should be over for something like this is just plain ridiculous imo, especially when it comes from so-called fellow officials who have never worked on a stage like that.

Officials are human, not machines.

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In 3-person that sideline belongs to the trail. Since it's in transition should the lead help? Of course.

Walton had the clock, though. He could've called a travel and he should've known there was time left.

Incorrect. On the prior FT Higgins is the L Burr is the T and Walton is the C. So on the ensuing throw in Burr is new L and Higgins is administering the throw in as the T. When posession changes (when the St. Johns player makes the steal) Now Higgins becomes the new L and Burr is the new T.

The problem might have been (no way to know for sure, of course) that the person who was in the best position to see the OOB was the new L (Higgins - he was right on the sideline with the play coming toward him) but as we all know that's not his line, but if you look at the replay that is from behind the basket the new T (Burr) is (for some reason) coming up the floor from the middle of the paint. He isn't in a good position to see his line.

I think this COULD be a case where in transition everyone needs to expand their coverage areas and cover each others backs to make sure that the crew gets the call right. Of course there's no way to know if this is truly what happened, but I could see this being the case.

Just my $.02

Point of edification here, for me and I know we have discussed it BUT: When you have the "clock" at the end of a game, do you blow your whistle when time expires/horn sounds/LED light is shown? Early in my career I was told to always hit your whistle to signal the end of the game rather than just have to horn sound. Do you think that would have helped in this case? I did not see the "C" make any signal when the game was over. Since the "official" criticism was they stopped officiating a signal here would have helped abate that criticism. IMO, I would have liked to have seen the "C" come across with SOMETHING, either waving the game over, a travel or at very least an innocuous raised hand. Again, IMO, it looked like he THOUGHT something funky had happened but didn't know what and at least this would have given them a chance to huddle and sort things out before they left. Just pondering.

Because of this:

+1 I was wondering if it was a new mechanic thing. It looked like he went to the middle of the lane to get a good angle to officiate the long throw. But IMO, he would have had a better angle FT line extended. It would have given him a great look had there been a drive to the basket, would have given him great position to see if there was a foul (which I don't think there was) and put him in PRIMO position for the end of the game kerfluffel.

Totally agree.

I wonder if Higgins swallowed his whistle because it techincally isn't his call?

I hope that's not the case, but it might be.

Upon further review, you're completely right and I had 'em reversed.

Maybe Jeff was right. All those tubby white guys do look alike. :D

Yes. We always, ALWAYS have a whistle and either a stop-clock signal (if there's no shot) or a wave off if there is and it's too late. Obviously, if a shot's off in time, we have nothing until the shot either scores or doesn't (and if it doesn't we THEN blow a whistle).

I've noticed that NCAAM officials don't use their whistles as often as the NCAAW (or NFHS officials that I work with) do. Subs, for example, frequently come in without a whistle in NCAAM games that I see and I *always* whistle subs in and so do my partners.

I thought maybe you were deleting old posts to keep yourself at 19999. :D

It very well could be a PCA issue. Both new L and new T certainly had a clear view in periphery of the LED. "Be late, be needed & be right" probably should have been employed here. "Thanks for saving my butt" is a phrase I have used on occasion when someone has gotten something in my PCA because I was either straight-lined or out of position.

If any of you guys know much about Sir Alex Ferguson, then you can imagine that the supervisor might just have employed the "hair dryer treatment" in the post-game.

Just re-watched. New L looks straight-lined by SJ player AND THE COACH WHO WAS WAY OUT OF HIS BOX. Plus, a Rutgers player may have been obstructing a clear view. There must be some other views that are not on the video because I cannot see the new T anywhere. Or even the end line.