Does anybody want to start venturing guesses as to who the NCAA will assign to work this year's Final Four games.

I'm pretty sure this isn't my year

FINAL FOUR REFS
 

I would say Donnee Gray & Reggie Greenwood would be in the mix. I am not sure about the others.

I am sure it is not my year as well.

I won't be there either, but I'm rooting for Reggie Greenwood. I met him at camp this past summer and he's a great guy. I hope he gets it.

Chuck

I thought I caught Scott Thornley on TV this weekend or last weekend...he's done a few Final Fours, and a few Championship games.

And I recall he agreed with me on "the big throw-in debate".

:)

I said he was a good guy. I didn't say he was perfect! :D

Hear, hear!

The most fun ref I have ever worked with - and a good one, too.

I want the members of this board to be the first to know that I will be officiating all 3 games of this year's Final Four. I've got my slacks pressed, shirt washed, shoes polished, whistle disinfected, recliner reclined and cooler stocked in order to officiate from the comfort of my own home.

Wish me luck!

well...
 

You can pretty much guarantee Dave Libbey will be there...I think it would be his 9th Final Four

Hmmm,
 

I turned back the assignment myself, I am going to watch Padgett work AAU ball instead.

Tee

While I won't argue against Libbey, they usually one have one guy from out on the west coast, or so it seems. However, fellow Pac-10 official Bruce Hicks also had a region final, so he may get the nod this year.

This may have nothing to do with it, but you never know: Hicks also has two sons over in the Persian Gulf somewhere fighting for America.

Others to look for: Jim Burr, Tim Higgins, Scott Thornley, Tony Greene, Steve Welmer, Ted Hillary.

I'm a big fan of how Steve Welmer controls and calls the game. But I did not see him officiate this weekend for the Elite Eight. Did anyone see him do a Sweet 16 game? Does anyone think the NCAA tries to prove a point because he works so many games in the regular season?

MJ

The Officials or the Game
 

I'm a Rookie Official.


How do you guys watch the officiating and not watch the game?? When I'm watching a game I will concentrate on the refs and miss the game or watch the Game and miss the officiating. Its hard to see a game thats officated well when you are not officiating.


How do you do it????

Re: The Officials or the Game
 

Really easy. The camera is not fixated on the officials. You watch them much like you watch play when you are on the court. Part of being a good officials is to watch things out of the corner of your eye or in your periphery vision. And when the whistle blows, all eyes are on the officials anyway. Part of watching the officials comes with the more experience you get actually officiating.

Peace

Since I hear Marquette is going to be allowed to play with six players during the final four, may I nominate Mike Kitts!

I'll be rooting for Dick Cartmel...he did the Final Four last year. Dick is from our association here in Tri-Cities, Washington...so I gotta root for the homeboy.

Actually, I'm not sure how far he has gotten. Dick started out this year in Salt Lake City...and I haven't seen him since.

Another favorite of mine is Dave Libby...he put on a great camp I attended a few years back up in Bellingham, WA.

RD

I've heard rumors that Dave will be the alternate official.

Padgett's Dave, that is.

Here are my guesses for officiating crews for this Final Four. We will see what happens this weekend.
Kansas/Marquette
R= Gerald Beaudroux
U1= Ted Hillary
U2= Tony Greene

Syracuse/Texas
R= Jim Burr
U1= Dick Cartmell
U2= Tim Higgins

National Championship
R= Scott Thornley
U1= David Libbey
U2= Ed Hightower

Maybe we should start a "predict the officials" pool! :)

Oh BTW, if Syracuse wins the title, a certain "howler monkey" will have outdone a whole herd of zebras in the ESPN pool! :D

Won't count.

I would be surprised if John Cahill, Jim Burr, or Tim Higgins would work a semifinal involving Syracuse, considering they work many games in the Big East each year. To get the final is one thing, but when there is another possible option, like the other semifinal, I would think the committee would try to make things as "unbiased" as possible, so to speak.

2003 Final Four officials confirmed
 

Just recieved this information from another officiating site. Here are the officiating crews for this weekend's Final Four.

Semi-final #1
R= Karl Hess
U1= Mike Kitts
U2= Tom Lopes

Semi-final #2
R= Larry Rose
U1= Dave Libbey
U2= Donnee Grey

National Championship
R= Reggie Cofer
U1= Gerald Beaudroux
U2= Dick Cartmell

...and let the bashing from NevadaRef commence...

Do you know who will officiate at the Women's Final Four in Atlanta? Just curious. Thanks.

Re: The Officials or the Game
 

You learn this trick with the help of the VCR. Tape a game off television. Watch a play, then watch it again, then watch it again. Each time watch from a different point of view. In this way, you discipline your eyes to obey your brain which is consciously choosing what is the most importatnt thing to see. Try to see things out of the corner of your eye. It's harder on TV because some things aren't on screen, but you can get the hang of it after while.

This is also a great way to learn to watch off ball. Choose a play where the foul is called off-ball. It's SO hard at first to look away, but it gets easier. When you've seen a play on ball two or three tiems, you can finally "afford" to look off ball. You can learn this skill off-season, which speeds up your advancement a little bit.

Don't know for sure, but you can just about bank on these names to be somwhere.. (Women's Final 4)

Lisa Mattingly
Brian Enterline
Scott Yarborough
Melissa Barlow
June Corteau
Wesley Dean
Bob Trammell
Sally Bell

I also wouldn't be surprised to see Dee Kantner.

Re: Re: The Officials or the Game
 

Great tip - I'll have to try it at some point.


Sometimes, though, I feel like I'm at the opposite extreme - during a game that I'm timing/scoring, I have to force myself to look on ball. Has anyone else noticed this happening to them when watching a game?

Re: Re: Re: The Officials or the Game
 

Yeah, all the time.
Sitting in a group watching a game.
The fans groan.
I react with, "Huh?!!?!!"

Thanks for the inside info, DrakeM. Hope you're right because 4 of those names are on my personal Wish List for the tournament.

Let's just say that I am hoping that the alternate official gets to work in the first semi-final.

2003 Final Four officials confirmed
 

How much of this is accurate? I did not see who the officicals were for the first game, but the second game seemd on the money.

Peace

Re: 2003 Final Four officials confirmed
 

First game is correct.

I did not see them list or announce the officials' names for the second game, but they did for the first game and sandlin was correct.
Now I have three questions:
1. Where did you get your information?
2. Who is the alternate official?

3. Should they have let Marquette play with six afterall?

Who was the official.....
 

that made the call on the dunk/charge call? This was the black official that had a full head of hair. Does anyone know his name?

Peace

Rut--> It was Donnee Grey, the same one who signaled travel on the OOB play.