Speaking of investigations ...
... apparently many out there - including some folks at ESPN - want to once again look into the theory that "Duke gets all the calls." Certainly the suspension of the officiating crew that did the Duke-FSU game will fuel that fire.
Gregg Doyel at CBS Sportsline weighs in with his opinion - K's intimidating officials. (sixth item down).
Meanwhile, Al Featherson, formerly of the Durham Herald-Sun, provides a lengthy counter-argument to the "refs favor Duke" folks. Featherson says his research shows that in the ACC, home teams get the calls and good teams get the calls. No conspiracies here.
Full disclosure (not that it necessarily affects either man's point of view). Doyel once wrote a book on Duke which K did not cooperate on and which K allegedly discouraged others from cooperating with Doyel. Featherston is a Duke grad.
Just so you know all the background.
Comments (2)
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I watched the Duke-FSU game and the Duke-BC game this season. The one thing I noticed is that by the end of the game the fouls are about even.
I think that referees being human, look at the totals at halftime, and then try hard to even it up by the games end.
The problem I have with how Duke games (and to some extent UNC games at home) are called is what is not called.
Now I only played up through high school, but I was always taught that when you trap up by the halfcourt corner you should get in close, and stay vertical.
With both Duke and UNC, you see a lot of hands straight up but everything below the chest line is being driven into the player with the ball (knees, hips, etc, etc.).
When UNCG played at Cameron last year, I noticed how many turnovers (a lot mind you) resulted in the UNCG guards laying on the scorers table (or on the floor) after the ball was picked up and then flushed. All of that body contact shouldn't be legal.
I also notice a lot of grabbing and pulling in the Duke-FSU and Duke-BC games. The FSU and BC guys were whistled for those infractions at what seemed to be a higher rate that the Duke guys.
And finally, Duke was 27-28 from the line against UNCG this season, and the Spartans were 14-19. Not bad for a game in which Duke was so much better and quicker than their opponent.
But against FSU Duke took 43 attempts to FSU's 11; against BC Duke gets 37 and BC gets 13 at BC's house???????
It just really, really seems like a disparity to me, that a team that shoots the three as much as Duke does, can get to the line nearly 4 times more than their highly skilled and in BC's case, nationally ranked opponents.
The same applies to UNC at home. I think the refs EXPECT a certain level of play out of those two teams because they have on one level or another demonstrated it over the years.
Maybe the play of Hurley, Laetner, Boozer, May, Felton, etc. etc. helping to cover for the short comings of Williams, Hansbrough, et. al in the minds of the refs? Possibly, but I'm not really sure either to be honest.
Posted on February 7, 2006 1:18 PM
Coach K's mentor was the General himself, Bobby Knight, who still has a knack for intimidating referrees, but was exceptionally adept at it while coaching at Indiana.
Coach K learned from one of the best.
Gonna watch them tonight play Wisconsin. Too bad the General ain't gonna be there to win one again for the Hoosiers.
Posted on February 8, 2006 6:47 PM