News-Record.com

I had a feeling an email like this would be waiting for this morning when I checked my inbox. I was not disappointed.

"Your article neglected to mention the referees and the one-sidedness of their calls. 31 fouls against CU, 14 against UNC. 36 FT attempts for UNC, 7 for clemson. 2 tigers fouled out, many more in foul trouble. Tyler hansbrough can lower his shoulder and charge all night long and they will call nothing but blocking fouls. Clemson did make some mistakes in the last 3 minutes of regulation to blow a 10 point lead, but they were playing against the heels AND the refs all night long."
Believe me Tiger fan, I hear you.

First, let me just say that I've got roughly 630 words or so to capture my thoughts on a game in a game story. And, because we had early deadlines thanks to the wild winds on Sunday, I also had about 20 minutes to write my story. I chose to focus on the last stages of the game. As a consequence, the foul and free throw disparity couldn't be adequately addressed.

Now, having said that, I wouldn't read too much into those numbers. I know on the surface that it looks like Clemson got homered, given the huge difference in fouls and free throw attempts. But watching that game as an objective journalist, I just didn't feel that way. Part of it is an indictment of UNC's early defense. You can't foul someone if you're nowhere near them. Frequently that was the case with the Tar Heels' D. The worst example was when Cliff Hammonds split a double-team about 10 feet above the top of the key. He then dribbled straight down the lane for an uncontested layup. That should never, ever happen.

Also, keep in mind that Clemson was playing a much more aggressive style of defense. That allowed the Tigers to force more turnovers, but it also lead to more fouls.

Does that totally explain the wide gulf in free throws between the two teams? Probably not. Typically, human nature dictates that the home team will get a few calls. And usually the higher-ranked team does as well. That's not saying that there's anything deliberate on the part of the referees. Those are just factors that come into play when trying to make split-second decisions in an extremely physical game with 21,000 loud people watching you very closely.

Here's what Oliver Purnell had to say about it during the ACC teleconference today.

"I would have liked to have gone to the line a little more ...That affects a lot of things that happen in the game."

Asked if he might call the ACC offices to talk about the foul disparity, Purnell was again diplomatic.

"I haven't had a chance to look at the game yet ... My first thought is we weren't physical enough, we didn’t get it inside enough."

Purnell, as usual, took the classy high road. Reading between the lines he sounds like a man who feels his team should have gotten a few more calls but also should have played through that issue. That's what the great teams - like UNC and Duke - are able to do. Yes, sometimes the calls do go against the Tar Heels and the Blue Devils.