2015 Big Sky Tourney Thread

[mt jack]

That was a tough ending. NAU played tough. UM played tough. Both teams played well enough to win.

Home teams are always going to the get a bit more benefit of the doubt on calls. That just seems to be how the human element of refereeing plays out.

I guess I don't understand why players/fans coming out on the court is a punishable rule (technical foul) but it is only enforced when it affects the flow of the game? It's one thing to have a coach step their foot across the line next to the bench but it's another to have a player on the bench run out on the middle of the court when the ball is going to be inbounded and the refs just shrug their shoulders at it.

But I'm still not as irritated as when UNC shot 35 free throws vs. NAU in the 2011 semifinals in Greeley.

There are at least 3 video versions of the end of the game "festivities" last night from Dahlberg out there. I'll post links later.

Coach Murphy (NAU) crossed the line by getting in Coach Decuire's (UM) face at the end but it didn't look like it came to blows. I'm sure Murphy will be reprimanded by the league. I just hope that it doesn't effect NAU's chance at a CBI/CIT tourney bid. I'm kind of excited because this certainly amps up the rivalry between UM and NAU. For all the fans out there berating Big Sky schools and teams for their apathy... this can't be said for NAU's head coach. He cares so much he momentarily lost his mind.

I'll watch the BSC final tonight because I'm a masochist. I don't think the Griz can count of 3 straight nights of beneficial end of the game calls to win this, though. Their offense is going to have to be better. My money's on EWU to represent the Big Sky in the tourney. UM to the NIT. NAU and Sacramento State get CIT/CBI bids.

-MTJack

 

[SDHornet]

Everyone relax, it's all good:

"After a score by Montana to take the lead in the second half, we noticed a bench personnel from Montana come onto the floor to celebrate with .4 left on the game clock. We stopped play and proceeded to the court side monitor to confirm time left on the game clock. Given that the premature celebration did not prevent the ball from being put in play, nor did it interfere in any other way, we resumed play pursuant to rule 10-2.8.d and Case Book A.R. 270."

Marla Denham
Coordinator of Officials

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSSytvWuFqI#t=59" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[n.ogdencat]

Everyone relax, it's all good:

"After a score by Montana to take the lead in the second half, we noticed a bench personnel from Montana come onto the floor to celebrate with .4 left on the game clock. We stopped play and proceeded to the court side monitor to confirm time left on the game clock. Given that the premature celebration did not prevent the ball from being put in play, nor did it interfere in any other way, we resumed play pursuant to rule 10-2.8.d and Case Book A.R. 270."

Marla Denham
Coordinator of Officials

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSSytvWuFqI#t=59" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Pursuant to rule 10-2.9a. A Montana player may pull a shiv and stab an opposing player as long as stabbed player falls down unexpectedly. Ref will allow Montana coach to slander opposing players and coach after said event and award Montana with as many free throws that will allow Montana to tie the game or take the lead.

Marla

 

[oldrunner]

Marla, those officials, and the BSC will receive a reprimand from the NCAA. It won't be public and nobody will lose their job. The NCAA is a paper tiger and wants no part of administering officials. It would be a huge job and the big boys want the loyalty of 'THEIR' officials. They don't want any loyalty to a central authority. That would take away their unfair advantage.

Now that we know that we have officials willing and ready to cheat for a chosen team and that Marla and the BSC will back them up, I think we can demand it in all of the OOC games that BSC refs officiate in. They should also be required to tell us who they are going to insure a win for. We all need to know who not to bet against. It would be helpful, not required, that they tell us what the approximate point spread might be. We all want to make the same money they make on our bets. :nod: :nod:

 

[wsucatfan]

EWU 69 UM 65

 

[hawkssb04]

God it feels good watching another team celebrate on Montana's floor, even if it is EWU.

 

[Potomac Griz1]

Holy shit you guys have gone full blown Sac State announcer level conspiracy theory in this thread...

You realize what ya all are saying is pretty much exactly what Sac State's announcer says about Weber too right? :roll:

So...remove the tinfoil hats for a minute, set aside your hatred for the Griz and take a look at these:

Here is one good example of fans rushing the court (plus hanging on the rim) that didn't result in a T.

Here is another example.

In all the college basketball I've watched over the years (which is a LOT) I've never seen it result in a technical foul. It didn't happen while the ball was in play, the refs got it under control, and the game resumed. So no T. Just like in all the other cases. Now had NAU passed the ball in before the refs blew the whistle to check on how much time was going to be on the clock then yeah...a T might have been assessed.

Anyone who doubts that it happens often can just google it. There are tons of examples. Those two above examples seemed like pretty big ones since there were people taking selfies on the court with players and stuff, not just a couple people running on, realizing "OH SHIT" then running off.

I'm sure there are some examples where it has resulted in a T at the college level, but I'm guessing most, if not all of those examples would be people rushing while the ball was in play.

As for the foul on Gregory at the end of the game against you guys. I initially took your word for it that it was a flop. Now that the game is up on BigSkyTV you can replay it if you like and see that he did in fact get hit by Bolomboy pretty damn hard. Here is a video grab of it. Looks like it wasn't Bolomboy's fault really though. He tripped over another Weber player going for the ball. Anyway, even the announcers talked about how there was "A lot of contact there" with 225lbs falling into Gregory. Or were the announcers in on the conspiracy too?

Seriously guys...you are one of the few BB programs in this conference that is almost always very good & has a forum that has a lot of interesting discussion. Don't turn into conspiracy nuts & go down the road of Sac State now after one rough season!

 

[Itiger]

Holy shit you guys have gone full blown Sac State announcer level conspiracy theory in this thread...

You realize what ya all are saying is pretty much exactly what Sac State's announcer says about Weber too right? :roll:

So...remove the tinfoil hats for a minute, set aside your hatred for the Griz and take a look at these:

Here is one good example of fans rushing the court (plus hanging on the rim) that didn't result in a T.

Here is another example.

In all the college basketball I've watched over the years (which is a LOT) I've never seen it result in a technical foul. It didn't happen while the ball was in play, the refs got it under control, and the game resumed. So no T. Just like in all the other cases. Now had NAU passed the ball in before the refs blew the whistle to check on how much time was going to be on the clock then yeah...a T might have been assessed.

Anyone who doubts that it happens often can just google it. There are tons of examples. Those two above examples seemed like pretty big ones since there were people taking selfies on the court with players and stuff, not just a couple people running on, realizing "OH SHIT" then running off.

I'm sure there are some examples where it has resulted in a T at the college level, but I'm guessing most, if not all of those examples would be people rushing while the ball was in play.

As for the foul on Gregory at the end of the game against you guys. I initially took your word for it that it was a flop. Now that the game is up on BigSkyTV you can replay it if you like and see that he did in fact get hit by Bolomboy pretty damn hard. Here is a video grab of it. Looks like it wasn't Bolomboy's fault really though. He tripped over another Weber player going for the ball. Anyway, even the announcers talked about how there was "A lot of contact there" with 225lbs falling into Gregory. Or were the announcers in on the conspiracy too?

Seriously guys...you are one of the few BB programs in this conference that is almost always very good & has a forum that has a lot of interesting discussion. Don't turn into conspiracy nuts & go down the road of Sac State now after one rough season!

Good post! Hard to believe some of this stuff! :wtf:

 

[n.ogdencat]

Now that I have removed my tin foil hat. I can see clearer again. Solid tournament! Every game was a battle and fun to watch. The folks in Missoula were definitely lucky to be treated to three competitive and fun days of basketball. The final game was against the two top teams in the league and ended up being quite the battle. Both deserve to keep playing along with both NAU and Sac (probably CIT or CBI). I hope they all represent the conference well and mix it up a bit in their respective tournaments. Prove that the Sky is a lot tougher conference than what it is being made out to be. Sky teams play most of their OOC games away and are hugely punished in RPI for that, which is absolute garbage. But until the NCAA makes some changes and mandates schools to play a number of games away from home arenas the current, unfair and biased, setup will continue (TCU had a top 25 ranking after the OOC, go check out that schedule...ugh!).

A number of players are ending their careers, and truly, it'll be sad to see them go. So, I hope they can continue to survive and advance and go as far as they can! Good luck Hornets, Jacks, Griz, and Eagles!! I'm pulling for you all to win!

On a side note...the past three days are a great example as to why the tournament set up should not change. The best teams should always represent the conference at the next level. To ensure that and to make the regar season worth while, the regular season champ should always host. Each of the top schools were prepared and excited for the chance. It made the final weeks of the season really exciting and competitive. Not knowing till the end makes the conference season that much more competitive and fun. Keep it how it is! If it isn't broken don't fix it.

 

[sapokama]

Holy shit you guys have gone full blown Sac State announcer level conspiracy theory in this thread...

You realize what ya all are saying is pretty much exactly what Sac State's announcer says about Weber too right? :roll:

So...remove the tinfoil hats for a minute, set aside your hatred for the Griz and take a look at these:

Here is one good example of fans rushing the court (plus hanging on the rim) that didn't result in a T.

Here is another example.

In all the college basketball I've watched over the years (which is a LOT) I've never seen it result in a technical foul. It didn't happen while the ball was in play, the refs got it under control, and the game resumed. So no T. Just like in all the other cases. Now had NAU passed the ball in before the refs blew the whistle to check on how much time was going to be on the clock then yeah...a T might have been assessed.

Anyone who doubts that it happens often can just google it. There are tons of examples. Those two above examples seemed like pretty big ones since there were people taking selfies on the court with players and stuff, not just a couple people running on, realizing "OH SHIT" then running off.

I'm sure there are some examples where it has resulted in a T at the college level, but I'm guessing most, if not all of those examples would be people rushing while the ball was in play.

As for the foul on Gregory at the end of the game against you guys. I initially took your word for it that it was a flop. Now that the game is up on BigSkyTV you can replay it if you like and see that he did in fact get hit by Bolomboy pretty damn hard. Here is a video grab of it. Looks like it wasn't Bolomboy's fault really though. He tripped over another Weber player going for the ball. Anyway, even the announcers talked about how there was "A lot of contact there" with 225lbs falling into Gregory. Or were the announcers in on the conspiracy too?

Seriously guys...you are one of the few BB programs in this conference that is almost always very good & has a forum that has a lot of interesting discussion. Don't turn into conspiracy nuts & go down the road of Sac State now after one rough season!

Come on now, there is only one sacstateman on this board. The rest of us are mostly sane, rational albeit passionate people. We don't believe in any conspiracy, just that your home court is loud and intimidating, so calls often go your way (especially with the inexperienced refs that we often see in this league). Same thing happens at the Dee. I think that the big sky fans (outside of u of Montana fans) got a little frustrated seeing two game altering calls within the last 5 seconds of the game go Montana's way two nights in a row. By the letter of the law, that should have been a tech on Montana in the NAU game. No question. By the letter of the law, Bolomboy did foul Gregory (I agree that was certainly not a flop), but if you watch a lot of college basketball, you also know that a foul is rarely called on a scramble for a loose ball in the last 5 seconds of a game. More contact is usually allowed at that moment. Both calls went the Grizz way and both were controversial calls, so it's okay for us to be frustrated. If they had gone the wrong way for the Grizz, you would ne frustrated also.

Regardless, Montana had a great year and I hope your team represents well in the NIT. It was a great game last night, and I hope we can all get behind the Eagles. With the right matchup, they could pull an upset (something that have been unlikely for any other team in the Big Sky) and we all know the Big Sky desperately needs that.

 

[sacstateman]

Ok, I will comment.....the relevant difference between what Potomac is citing and what happened last Friday night is this.......IT WAS A PLAYER NOT A FAN WHO CAME ON THE COURT.........also having the player in the middle of the court was quite possibly a BIG reason NAU didn't inbound the ball therefore making it a live ball instead of a dead ball......and BTW....if I am so insane why was I so much closer to predicting Weber's season than any of you were preseason??? I guess it takes an unbiased eye to see flaws in the home teams make-up.....some of you may have been able to see our warts better than I but you were all too busy trying to prove me wrong......didn't work though.....I was right...

 

[oldrunner]

I was being a little sarcastic with my earlier remarks. The only conspiracy I really believe to be true is the part where Marla and the BSC are making an effort to sugarcoat and cover up officiating mistakes that have been made. When that injured player ran on the floor and interfered with NAU's attempt at a last second attempt, It should have been a T. I'm sure that there will be a reprimand.

Potomac is right about WSU getting the benefit of some of those calls in the past. Officials are human. They know who the stars are and who the best teams are going into each game. It's human nature for them to view things a little differently for the stars. It is frustrating to watch sometimes, but it is reality. The majority of BSC officials want to do a good job. Some are better equipped to do it than others. :twocents:

 

[AlumniWSU]

Announced "reprimand" by the Big Sky Commissioner is a suspension of NAU head coach Murphy for the next post-season game NAU is in...this year or next year at the BSCT. "...clear from the video that Coach Murphy instigated the incident...unacceptable behavior of any coach in America, especially the Big Sky..."

 

[Potomac Griz1]

Ok, I will comment.....the relevant difference between what Potomac is citing and what happened last Friday night is this.......IT WAS A PLAYER NOT A FAN WHO CAME ON THE COURT.........also having the player in the middle of the court was quite possibly a BIG reason NAU didn't inbound the ball therefore making it a live ball instead of a dead ball......

It was a player in street clothes, so it's not like he was suited up. There were also fans on the other side who ran onto the court too. If you watch enough college basketball you'd see what happened in Missoula was very very minor in comparison to some of the rushing-the-court-early instances where players off the bench (who are suited up) and fans pile onto the court with time still on the clock...and get no T. The ball wasn't in play, that's what it boils down to.

and BTW....if I am so insane why was I so much closer to predicting Weber's season than any of you were preseason???

Just my unbiased opinion, but I'm guessing it was because you were trying to get a reaction out of the Weber fans by predicting doom and gloom for their season. Sort of like how your posts on eGriz are often designed to get a reaction out of people. Hell...you were on the EWU board trying to make it sound like Big Sky officials were plotting against EWU and thought the game "shouldn't have turned out that way" when EWU won. Luckily they didn't buy your conspiracy theories.

Anyway, unfortunately for Weber it just so happens you got lucky and were right. Throw enough turds of doom at the wall and eventually one might stick

Weber will be back in the mix next year. That's my prediction. I'm guessing EWU, Montana, Weber and NAU (In no particular order) will be the top 4 next year. Rahe is a good coach and they have a lot of talent. This season was a disappointment yeah, but I really don't see Weber being down for long.

And...sorry Sac. Demps is going to be a good one for you and there are some other players on the roster who will improve of course, but the loss of McKinney (who deserved the MVP) and Garrity will likely put you guys back in the middle of the pack for a bit. Could be wrong though...but just looking at who is going to be back next year & what new additions we'll see, I'd guess the 4 I mentioned will be the 4 battling for the title next year.

Good luck against Portland on Wednesday Sac! Hoping you guys put up a good fight in the CIT. With McKinney you could definitely make some noise. Hoping I can find the game streaming online somewhere.

 

[SDHornet]

And...sorry Sac. Demps is going to be a good one for you and there are some other players on the roster who will improve of course, but the loss of McKinney (who deserved the MVP) and Garrity will likely put you guys back in the middle of the pack for a bit. Could be wrong though...but just looking at who is going to be back next year & what new additions we'll see, I'd guess the 4 I mentioned will be the 4 battling for the title next year.

Good luck against Portland on Wednesday Sac! Hoping you guys put up a good fight in the CIT. With McKinney you could definitely make some noise. Hoping I can find the game streaming online somewhere.

I don’t disagree with this…at least at this point. Stuteville didn’t progress much which is concerning, but I like what I am seeing from Hornsby and Strings. Hornsby needs to get a little better at finishing at the rim and at the FT line. Strings saw limited time but I think he will be good on the boards. All in all I think our front court will be ok.

The question mark will be who plays alongside Demps. Demps has shown he will be more than capable at handling the point and has the ability to get to the rim. He is also solid from the stripe so getting to the line will be a part of his game. He lacks perimeter shooting but that is ok so long as someone else steps up. That said; it remains to be seen who that will be. Barlett saw some action and has shot near 50% from 3 this season; there just hasn’t been a lot of playing time for him. All the other guards on the roster saw very limited time.

While I am sad to see studs McKinney and Garrity leave, I am excited to see what the future holds. Katz has proven to be a good coach who can spot talent that others have overlooked. I hope and expect the Hornet program to remain competitive in the BSC (BSCT appearances ever year…assuming the format doesn’t change).