First ever NCAA tournament game since I began watching them in 1978....

[sambowieshin]

That I felt like we lost almost completely due to the way the game was called in the first half. I have never come away feeling that way until this one. There have been games with a few questionable/missed calls before in the NCAA tournament, but this felt egregious and purposeful unlike any other I have witnessed. In the end I have always felt that the other team just outplayed us as opposed to being spotted 10-plus points by the ref (Higgins). I think that is what many UK Facebook fans are feeling. I am still pissed.

 

[drainthatub]

The phantom/missed calls on star players that take them out of the game pisses me off more than the blatant no calls. There's so much they can get away with that greatly affects the outcome and they are well trained at doing it imo.

 

[cats2010]

Foxes first foul obviously could have been called a charge but wasn't but that wasn't Higgins either that made the call. His 2nd, which was called by Higgins was ridiculous. Fox got his hand in there and knocked the ball away, but straight out of bounds. No advantage gained and with the play looking rather clean anyway, calling a foul there did nothing but put 2 on fox.

Don't recall the fouls on bam, but I know one on monk was for grabbing Jackson which Jackson grabbed monk numerous times trying to keep up with him. Not one call on Jackson for that or even the hip bump which sent monk spiraling to the floor.

Pissed about it myself but I do feel somewhat vindicated by some in the media admitting UK got an unfair whistle in the first half. We know we should have moved on as well as many others know it too. Doesn't change the outcome but still makes me feel somewhat better that it's out there that UNC had to have help to beat us.

 

[docholiday51]

Wrong calls and no calls were in full display we had points taken away,they got points they never should have gotten directly as a result of what was called or not called.

When you step back and take a look at what everyone saw happen here the whole NCAAT becomes one giant question mark.The credibility of the tournament goes out the window.We really can't even be mad at the cheating sob's from UNC about this issue,all they did was show up and play.The NCAA and Higgins either together or separately destroyed this years college basketball showcase.One has to ask,to what end this was done,is preventing UK from having a chance to win the national championship that important? Does giving UNC an unfair advantage merit cheating players,fans and the sports world in general out of as level of a playing field as is possible?

Arkansas and UK have legitimate gripes about how things unfolded,they are the most obvious victims but everyone who played or watched games in the tournament are victims as well,there is a bigger picture here and it is ugly

I have thought about this way too much and need to let it go but this is the the biggest screw job since the Russian/US basketball game in the Olympics in 72 I think

 

[sambowieshin]

Finding out that Higgins is reffing the Final Four is the last straw for this season as well. The whole outcome seems tainted and fixed to me now. No interest in watching a predetermined outcome.

 

[CRUCAT]

I have watched about all the games, UNC has gotten the benefit of calls in 2 games more than anything i have witnessed in any other games, the question that blows me away is this is a program under a huge black cloud of an investigation by the NCAA that other than UL's hooker scandal could be the biggest black eye ever for the NCAA but instead it appears that the NCAA is almost in cahoots with them to rig the damn tournament... unreal

 

[Blue_2_the_bone]

I called my dad during halftime. He told me he was turning it off and not watching the 3nd half. He said, " Son, I don't care what happens. That's the worst half of officiating I've ever seen. It's obvious. The NCAA is like pro wrestling. They want their ratings and money. I won't watch another minute." He hadn't missed a UK tournament game in 36 years that I know of anyways. Thinking he has the right idea.

 

[Blue_2_the_bone]

I have watched about all the games, UNC has gotten the benefit of calls in 2 games more than anything i have witnessed in any other games, the question that blows me away is this is a program under a huge black cloud of an investigation by the NCAA that other than UL's hooker scandal could be the biggest black eye ever for the NCAA but instead it appears that the NCAA is almost in cahoots with them to rig the damn tournament... unreal

That's exactly what gets me too. Louisville and Carolina shouldn't be allowed to be in postseason play but it's like they're dead set on keeping at leastone of them in the tourney. They tried with Louisville and putting them against Michigan and a banged up Oregon. No way they should have been a 3 seed over Oregon. Then they bail out UNC against Arkansas and essentially let them play the first half against our 2nd string with Higgins. If anything, you'd think they'd want them away from the NCAA brand as quickly as possible. The day before our tournament the former director of referees said on Twitter he would send Higgins to the UK/UNC game.

 

[YourPublicEnemy]

Regarding the Fox second foul, it was strictly done to counter Berry going out with an injury. That was the reason. But those types of fouls piss me off more than anything. You'd never see that called in a pickup game. They would never tell you to check it back up. Why? Cause there's no damn advantage to that. You're 45 feet from the basket and you didn't lose possession.

 

[katkraze]

UK got hosed the whole game by the UNC - loving refs

 

[Cowtown Cat]

Regarding the Fox second foul, it was strictly done to counter Berry going out with an injury. That was the reason. But those types of fouls piss me off more than anything. You'd never see that called in a pickup game. They would never tell you to check it back up. Why? Cause there's no damn advantage to that. You're 45 feet from the basket and you didn't lose possession.

Yep. Trying to level out the talent. Bingo.

 

[Jazzycat]

11-19 free throw shooting. Hit 75% and U.K. Is in the Final Four...

 

[uk78]

Then you didn't watch the 78 Championship game although it took Givens being on fire to win. Cawood was going nuts with the refs calls especially in the first half almost all against Kentucky rather than Duke. You felt like the refs wanted to keep it close. They never allowed Phillips to even play with the crazy calls and the teams were not even close to be evenly matched. Kentucky had all 5 starters better than everyone on Duke's squad except for Gene Banks who kept them in the game. But, not even that game came close to the bad calls this year against Kentucky in the UNC game. You could argue a few away like the goal tending which was close in regular speed. But,to me the call against Willis when UNC turned over the ball and Kentucky suddenly was gaining all the momentum, just killed that first half come back. Plus the no call on Fox's drive at the end of the first half was telling. Cal was right that he didn't get to play his team in the first half although the others filled in decently. But, Kentucky still had the chance to win and it was an exciting game in the second half and like Florida, and some other teams, we choose to stop attacking and protect the lead in the last 5 minutes and it cost us the game in my view.