SEC Final Fours: The End of the Road with Sirmons or Higgins

[Wildcat Sheli]

As this week marks the end of the College Basketball post-season, I wanted to update information from an older post (https://kentucky.forums.rivals.com/...s-thread-2005-2017.232127/page-5#post-6727298. See that complete Thread for many other stats; this Thread is specifically about the SEC and the Final Four).

I am not attempting to judge why or saying anything about them as a person, but just stating the facts that since at least 2011, an SEC Team has not won a game in the Final Four if Higgins or Sirmons is on the whistle (if anyone has prior stats, feel free to post).

Here are the stats (winners are emboldened, UK games are underlined):

04/06/19: Final Four Semi Final: Virginia -- Auburn 63-62 James Breeding, Keith Kimble, Doug Sirmons

4/01/17: Final Four Semi Final: Gonzaga -- South Carolina 77-73 John Higgins, Doug Sirmons, Jeff Anderson

4/04/15: Final Four Semi Final: Kentucky -- Wisconsin 64-71 Verne Harris, John Higgins, Doug Sirmons

4/05/14: Final Four Semi Final: Connecticut -- Florida 63-53 John Higgins, Doug Sirmons, Michael Stephens

**Neither Higgins nor Sirmons officiated the Final Four or Championship in 2012. The last SEC team to win the Title was Kentucky that year.

4/02/11: Final Four Semi Final: Connecticut – Kentucky 56-55 Les Jones, John Higgins, Mark Whitehead

That’s 5 out of 5 losses when one or both are officiating an SEC Team in the Final Four since 2011. They called 4 games each, and officiated together for 3 games. I have no idea why and it’s not my purpose to try to guess why, but I do find it unusual to be so lopsided. All but the 2014 Florida matchup went down to the wire.

 

[JStaff2187]

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire... and where there’s Higgins/Sirmons, there’s a SEC loss waiting to happen.

 

[Smashcat]

**Neither Higgins nor Sirmons officiated the Final Four or Championship in 2012. The last SEC team to win the Title was Kentucky that year.

Very interesting.

 

[JStaff2187]

Very interesting.

If they were, MKG is called for a foul on that great recovery and block and that double dribble isn’t called and Kansas drills a 3 to go up late.

 

[Blueworld_3.0]

There was some talk in another thread about Higgins retiring. Was that just talk or was there anything to it? I don't really believe he will ever be allowed to work another UK game (even in a FF) but, until he retires there is always a outside possibility.
Not sure if Sirmons is as bad as Higgins is yet. But, he seems to be well on his way. With Sirmons it seems to be a more personal animosity toward Cal.

 

[Wildcat-in-STL]

There was some talk in another thread about Higgins retiring. Was that just talk or was there anything to it? I don't really believe he will ever be allowed to work another UK game (even in a FF) but, until he retires there is always a outside possibility.
Not sure if Sirmons is as bad as Higgins is yet. But, he seems to be well on his way. With Sirmons it seems to be a more personal animosity toward Cal.

It was someone trying to troll us. If Higgins was retiring ..... it would be on yahoo etc.

 

[gracetoyou]

Another good question is why do Higgins & Sirmons do so many final 4's considering they stink?

ANSWER: because they're NCAA puppets

 

[Smashcat]

Another good question is why do Higgins & Sirmons do so many final 4's considering they stink?

ANSWER: because they're NCAA puppets

Even worse, they are the best of the bunch. LOL

 

[wildcatwelder]

Very interesting stat, thank you OP.

I can't believe Higgins will ever be allowed to ref another UK game. Sirmons has a "dislike" for Cal, to me and a lot of others, it's obvious. Truth be told, the feeling is mutual, lol.

I find it difficult to understand why college basketball can't find better officials. It's the one sport that suffers the greatest from having total buffoons officiate the games. Of course, not every official is terrible at their job, but percentage wise, college hoops has a very large number of them who ARE terrible, and it needs fixed.

 

[BigRedMachineBigBlueNation]

As this week marks the end of the College Basketball post-season, I wanted to update information from an older post (https://kentucky.forums.rivals.com/...s-thread-2005-2017.232127/page-5#post-6727298. See that complete Thread for many other stats; this Thread is specifically about the SEC and the Final Four).

I am not attempting to judge why or saying anything about them as a person, but just stating the facts that since at least 2011, an SEC Team has not won a game in the Final Four if Higgins or Sirmons is on the whistle (if anyone has prior stats, feel free to post).

Here are the stats (winners are emboldened, UK games are underlined):

04/06/19: Final Four Semi Final: Virginia -- Auburn 63-62 James Breeding, Keith Kimble, Doug Sirmons

4/01/17: Final Four Semi Final: Gonzaga -- South Carolina 77-73 John Higgins, Doug Sirmons, Jeff Anderson

4/04/15: Final Four Semi Final: Kentucky -- Wisconsin 64-71 Verne Harris, John Higgins, Doug Sirmons

4/05/14: Final Four Semi Final: Connecticut -- Florida 63-53 John Higgins, Doug Sirmons, Michael Stephens

**Neither Higgins nor Sirmons officiated the Final Four or Championship in 2012. The last SEC team to win the Title was Kentucky that year.

4/02/11: Final Four Semi Final: Connecticut – Kentucky 56-55 Les Jones, John Higgins, Mark Whitehead

That’s 5 out of 5 losses when one or both are officiating an SEC Team in the Final Four since 2011. They called 4 games each, and officiated together for 3 games. I have no idea why and it’s not my purpose to try to guess why, but I do find it unusual to be so lopsided. All but the 2014 Florida matchup went down to the wire.

Since Cal took the job, Final Four or Championship game we’ve participated in was reffed by Sermons and/or Higgins... except one... 2012. Just a coincedence

 

[Wildcat Sheli]

Since Cal took the job, Final Four or Championship game we’ve participated in was reffed by Sermons and/or Higgins... except one... 2012. Just a coincedence

Our 2014 Championship Game did not have either on the whistle (Verne Harris, Joe DeRosa, Doug Shows). However, without them in our path, we advanced all the way to the Title Game! We have never won an Elite Eight or higher with Higgins on the whistle.

The one Championship we won in 2012 was one year where Sirmons or Higgins didn't participate in a Final Four/Championship at all.

 

[kydmb99]

at the conspiracy theorists on this board

 

[BigRedMachineBigBlueNation]

Our 2014 Championship Game did not have either on the whistle (Verne Harris, Joe DeRosa, Doug Shows). However, without them in our path, we advanced all the way to the Title Game! And the one Championship we won in 2012 was one year where they didn't participate in a Final Four/Championship at all.

Should have added Shows (he is either incompetant or bias) but yes.

 

[gracetoyou]

at the conspiracy theorists on this board

Amazing we have so many niave posters....lol.

 

[SpamburgerHamburger]

Some people on this board have a clinical obsession with refs and conspiracies.

 

[BigRedMachineBigBlueNation]

at the conspiracy theorists on this board

Some people on this board have a clinical obsession with refs and conspiracies.

Conspiracy theory is a phrase designed to deflect and delegitimize. Prove us wrong and we’ll shut up about it.

 

[Wildcat Sheli]

. . . conspiracy theorists on this board

Hey, I'm not a conspiracy theorist, not even making a particular point, just stating the facts that SEC Teams have not won a Final Four game with either Higgins or Sirmons on the whistle, at least since 2011. I find it interesting.

For whatever it's worth --- and I'm certainly no Duke apologist --- Sirmons has also officiated each of Duke's last 3 NCAA Tournament losses (2017-2019), all early exits. I don't know why that's the case, but I do find it interesting.

 

[Blueworld_3.0]

Some people on this board have a clinical obsession with refs and conspiracies.

And some posters are oblivious idiots.
^^^ Case in point.

 

[CROCAT]

And some posters are oblivious idiots.
^^^ Case in point.

Name-calling, yeah that will teach him...Put your tinfoil hat down and use your damn brain. If you have one, that is

 

[KyFaninNC]

Conspiracy theory is a phrase designed to deflect and delegitimize. Prove us wrong and we’ll shut up about it.

I think just any school could say the same thing.

 

[SaguaroCat]

JFC. I'm surprised OP could type this while guys with big butterfly nets were chasing him. If I knew who most of you were, I would call the authorities. You need to be committed and put in padded rooms. I'm afraid you're a threat to yourselves and others. I would bet a Venn diagram of believers of this and flat earth would be a perfect circle.

 

[BigRedMachineBigBlueNation]

I think just any school could say the same thing.

We’ve had horrid calls every time we are in the Final Four. Is it a coincesence that the only title Cal won was the one year we never saw those three refs?

 

[irishcat1965]

I think just any school could say the same thing.

Please. If you don’t think Higgins purposely affected the outcome of the UK UNC game in the Elite 8 in 2017, well you are just choosing to ignore it. As far as any other officials, I agree and couldn’t care less who they are in our games.

 

[KyFaninNC]

Please. If you don’t think Higgins purposely affected the outcome of the UK UNC game in the Elite 8 in 2017, well you are just choosing to ignore it. As far as any other officials, I agree and couldn’t care less who they are in our games.

I agree, but that is a one off. This thread seems to say that we get hosed every final four. Every school gets some bad calls, but I don't think there is an agenda against UK. Mostly it is just bad officiating.

 

[Wildcat Sheli]

. . .This thread seems to say that we get hosed every final four. . . .

Actually, this Thread is about how all SEC Final Fours since 2011 ended in loss for the SEC team if either Sirmons or Higgins was on the whistle.

It's not an opinion or theory that they officiated those games, it's simply the facts. I find it interesting that that SEC Teams are 0-5 in Final Fours they officiated.

 

[Greatestalltime]

Some people on this board have a clinical obsession with refs and conspiracies.

And some have an obsession with those posters and their opinions.

 

[irishcat1965]

I agree, but that is a one off. This thread seems to say that we get hosed every final four. Every school gets some bad calls, but I don't think there is an agenda against UK. Mostly it is just bad officiating.

I can agree with that. Outside of Higgins, it’s crap shoot with officiating. Higgins doesn’t make bad calls- he made deliberate calls to change the result of the UK game. And this coming from someone who rarely talks about officials.

 

[KyFaninNC]

I can agree with that. Outside of Higgins, it’s crap shoot with officiating. Higgins doesn’t make bad calls- he made deliberate calls to change the result of the UK game. And this coming from someone who rarely talks about officials.

Higgins is very obvious, but hopefully he will never do our games ever again.

 

[Blueworld_3.0]

Name-calling, yeah that will teach him...Put your tinfoil hat down and use your damn brain. If you have one, that is

Ask anyone on this board and they'll likely give you the same opinion of Spamburger. But, thanks for your input anyway.

 

[irishcat1965]

Higgins is very obvious, but hopefully he will never do our games ever again.

He won’t. I’m confident of that after his lawsuit was filed and subsequently dismissed.

 

[Blueworld_3.0]

Higgins is quite obviously biased when it comes to UK. At this point that isn't even up for debate. So, those questioning that known fact may have an agenda to push.

Sirmons is another matter. We know he loves tee'ing Cal up and has said so in the past. So, there is obviously some personal conflict there. Does that immediately transfer over to him making calls against UK in a effort to influence the outcome of a game? It's certainly possible, as he may see it as a way to hurt Cal. But, it's a big risk given the spotlight of the Final Four.