interesting take.
All I can say is, guards dribbling into the paint, just create contact with a UK defender and that very contact results in refs calling fouls all day every day.......Now towards the end of games, it gets even more subjective.... but I suspect this UK treatment is because we have been so dominant in the sec. There's the refs leveling out all the glory of UK basketball.
There are other factors people I think would be wise to consider.
1.) Big name freshman, the OAD spotlight types, are likely to get the star treatment more often than the Collin Chandler, Travis Perry and Trent Noah types.
2.) Being a dynamic, shifty type of player results in being closely guarded much earlier in the action. A player like Sears or Fears is likely to draw more fouls because defenders are having to give pressure during the screening action, during the drive, during the shot, during the finish. The more locations the player is a threat, the greater the probability they will draw more fouls.
3.) There is the art of selling the foul. I detest it, but some players have mastered the theatrics that lead to an increase in violations being called. The correct timing of a swift but realistic head swing that matches upper body contact will draw fouls. A player who is good at concealing the early grab can somewhat move a defender, giving the impression that they are being victimized despite them actually being the cause.
4.) Poor defensive matchups are going to foul significantly more often. When matched up with a player who is significantly quicker, craftier or stronger, the defender becomes incapable of relying on their own footwork and fundamentals and this is when reaching, holding and pulling may occur.
5.) Freshman or unknown players, by and large, do not seem to get benefit of the doubt from referees. This is why you may see a Zakai Ziegler get away with some obvious fouls and it feels like Travis Perry is getting called for touch fouls. I believe this also can extend to coaches. Over time, coaches may earn the respect of officials and get away with just a little more. Our coach gets benefit of being associated by the Kentucky brand, but hasn’t yet established his own brand. This is, in my opinion, a very undervalued aspect.
6.) Some coaches simply take the view that referees will tire from calling fouls. The idea is to literally distort what a “foul” is by effectively fouling throughout the entire possession the entire game, resulting in officials becoming willing to only call the much more egregious violations.
7.) Sometimes referees are simply bad —- on every level they can be bad but just like you see college basketball players absolutely pale in comparison to professional players, college officials absolutely do not compare to NBA referees by and large.
Just my thoughts. I respect those who disagree regardless.
