The referees have sometimes taken over games at the NCAA Tournament and that’s almost never a good thing. It’s one thing when things are out of hand and the refs have to keep things in control but a bunch of times it’s ticky-tack fouls that only slow the game to a crawl.
We maybe got the most egregious form of this in Sunday’s Houston Cougars–Illinois Fighting Illini game as RJ Melendez received a technical foul for some form of “showboating” by hanging on the rim. Analyst Reggie Miller immediately pointed out that it wasn’t a technical and it was something Melendez had to do to avoid potentially injuring himself. Illinois eventually lost the game 68-53.
#RefShow pic.twitter.com/aSUNVztoAa
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) March 20, 2022
There isn’t much that unites a large group of people these days but virtually everyone who has a take on this call agreed that there shouldn’t have been a technical foul. Even CBS’ rules analyst Gene Steratore agreed with the masses.
Completely agree with @ReggieMillerTNT that this should not have been a technical foul on RJ Melendez.
RJ’s momentum carried him towards the basket and he didn’t hang for an extended period or in an unsporting fashion.#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/SukohTBggO
— Gene Steratore (@GeneSteratore) March 20, 2022
Yet again – another horrendous officiating call in this Houston/Illinois game
There’s NO WAY that’s a technical foul
— Jensen Lewis (@JLEWFifty) March 20, 2022
Absolute #RefShow on that technical against Illinois
— Patrick Strohecker (@P_Strohecker) March 20, 2022
That technical foul on Illinois is the definition of AWFUL
— Cole Carmody (@ColeCarmody52) March 20, 2022
That is an atrocious technical call. #refshow
— Matt Zahn (@mattzahnsports) March 20, 2022
Technical foul call against Illinois? #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/Jr833HAVBQ
— This Podcast is Making Me Thirsty Seinfeld Podcast (@ThisThirsty) March 20, 2022
From the makers of awful officiating (see: yesterday's UNC-Baylor crew, the end of Davidson-Michigan State), the NCAA Tournament now presents to you that technical foul on Illinois
— Brendan Marks (@BrendanRMarks) March 20, 2022
That was a disgraceful call by that referee to give a technical foul on that dunk. Call the game, stay out of the way. Illinois has a right to be furious.
— Jordan Brenner (@JordanBrenner) March 20, 2022
NCAA!!! That technical foul against Illinois was ridiculous!!!
— BigSauce (@alantwilliams) March 20, 2022
Really tough technical foul call on Illinois. Why is a ref looking to call that when it’s not something egregious?
— Matthew Schwerha (@MSchwerha) March 20, 2022
That technical foul in the Illinois game is the epitome of everything that is wrong with officiating in college basketball… just dumb
— RC Maxfield (@RCMB323) March 20, 2022
