I’m getting conflicting reports from X.com. Can somebody, maybe a former ref, or maybe an elite unbiased ball knower tell me if as a ref, DO YOU, or DO YOU NOT make that call in that situation? Again, according to X – The Everything App (You Are The Media), I’m hearing that both things are true.
Personally, I wish that wasn’t a call that was made. I wish something completely inconsequential didn’t affect an important game like that. Especially when it’s an offensive player who commits the lane violation, and gets back to his side before the shot is released. If anything, all he did was negatively affect the shooter by moving abruptly in the middle of his free throw motion. But also… the way Duke reacted… and the way the rule is written… you have to call that, right? It’s not like you can pretend it didn’t happen. The whole arena saw it. By the letter of the rule, he committed a lane violation.
I’ll admit I’m not the #1 ball knower at Barstool Sports. I’m only writing this blog because our company’s premier ball knowers are streaming right now. But unless this is happening all the time and refs are constantly letting it go, I think they have to call it. I wish in this situation they could at least just give a warning. Maybe erase the made free throw, make UNC shoot again, and if they violate the lane again then you wipe out the free throw. Because the bottom line is it fucking sucks when something completely irrelevant affects the outcome of the game. It’s exactly how a feel in football when the ref calls a late hit along the sideline, and the player who got hit wasn’t injured in the slightest. Yeah it’s a penalty, but it didn’t affect the play at all. Nobody wants to see a game come down to it. If there’s anything a sport can do to write their rules in a way that avoids situations like that from deciding the outcome of the game, they should absolutely do it.
As far as the game goes… holy shit Duke. Never in a million years did it seem like a massive UNC comeback was in the cards for that game. I know Cooper Flagg is hurt and all, but UNC is awful. And it makes things so much worse for UNC that a bid to the NCAA tournament was on the line. That a lane violation might be what gets them cut. But they really should be out regardless. They have a terrible resume. North Carolina is one of maybe 3 or 4 teams in the nation who could turn in a resume like this and even be halfway considered for the tournament.
Leave North Carolina out. Leave Indiana out too while you’re at it. Neither of them deserve it. Let a mid-major team in. They’re more fun to watch anyways. And start using common sense sports. I know you have to make that call, but again, if there’s anything you can do to make inconsequential plays actually be inconsequential, you should really try to do that.
