OK, I cut my teeth as a fan from '88 to '93, towards the twilight of Norm's golden years, so call me a grumpy old man. But I totally got it the other night when Sundvold commented that a little shoulder bump on a cutter was what you were coached to do back then. It was definitely a physical game.
But there were things you would always get called for. There was a stretch early in the 2nd half when the Vols entire offense seemed predicated on moving picks in the lane. Even back then I remember Roy Williams forwards disguising moving picks as blocking out, but what I saw from the Vols in the lane tonight was like Membou working over a d-lineman. Nowadays, if it's not a center knocking a PG down at the top of the key, the refs won't even see it.
Did not see this tonight, but back then, if you didn't face the player you were screening, it was an automatic illegal screen call. Today, just put your shoulder right into the defender's sternum, break a few ribs, the refs don't care.
And the best players had jump-stops, a terrifically advantageous move, but if you pivoted after you landed it was an automatic walk call. Not the case at all today. May be the NBA influencing what's going on at the college level--I dunno.
I don't think these changes in the way the game is called make things better, and I hate every year refs have these points-of-emphasis as if hoops was somehow broken the year before. I still love the game though, and I really love this team, even if orange opponents cause them issues, especially at the line.
But there were things you would always get called for. There was a stretch early in the 2nd half when the Vols entire offense seemed predicated on moving picks in the lane. Even back then I remember Roy Williams forwards disguising moving picks as blocking out, but what I saw from the Vols in the lane tonight was like Membou working over a d-lineman. Nowadays, if it's not a center knocking a PG down at the top of the key, the refs won't even see it.
Did not see this tonight, but back then, if you didn't face the player you were screening, it was an automatic illegal screen call. Today, just put your shoulder right into the defender's sternum, break a few ribs, the refs don't care.
And the best players had jump-stops, a terrifically advantageous move, but if you pivoted after you landed it was an automatic walk call. Not the case at all today. May be the NBA influencing what's going on at the college level--I dunno.
I don't think these changes in the way the game is called make things better, and I hate every year refs have these points-of-emphasis as if hoops was somehow broken the year before. I still love the game though, and I really love this team, even if orange opponents cause them issues, especially at the line.
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