Hightower is a chump

I swear this guy has it out for MSU. I've seen a ton of horribly officiated games and it seems like 99 percent of the time this zebra is involved. Maybe its not just him but it always involves a crew he's with. I'm never one to blame a loss on the ref, no matter how bad it is - If you play well enough, it should be a non-factor. However, its gets a little tiresome to see it happen time after time.       

This is Big Ten basketball and its the most physical brand of basketball in the country. Conference officials need to recognize this and call the games as such. Its sickening to see the ticky-tack touch fouls when there is pushing, shoving, hooking, holding and illegal screens being used during every single play - literally.

A few other thoughts/observations from today's travesty...

It's nice to have the all-American caliber Drew Neitzel back. He carried this team offensively for two games and is a lock to become the fourth MSU player to be named to the all-Big Ten tournament.

The Spartans got some very good minutes from Idong Ibok today despite a few bad fouls. It just goes to show you that you never know when your number is going to be called so you've always gotta be ready and practicing hard.

Bo Ryan claps his hands more than any human being on the planet. Seriously, he was clapping after calls in for the Badgers, calls against the Badgers, when either team scored, when someone checked out of the game. He even clapped immediately after the referee gave him a technical.

Well I'm gonna be sick now.

Comments

[LakeshoreSpartan]

You said it...

[B White]

Great effort MSU. I feel really bad that they did not get a fair shake today. 4 guys foul out to Wiscy's none, and just too much to overcome if game is called that tightly... unfortunately, called tightly on one side of the court. Have to shake this off (again) and focus on NCAA now...

[Matt D]

Kalin Lucas cannot make a wise decision to save his life. Picking up the dribble 3 ft past certer court? Lazy passes? Dribbling into a triple team? and that last shot??? I hope he gets smarter as the years go on.

[Fred]

The Spartans never had a chance in this game, because the Big Ten needs a top seed in the NCAA tournament.

This was clear by the officiating in the first ten minutes, when they called ELEVEN fouls on Michigan State.

And in the second half, when Michigan State was up by ten, all the foul calls started raining on the Spartans' big men, and there goes the lead.

Michigan State's second-to-last possession? Two fouls on Badgers that weren't called, even though those kinds of fouls were called all day on Spartan players (the reach in by #45 and the moving body block by the inside Badger).

Game over, Wisconsin steals a game they had no business winning because the Big Ten needed them to, and it's the same old bulls**t for Izzo and State: the Big Ten f**ks them every time through the officials.

MSU played a near-perfect game and lost because the Big Ten couldn't afford to lose face by having Wisconsin lose, too.

I am done with this crap: I played D-I ball at Cal, I coached D-I ball after I finished playing for the Cal women, and I've never been more convinced of fixed officiating than I am this year watching Michigan State get hosed repeatedly in conference play.

I don't know what Tom Izzo did to piss off the Big Ten, but he did it well.

[B White]

Oh, and if NCAA games are called fairly, MSU will be just fine... not so sure about Wiscy.

Travesty is an excellent word for what happened in Indianapolis today.

Disgusting is another good word.

It's just not right, but I don't see this biased officiating in Bo "the intimidtor" Ryan's favor, changing anytime soon. I'll be sure not to watch the BT championship game tomorrow. They don't deserve the attention with what surely will be a win against either Ill or Minny.

[Ben Green]

Lousy calls but some horrendously bad fouls by MSU. Foul on a 3 point shot? That's 3 free points for Wiscy. That alone lost the game.

You can blame it on the refs but there were too many "real" fouls by the Spartans. They cost themselves the game.

With 4 minutes to go and MSU's bigs on the bench I knew the game was over. I was totally surprised the Spartans had a chance to win. Neitzel had an open look and it just didn't drop. Kudos to the Spartans for making it a close as it ended up.

[SpartaninAZ]

Wiscy gets too much respect from the officials and I don't understand why. They were down big and the refs took over. MSU gets no respect despite being the most consistent big ten team in the last decade.

[Dyse]

This just stinks that State plays one of their best games of the year and look like they are going to dump Wisconsin big, and then the zebras just punch State in the gut and give the game to Wisconsin. Heck of a game boys and we will be the team from the Big Ten going the deepest starting next week!

[Dave O]

Izzo got outcoached again.

[lomak]

Matt D,

You are correct. We will never get better on the road or win a close game as long as we are of the opinion that the refs are going to screw us. In the final minutes, there were very few questionable calls. The Allen block called a foul was bad, but is a standard call in that situation. The reality is that Lucas had 3 big turnovers that were unforced. The travel was horrible, and the two uncontrolled drives into the trees were just plain dumb. So lets not blame the refs and look at execution in crunch time this year. As bad as the refs have been, we have had opportunities in the final minutes and have not executed. That is on us, not the refs.

[markv]

Here's blaming the refs, straight up, or "the stat of the day:"

MSU BASKETBALL TEAM GETS RAPED BY BIG TEN OFFICIALS. Team that obviously plays better loses. Flopping fakers win conference title.

Izzo, please. Use your clout to start a fire over this. Big Ten Basketball can't keep going down this sorry road or it will spiral even further into being the laughingstock of the nation. It's time to spend that cred you have built up. Make this travesty change so that someday we can again have real basketball, with the better team winning the game, instead of the home team or whoever pretends to get fouled the most.

BoOwnsIzzo, if you're proud of that game or your team, there's nothing more to say.

Good game Spartans. I hope people can shut up about "heart" now. The way you played through adversity was amazing. You're heros.

[Scott]

I remember HighTower calling bad fouls against MSU back in the late 90s, early 00s. I was just a couple rows from the court, and I saw the same plays he called. He is a bad officiator. Seriously. He has a track record.

[MattBaumannBoston]

I'm still shaking from anger. One of the biggest travesties in MSU bball history. That's not an over-exageration...

[Duffy Perles]

I just want to cry.

[MattBaumannBoston]

Now my vision is starting to go. Can't see straight.

[tien_3]

I agree with all the posts. This game was decided by officiating. How can four of our low post players foul out to none for WI? The BT should be embarrassed. Regarding Lucas, he is a freshman so give him a pass.

[John in Ypsi]

Free throws:

Wisconsin = 37
Michigan State = 19

Makes me want to puke.

[SpartaninAZ]

it wasn't the end of the game that the refs took over, it was after the wisc player went down hurt that the officiating turned biased. The end of the game, yeah we should of still won it, bad decisions and some bad plays, but it shouldn't of been that close at the end.

[markv]

I'm all for being polite to referees, and i commend Izzo for his self-control and respect. But if you think Allen's clean block was a "standard" foul, and Lucas' drives did NOT earn fouls on Wisconsin, you are an apologist for the referees. People who don't think the referees decided this game are feeding into their own need for order and fairness in the world, when it's patently obvious that those calls, at least those calls to speak nothing of the larger issue of the game, were missed calls that were unfair. That's not MSU choking and Wisconsin stepping up. That's one team getting bailed out over and over, and the other not.

[B White]

Dave O... HOW WAS IZZO OUTCOACHED TODAY? It's real easy to post a smart little remark... where's your backup? I guess it's easy to get "outcoached" when 4 of your post players foul out due to horrid officiating... isn't it?

Well played game by both teams, but due to the foul situations, spare me with the coaching comparisons!?!.

[Alexander]

I don't know why there were no fouls called on Lucas' drive to the basket. As someone posted, there was a clear reach-in foul from his left and a clear body block from his right. I'm looking at this right now on my TiVo: those are textbook, defined-in-the-rulebook fouls.

Where was the whistle? MSU did play a good game, and once again -- for the umpteenth time this season -- the officials took the game away from them.

I'm amazed even the stupidest TV announcers, who have a world of experience, don't comment on this. I know Billy Packer is a sycophant, but the highway robbery in this game was so evident, the Big Ten ought to be ashamed of itself.

[tien_3]

Whoever the knucklehead is who posted that Izzo was out coached could not have watched this game. With his entire front court fouled out we still had a chance to win. The officials decided this game and to say otherwise is ridiculous.

[markv]

Personally, i'm waiting to see 2 things right now:

1) Izzo angry. Izzo really demanding a response, even if it means getting fined, so that this crap doesn't continue. For the good of the league.

2) The Spartan faithful to rally behind this team. They showed a lot of heart in a game that pitted the world against them. These guys are champions...let's show some love here.

[Ben Green]

Hey guys...some bad calls sure. But not all calls were bad. Big clumsy slow undisciplined guys made bad decisions and fouled way too much. The Spartans lost this game.

[Mike]

Here's a fun read on the Big Ten website blog for the game:

2nd, 8:13, TIMEOUT (WIS): Michigan State 53, Wisconsin 41
The game is starting to get away from the Badgers. Bo Ryan calls a quick 30-second timeout.

2nd, 7:52, TIMEOUT (MEDIA): Michigan State 53, Wisconsin 44
Wisconsin's Jason Bohannon just hit a huge 3-pointer from the wing and was fouled by MSU's Raymar Morgan, who picked up his fourth personal foul. Michigan State's Drew Neitzel has netted 23 points today -- not too bad after that 28-point performance last night.

2nd, 6:06: Michigan State 55, Wisconsin 45
Michigan State's Idong Ibok has just fouled out. He fouled Brian Butch on a 3-pointer. Butch at the line right now.

2nd, 5:26: Michigan State 55, Wisconsin 48
In just 40 seconds, the Spartans have lost another. Drew Naymick has just fouled out. Goran Suton, MSU's last high-profile big man, is playing with four fouls.

2nd, 5:10: Michigan State 55, Wisconsin 50
Wow. That just took 16 seconds. Suton has just fouled out. The Badgers have all the momentum right now. Raymar Morgan, who is 6-7 and just entered the Spartan lineup, is playing with four fouls. Is he next???

2nd, 4:23, TIMEOUT (MSU): Michigan State 55, Wisconsin 54
No fouls to report, just one big 3-pointer. Big as in 6-11 Brian Butch and big as in Wisconsin trails now by just one point. Timeout MSU.

2nd, 3:21, TIMEOUT (MEDIA): Michigan State 58, Wisconsin 57
The bucket and one for Neitzel, his 26th point of the day. And it was answered by Marcus Landry's 3-pointer from the wing. We are still within one and this Conseco Fieldhouse crowd is ready to take this one to the end.

2nd, 3:02: Michigan State 60, Wisconsin 59
MSU's Raymar Morgan has just fouled out of the game. With exception of 7-foot sophomore center Tom Herzog, Michigan State is playing with a very small lineup and an even smaller lead.

2nd, 2:50, TIMEOUT (MSU): Michigan State 60, Wisconsin 59

2nd, 0:50.3, TIMEOUT (MSU): Michigan State 63, Wisconsin 63

2nd, 0:20.5, TIMEOUT (MSU): Wisconsin 65, Michigan State 63
Following the timeout, Wisconsin's Michael Flowers stole the ball at the top of the key and raced down for a go-ahead lay-up. Now with 20.5 seconds remaining and the shot clock off, MSU is set to draw up the potential game-tying or game-winning basket.

FINAL: Wisconsin 65, Michigan State 63
In the end, Michigan State got what it wanted with exception of a bucket at the buzzer. Wisconsin missed both free throws and MSU's Drew Neitzel, who finished with a game-high 26 points, just misses a 3-pointer from the wing to win the game. Two seconds of rebounding and put-backs ensued, but to no avail. Wisconsin escapes with the W.

http://bigten.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/031308aaa.html