Question for Cal haters AND supporters

cal=8

All-Conference
Nov 3, 2009
2,049
1,417
0
About as much as Willis/Mulder going 0/6 on wide-open threes and Briscoe/Monk/and Fox going 3/8 from the free throw line against UNC.


Refs matter.

So does sucky in-game performance.
I was at that game in Memphis. It was one of the most painful things I've ever witnessed. We played bad but anytime we began to get some momentum the rooferee took it away.
 

bbnkat02

Heisman
Nov 14, 2017
47,700
71,064
113
About as much as Willis/Mulder going 0/6 on wide-open threes and Briscoe/Monk/and Fox going 3/8 from the free throw line against UNC.


Refs matter.

So does sucky in-game performance.
Can’t lay that on on our dudes. Hard to perform when you are getting absolutely screwed like we were that game. I’ve NEVER seen media and former officials comment on social media the way they did at halftime of that game. Everyone but the dumbest Tarheel knew what was going on.

My love of this sport has never been the same since. Had my eyes fully opened that day. Those mfers were on the take.
 

kybassfan

Heisman
Jul 1, 2005
20,032
16,368
113
I think Higgins gave the hating crowd and the opposing fans that pile on with them ammunition by removing a very competitive team from the tournament.

At this point that bunch as gotten so shrill and inane that nobody that matters pays them any serious attention. So from that perspective, Higgins had no impact in the long term.

It appears that Kentucky is marching to its own drum in spite of refs, blathering social media or any other outside detractor. This is as it should be.
 

jmw23712

All-American
May 9, 2009
1,746
5,219
81
Can’t lay that on on our dudes. Hard to perform when you are getting absolutely screwed like we were that game. I’ve NEVER seen media and former officials comment on social media the way they did at halftime of that game. Everyone but the dumbest Tarheel knew what was going on.

My love of this sport has never been the same since. Had my eyes fully opened that day. Those mfers were on the take.

Same. That game was when I realized refs were completely in control of the outcome when they wanted to be. Then I watched the documentary with Donaghy and he was able to win 78.7% of the games he was trying to fix. It's niave to think money doesn't play a huge role in who wins. Donaghy was fixing games for peanuts in the grand scheme. After everything he did he only made like $90K. Imagine what people will do when it's millions of dollars at stake.
 

rabbitTown

Senior
May 1, 2017
918
756
93
HUGE. If Cats beat UNC they win the title, or worst case they go to another final four.

Cats were the better team, they just didnt have the whistle on many calls, and as you know, ONE possession meant the game.
If so... it never should have been close enough to let a ref affect the outcome of a game. That's on CCC.
 
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AGEE11

All-American
Jan 10, 2014
3,222
6,651
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I think it was HUGE

Not only because it cost us a definite Final Four and most likely a title in 2017. It also got a target put on us by other officials for how Higgins got done by the fanbase.

We also got screwed in 2019 when Auburn got 9 minutes of fouling immunity to end a game. Was it a direct result of Higgins, probably not. However, you know these guys are a union and circle around each other. ay not say, ooh we screwing UK today for Higgins, but it's in their mind and close plays get a bit one sided.

I also wonder about Higgins friend this year stink-eyeing Cal after every call in the K State game.
 

KFuqua

All-Conference
Oct 24, 2001
2,206
2,637
113
Not much, if any. There's no one to blame for Cal being the mess that he is, except Cal.
 
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Jan 3, 2003
145,534
15,709
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Hugely. Now I'm not saying we win in 17 if not for Higgins. Yeah, we probably beat UNC because any other ref doesn't put us in such a half-time hole to dig out of. But we still would have had to win 2 more games.

I think the UConn game, was it 11 or 14 that he ref'ed, I think 14. I mean yeah that was the championship game. Did he make enough bad/biased calls for the outcome to have changed?

Were there any other games?

But I think Cal probably has 1 more championship if not for Higgins. Two would buy him more time, although 2021 may have erased that cushion too.
 

LineSkiCat14

Heisman
Aug 5, 2015
39,534
62,296
113
I think it was a bigger detriment than people realize.

We're talking the difference between another 1-2 final 4s and another title or two.

Cal and the team were good enough to win about 10 different games off the top of my head, but the refs put those games put of reach, and we lost. One of those was against UNC in 2017.. another was the TA&M technical, another was Wisconsin in 2015, another was Shabazz Napier. Those 4 games, if we were allowed to win, totally change the narrative.
 
May 27, 2007
31,949
25,090
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I'm sure it had an effect. But we will never ever know if either would have won the title so it's hard to really estimate the impact.
 

Jont0805

All-Conference
Mar 25, 2019
1,010
1,615
0
Without him realistically you would just have to be contradictory to be a “Cal Hater”

If games play out the way they should have after Cats got Higginsed that is.
 

billCgmx

All-American
Apr 9, 2015
3,060
6,725
0
Higgins is a **** on the sport that is college basketball. That said he ruined two tournament runs. Not sure they would have beat UConn without him but Carolina was a robbery.
Can’t lay that on on our dudes. Hard to perform when you are getting absolutely screwed like we were that game. I’ve NEVER seen media and former officials comment on social media the way they did at halftime of that game. Everyone but the dumbest Tarheel knew what was going on.

My love of this sport has never been the same since. Had my eyes fully opened that day. Those mfers were on the take.
Had a 5-point lead with under 5 minutes to go when they went zone and it looked like it was the first time in their lives our players had witnessed such a defense.

Cal screwed Cal.
 
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Louis_Skunt

All-American
Oct 4, 2013
6,300
6,917
66
If so... it never should have been close enough to let a ref affect the outcome of a game. That's on CCC.
Cats weren't 15 points better than UNC that year, but they were better. Is it Cal's fault that every 50/50 call went UNC's way? There was about 5 to 6 calls where they screwed Fox or Bam.
Refs controlled the outcome in this one, nothing more Cal could do.
 

bbnkat02

Heisman
Nov 14, 2017
47,700
71,064
113
Cats weren't 15 points better than UNC that year, but they were better. Is it Cal's fault that every 50/50 call went UNC's way? There was about 5 to 6 calls where they screwed Fox or Bam.
Refs controlled the outcome in this one, nothing more Cal could do.
Yeah that’s what makes it even more infuriating. UNC was “legit” good that year. They didn’t need Ref *** kissing.

I hate it when a very skilled/talented competitor here’s extra help. Makes me lose respect for them.
 
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Big Blue Daddy 98

All-Conference
May 27, 2018
562
1,469
0
Fans were ridiculous about Higgins after the 2017 regional final. They had a right to be mad, bc it was an epic screw job… but then fans went too far and made it personal long after the game was over. This only further enabled the elitist east coast media snobs to portray us as uncivilized hillbillies and did they ever! Even the self-anointed mouthpiece of the fanbase was caught up in it. It was a mess.

However, that isn’t to truly blame. Most all of this is on Cal. The dude is a raving lunatic on the sideline at times screaming at officials. Shows, Lucky, Higgins, etc… it doesn’t matter. He rips all of them from the opening tip. His players also play tight many times as a result. He is so loathed by officials to such a degree that UK should never expect any breaks or even a decent whistle most nights. He stirs it up with his constant screaming, and refs hate him for it. Refs don’t forgive easy, and Cal has never tried to changed his approach. Ever.

I can wait until the circus leaves town and takes it clown with it.
 

Panthur

Heisman
Aug 5, 2008
9,225
12,782
0
Personally I don't even think Higgins took that game from us. Is an ******* and decreased our margin of error, sure.

But I felt at the time and still feel like we lost that game on our own by begging averaged-5-points-a-game-that-whole-season Luke Maye to score all over us and by dribbling out the whole freaking shot clock on the perimeter our entire last meaningful possession.
 

OmahaCats

All-Conference
Apr 10, 2020
2,209
2,740
0
So...the humans that dictate the direction of close games have no impact? Shouldn’t be a thing with every loss but it is hard to ignore sometimes.
To talk about something that happened 7 years ago…. That’s a little ridiculous
 
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