Despite a torrent of close games and strange plays, all occurringunder greater-than-ever media scrutiny, the referees in the NCAAtournament are getting it right most of the time, their boss said.
"We'vehad 52 games, and I think we're really only talking about plays in twoor three of the games," John Adams, NCAA supervisor of officials, saidTuesday. "I would tell you I'm very pleased so far. We always strive toget all of them right in every game, and we'll keep trying to do that."
By Jack Gruber, USA TODAY
Adamssays he was caught "a little off-balance" by the speed and volume ofreaction by media outlets during the first full weekend of thetournament, particularly after controversial endings of thePittsburgh-Butler and Texas-Arizona games.
"I don't think thePitt-Butler game was over five minutes before my cell started going offwith everybody wanting to know what we thought of the end of the game,"he said. "I probably got texts and e-mails from 10 or 20 media sourceswithin five or 10 minutes.
"I can't remember this many games overthe course of the six days that were so close and came down to the lastminute of play. Everybody's focus gets a little sharper, whether it'sfans, coaches or media. The last minute seems to be what everybodyremembers."
The Pitt-Butler game ended after two foul calls inthe final 1.5 seconds that some critics have said should not have beencalled.
"All year long, we've asked the officials to enforce therules as written," Adams said. "A foul is a foul. If it's a foul in thefirst minute, it's a foul in the last minute."
It wasn't the Pitt-Butler game or the Texas-Arizona games, though, that had Adams admitting an officiating error.
Adamssaid in a statement issued by the NCAA that a backcourt violationshould not have been called against Syracuse in the last minute of atie game Sunday. The ball was awarded to Marquette, which hit athree-pointer and went on to win 66-62.
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