As most thought would happen, the Alabama Crimson Tide fell to Omaha, Nebraska’s Creighton Blue Jays by a final score of 58-57 on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Bama led the Jays by seven at the half, and led by as many as ten before the nation’s eighth highest scoring team took over with a flurry. The Tide held Creighton’s Doug McDermott, the nation’s leading scorer, to 16-points, and had a shot (literally) to win it in the end.

In fact, this picture shows that Bama should have been given the opportunity to win it at the foul line, as Trevor Releford’s arm was clearly hit as he released the potential game winning shot.

The shot itself wasn’t even close to the rim, indicating something had altered it badly. Releford isn’t a dead-eye shooter, but come on. The guy is capable of hitting the backboard from that distance.

Make no mistake. Officiating, as bad as it has been of late, didn’t cost Alabama this game. A lack of consistent scoring, a plague Alabama has dealt with for two consecutive seasons did that.

But video replay, allowing an “eye in the sky” to make sure the officials have gotten things right, would have put Alabama in position to advance.

In college basketball, video replay is allowed for the following reasons:

• To determine if a shot was released before time expires in either half or an overtime period.
• To determine if a field goal is worth two or three points.
• To determine who is to take a free throw.
• To determine whether a fight occurred and who participated in a fight.

And that’s it. Forget getting other elements of the game right.

As much as I enjoy seeing Tennessee lose, I’ll never forget watching this year’s SEC Tournament. With the Vols trailing (but surging) at the end of the game, the ball kareened out-of-bounds off an Ole Miss player’s forehead. Wrongly, the ball was still awarded to Ole Miss, who then ran out the remaining time on the clock.

The ACC Tournament was practically a highlight film of “don’ts” for the next officiating clinic.

Video replay has done wonders for college football. Those mortified by Preston Gothard’s touchdown that never was at Penn State in 1983 are now satisfied that what really happens on the field is now allowed to stand.

Even so, there are still things unexplainable to me about video review in college football. Things like pass interference and other judgment calls that fly under the radar.

That being said, I’m sure there would still be little quirks in the system. But opening up the possibilities of what is and isn’t reviewable can only help the game.

It’s time to make video review a reality on the hardwood. What do you think?


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11 thoughts on “Bama-Creighton shows it’s time for video replay in college basketball”

  1. Never gonna happen on a non clock confirmation call. As a huge CAG supporter we should focus on why there was no T.O. With 4.5 seconds on the inbounds, and why we waited soooo long to foul the previous play????? Stop crying about 1 play and realize we blew an 11 point lead down the stretch!!!!!

  2. There were enough dumbass decisions in the final minute to last a lifetime. The biggest being the worst 3 point shooting team in the SEC taking a damn 3 point shot down by only 1. But aside from that an .800 shooting free throw team shooting only 50% from the line is unacceptable. There was your ballgame. I’m sick of defensive basketball. No defensive team has ever won the Natty. I’m tired of 58-59 moral victories and 51-50 victories. Basketball is not football. The object of basketball is to put it in the hoop as many times as possible and more times than your opponent. Defense is secondary. Also I’m thinking we hired the wrong VCU coach. Obviously Grant’s assisstant coach was behind VCU’s success while Grant was there. Just look at the past three years results at both schools. I’d trade coaches with them in a heartbeat. We only have 3 sports at Alabama right now. Football, Womens Gymnastics and Softball. Our male athletes outside of football SUCK!

    1. What???? The gospel in Alabama is that DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS — DEFENSE ALONE. Little bit of an exception here I guess.

  3. I made all-county in BB in high school. I don’t keep up on BB much any more. But for some reason, and I don’t know why I just knew this was going to happen to the “Tide. Darn it. RTR

  5. We lost the Game on the Foul Line.
    This Group can make some noise before their careers end.
    Lacy, Randolph, Cooper & Jacobs will all get better.
    Not really sure I’d like to ever see Mitchell again — the guy really let his Team down. Maybe He finally understood this yesterday.
    Coach Grant, in my mind, is still a question mark. Ask VCU if they’d rather have him or Shaka.
    Our offense HAS to improve next year.
    Roll Tide

  6. There you go. It’s early in the game but VCU is whuppin’ up on Indiana – the only team to beat Kentucky in the regular season. I’m telling you, we hired the wrong VCU coach. Dude, defense at Alabama means football. Not basketball. Alabama has won 14 national championships in football – all with defense. Not Alabama, or Kentucky, or UCLA, or North Carolina, or Duke, or Indiana, or anybody has ever won a basketball national championship with a defense that allows 60 or less points a game and an offense averaging less than 85 points a game. ‘Aint gonna happen. Football by nature is a defensive game. Try as they might with point a minute offenses, the best teams still need a dominant defense. Basketball is an offensive game. And unless you can outscore whatever the other team throws at you, you’re phucked. Bama basketball has relied on defense for far too long. The record speaks for itself. Grant was supposed to be bringing a 40 minutes of Hell game to Alabama. Where the Hell is it?

  7. NCAA basketball refs aren’t gonna call a foul on a game-ending shot during the playoffs. It takes away from the excitement and makes for bad TV. Basketball is already too boring with today’s street ball style. Video reviews would only make it worse.

    Not that I really care. I quit watching NCAA basketball years ago when …as long as it looked good …the refs started allowing 3 steps towards the basket.

    1. I agree, Hoopie. Its not the same basketball I watched growing up. NBA is terrible to watch, in my opinion. And college, is starting to lean that way. Heck, at least the girls are still playing good fundamental basketball.

  8. It is funny how it’s never a big deal…..until it’s your school getting screwed. Only then is it time for a change. LOL Gotta love fandom….

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