Big 12 Has A Big Officiating Problem

The Big 12 has a serious officiating problem.  Commissioner Bob Bowlsby needs to get on it right away.  Two situations jump off the page to me:

The Kansas-Iowa State game in Ames.  Elijah Johnson obviously charges into an Iowa State player in the waning seconds of regulation.  Nothing is called.  ESPN broadcaster Fran Frischilla correctly notes that something has to be called there.  Replays clearly showed that Johnson charged and nothing was called.  In the ensuing scrum to get the loose ball, KU's Johnson comes up with it and passes to Naadir Tharpe on the perimeter.  His actions were unhindered.  Yet Iowa State was called for a foul, Johnson goes to the line and hits two free throws to send the game into overtime.  There were at least two egregious officiating errors on one play.

In the Big 12 tournament, KU was whistled for just 9 fouls in the championship games versus Kansas State.  Nine fouls?  For the whole game?  Are you kidding me?  For a half, 9 fouls is plausible.  For a game, it is not.  For their part, Kansas State was only whistled for 15 fouls themselves.  Remember that Coach Self is a coach that prides himself on tough, physical teams.  When he called his team "soft" earlier this year, he was not complimenting them.  Tough, physical teams are going to commit more than 9 fouls a game, especially against their arch rival.  Kansas State is also a very physical team.  And only 24 fouls called?  Contrast that with the Baylor-Oklahoma State, a game that did match two of the least physical, and softest teams in the Big 12.  There were a total of 44 fouls whistled in that game, 23 on Baylor, 21 on Oklahoma State.  Including the one with 3 seconds left that never actually happened!  I am sure there are more instances of egregious officiating in the league this year.

The referees are having too much of an impact on the outcome of games in this league.  This is simply inexcusable.  Another 20,000 or so of these kinds of breaks and Bill Self will seriously start challenging Norm Stewart for most breaks ever from the officials!

Commissioner Bowlsby has a problem that needs to be addressed.  Let's hope he takes care of this problem during the off season.