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Last Ref from MVC now in Big XII?

F

Future Walk-On

New member
Last year there was the ref with blonde highlights at many home games...

I never like him...we lost nearly every game he reffed. Well I thought I saw him during the Kansas State/Texas game. I just saw him reffing the Kansas/Mizzou game.

Who is this guy? How did he make it primetime? I thought he was bad...
 
Future Walk-On said:
Last year there was the ref with blonde highlights at many home games...

I never like him...we lost nearly every game he reffed. Well I thought I saw him during the Kansas State/Texas game. I just saw him reffing the Kansas/Mizzou game.

Who is this guy? How did he make it primetime? I thought he was bad...
Click to expand...

John Higgins. He's done more BU games over the past few years than any other ref. The MVC is still one of his most frequent stops, as is the Big 12. He's actually one of the better officials we get. He's does the NCAA Tournament every year, and I believe has done Final Fours very recently.

I'm sure he'd be happy to hear you liked his highlights...not that there's anything wrong with that...

http://statsheet.com/mcb/referees/john-higgins
 
Future Walk-On said:
Last year there was the ref with blonde highlights at many home games...

I never like him...we lost nearly every game he reffed. Well I thought I saw him during the Kansas State/Texas game. I just saw him reffing the Kansas/Mizzou game.

Who is this guy? How did he make it primetime? I thought he was bad...
Click to expand...

There are others that know more about this than I do, but these refs don't have a conference affiliation. One reason that the MVC has started to schedule so many Tuesday games is to get better quality refs since most leagues play on Wednesdays.
 
VeveJones007 said:
There are others that know more about this than I do, but these refs don't have a conference affiliation. One reason that the MVC has started to schedule so many Tuesday games is to get better quality refs since most leagues play on Wednesdays.
Click to expand...

Then explain to me how we frequently still get Pollard and Sanzere :rolleyes:
 
Many call him "Pretty Boy" or "Surfer Boy" Higgins b/c you see him playing with his hair all the time.

The problem with Pollard and Sanzerre is that they do Big10 and Big12 games as well- so the conference think they are good... but they are downright Charles Barkley TUUUUURIBLE
 
I for one think the officiating in the MVC is more than adequate. I watch a ton of college basketball every year and I don't think the MVC officiating is any different than any other league. I can't name one game in the last five years where BU has won or lost because of officiating. There's always a little home court bias in my opinion, but that happens everywhere. John Higgins is a very good official, and my wife refers to him as "Malibu Ken."
 
the reffing is better than in some past years....
but I still would like to see some tempering of all the high screen fouls that only seem to get called in the Valley and the terrible charge calls although they are a bit better this year
 
It seems to me that every game Sanzere does, there is about a 3 minute stretch in that he seems to go absolutely whistle happy. I saw him do this during an Illinois game and a couple of Bradley games already this year.

And I know Im probably a little bias;), but I swear that Pollard just doesn't like Bradley or maybe Les, but we just seem to get the shaft whenever he refs one of our games.
 
One thing I like about Higgins is that he generally lets guys play physical inside. His foul numbers may not necessarily reflect that, but having watched most of the BU games he's called, and a large number of Big 12 and NCAA games that he's called, I think he does a good job of letting the guys play down there. My biggest beef with some officials calling MVC games over the past few years is their inability to let the big men play. I truly think that in the past it was a detriment to quality big men coming to play in our league. I'm sure it certainly didn't give Danny Granger any incentive to stick around, regardless of the other problems he may have had. I hope that is changing.
 
tornado said:
the reffing is better than in some past years....
but I still would like to see some tempering of all the high screen fouls that only seem to get called in the Valley and the terrible charge calls although they are a bit better this year
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Agreed. There are a lot of moving screen fouls called against Bradley. Part of it is the offense where you have WE or SS screening 30 feet from the basket and then rolling back through the lane. They to try to go so fast that they don't stop and set a good screen. However, many times it doesn't look like the screener has gained an advantage and I think the call is made strictly on principal.

The block/charge calls have been much better this year. The new rule is helping. I would still prefer to see the line painted on the court.
 
BradleyBrave said:
One thing I like about Higgins is that he generally lets guys play physical inside. His foul numbers may not necessarily reflect that, but having watched most of the BU games he's called, and a large number of Big 12 and NCAA games that he's called, I think he does a good job of letting the guys play down there. My biggest beef with some officials calling MVC games over the past few years is their inability to let the big men play. I truly think that in the past it was a detriment to quality big men coming to play in our league. I'm sure it certainly didn't give Danny Granger any incentive to stick around, regardless of the other problems he may have had. I hope that is changing.
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I really really do think the Sanziers Higgins of the world definitely officiate Big 12 games a whole lot differently then they do for MVC games. They allow a lot more physical play in the paint then they do in the Valley.

But they for the most part are some of the more solid officials in college basketball. BTW Higgins was one of the refs at the UCONN v Texas game this past weekend.
 
houstontxbrave said:
I really really do think the Sanziers Higgins of the world definitely officiate Big 12 games a whole lot differently then they do for MVC games. They allow a lot more physical play in the paint then they do in the Valley.

But they for the most part are some of the more solid officials in college basketball. BTW Higgins was one of the refs at the UCONN v Texas game this past weekend.
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Sanzere and Pollard for sure. I don't hear many flattering comments about either one from Big 10 or MVC guys. I'll quote my old HS coach, who said 'There's no such thing as a good official'. That's probably true. Higgins I think does a fair job though. I think there are a few others out there that do as well.
 
I am sure those guys, Sanzere, Pollard, and Higgins, are all experienced and respected refs or they would be getting calls to do MVC, Big 12, or Big Ten games.

However, I can say that there are some refs that the people closely affiliated with the BU team don't like, and it's based on their recollection of how they have called previous Bradley games.
 
Da Coach said:
I am sure those guys, Sanzere, Pollard, and Higgins, are all experienced and respected refs or they would be getting calls to do MVC, Big 12, or Big Ten games.

However, I can say that there are some refs that the people closely affiliated with the BU team don't like, and it's based on their recollection of how they have called previous Bradley games.
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Gerry Pollard, would be my first guess. Him and JL have had a definite issue with each other for a long time.
 
houstontxbrave said:
I really really do think the Sanziers Higgins of the world definitely officiate Big 12 games a whole lot differently then they do for MVC games. They allow a lot more physical play in the paint then they do in the Valley.

But they for the most part are some of the more solid officials in college basketball. BTW Higgins was one of the refs at the UCONN v Texas game this past weekend.
Click to expand...

I have noticed that. I watched the Syracuse Georgetown game last evening and even the announcers were that they were surprised that with all the contact that a foul was not called. I like it when the refs allow physical play because there seems to be a better flow to the game. Most good refs set what they are going to allow early and are consistent from then on.
 
Disturbed said:
I for one think the officiating in the MVC is more than adequate. I watch a ton of college basketball every year and I don't think the MVC officiating is any different than any other league. I can't name one game in the last five years where BU has won or lost because of officiating. There's always a little home court bias in my opinion, but that happens everywhere. John Higgins is a very good official, and my wife refers to him as "Malibu Ken."
Click to expand...
We have called Higgens "Bay Watch" ever since we first saw him. He is by far one of the best officials in the country and his schedule proves it. He works alot of the biggest games in the country and if he stays healthy will work the finals before long. As far as Sanzere and Pollard go,I'd rather not see them on our games but we don't get a vote. Its nice to see someone like Higgens get his start in our league and get to the level he has.
 
We have nicknames for them all, but John Higgins (pretty boy as I call him) was coined as "pleated pants" by my sister in law.

While all wear pants with pleats now...the ever so vain JH wore them first.

P.S. my brother calls Mike Sanzere..."Tim Kurkjian."
 
Double D said:
We have nicknames for them all, but John Higgins (pretty boy as I call him) was coined as "pleated pants" by my sister in law.

While all wear pants with pleats now...the ever so vain JH wore them first.

P.S. my brother calls Mike Sanzere..."Tim Kurkjian."
Click to expand...

Ha! That is spot-on!
 
I still don't like him! Thanks for the info...I've never been much of a ref-knower. I have met Hightower (after illinois fell to iowa to go to 17-1 a few years back, in which he reffed) and that is it, i was still nice to him though.
 
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