When will the NCAA annouce the VCU player's suspension?

[DankeShane]

Did you see that VCU player come down with his hand aggressively after the shot and swat Scheyer in the eye? There's no way a player should lose control of his limbs like that, unless they are playing with a combative intent. Not only that, but it could have permanently damaged Scheyer's vision. And it drew blood, which is a clear sign that the injury was premeditated.

When will the NCAA announce the VCU player's suspension? I'm sure some nerd is feverishly uploading his proof of the incident to youtube, which I can use to back myself up.

End tounge in cheek. That is all.

[SMO]

Carl Hess would have him tossed. If he were a Duke player.

[evrdukie]

Thanks. My eyes were rolling back in my head until I read your last sentence.

[mapei]

I don't know about *more* blatant, but it sure looked similar.

[nycbluedevil]

Just imagine the media frenzy if that exact same play had happened by GHenderson! He'd be suspended for all of next season!

[Methodistman]

What should have happened is Scheyer should have jumped up like he was ready to throw down, and then the refs would have seen that obviously there was combative intent by the VCU punk.

[SharkD]

Personally, I think it was some of the worst officiating I've seen in a tourney game in a long time. There were a number of blatant, brutal away from the ball/dead ball fouls that were not called -- Scheyer nearly got his head ripped off long before VCU drew blood (it was my impression that putting an opposing player in a headlock, then lifting him off his feet and simultaneously twisting was, traditionally, a foul).

When you have 4-5 players (on both teams) bleeding heavily, a couple of two-handed tackles, head locks and double-locked forearms and it only results in one whistle, there's a problem with the officiating crew. (Especially considering this same crew took 1:30 to determine whether a shot was a 2 or a 3, when the player's toes were clearly 6-8 inches behind the line.)

Just to be clear, I'd be just as upset if Duke had won by 20 -- lazy, ineffective officials create a dangerous atmosphere. The last thing anyone (hopefully) wants to see is some 20 year old kid get seriously injured by an out-of-control, aggressive player. If the pros want to bang and bleed, then let them add to the WWF-like atmosphere -- they walk away with a paycheck; this is college ball and it needs to be called tighter.

PS -- I especially didn't like the fact that the particularly rotund official was motioning to Paulus to "stand up" when it was pretty obvious that he'd hit his head when he was knocked to the floor.

[rsvman]

Personally, I think it was some of the worst officiating I've seen in a tourney game in a long time. There were a number of blatant, brutal away from the ball/dead ball fouls that were not called -- Scheyer nearly got his head ripped off long before VCU drew blood (it was my impression that putting an opposing player in a headlock, then lifting him off his feet and simultaneously twisting was, traditionally, a foul).

When you have 4-5 players (on both teams) bleeding heavily, a couple of two-handed tackles, head locks and double-locked forearms and it only results in one whistle, there's a problem with the officiating crew. (Especially considering this same crew took 1:30 to determine whether a shot was a 2 or a 3, when the player's toes were clearly 6-8 inches behind the line.)

I'd be just as mad if Duke had won by 20 -- lazy, ineffective officials create a dangerous atmosphere. The last thing anyone (hopefully) wants to see is some 20 year old kid get seriously injured by an out-of-control, aggressive player. If the pros want to bang and bleed, then let them add to the WWF-like atmosphere -- they walk away with a paycheck; this is college ball and it needs to be called tighter.

Amen, brother!

Although I thought it was ironic that if McClure was within a foot of the guy he was defending 25 feet from the basket, they called a foul, but if somebody put McRoberts in a half-nelson and bodily moved him 7 feet out of the lane, it was apparently OK.:mad:

[mgtr]

Plus, Maynor -- who could be a great player -- seemed instead a pretty dirty player.

[mapei]

Maynard seemed both, and a jerk, too.

[SharkD]

Maynard seemed both, and a jerk, too.
I think he should have been T'd-up for continuing to get in Paulus' face, before the ball was put back in play, after the mid-court foul.

[tbyers11]

That play by Maynor was definitely intentional. You do not follow through after a shot with that motion or in that direction. It was a well disguised cheap shot. If he were in the NBA and named Kobe, he would likely be getting a retoractive 1-game suspension.:)

[tbyers11]

I think he should have been T'd-up for continuing to get in Paulus' face, before the ball was put back in play, after the mid-court foul.

I agree that Maynor seemed like a jerk, but Greg initiated the "scrum" after that harder-than-needed foul at midcourt. I like Greg doing that. This team has reacted all year instead of forcing other teams to react to them like most Duke teams. If they're playing chippy and getting in our face, we can't just back down. Also, Greg didn't get the T like he did against FSU.

[koolaidRAM]

I really expected more from such seasoned fans. I don't think that Maynor is a dirty player...far from it. I think we can all agree that the game was very physical and intense.

I think that your team played a good game, and it got intense out there, and there were some 'dirtier' fouls coming on both sides of the ball.

The officiating, IMO, wasn't one sided, but it was inconsistent. Calling simple hand fouls on some possessions but not calling obvious hacks on others, very bad....but evenly horrible on both sides.

Either way....a great game by your team...I do not want to face these sophomores and freshmen when they are juniors and seniors.

[Lulu]

The officiating was indeed bizarre. I won't say one-sided, but so so many ticky-tack and phantom fouls followed by ignored hacks, bumps, and pushes. There certainly wasn't a lack of fouls, as I think UCLA almost beat us to halftime and they started about 15 minutes later by my watch. I was too unhappy by the end to notice if the other games had ended yet.

I haven't said this in any post yet, but I must even if not pertinent here: Where O Where was Zoubek? Do we have to try to matchup evenly with every team instead of exploiting their weaknesses? Why don't we try trading our weakness for theirs every now and then... might work out for the better. So they're fast and like to steal the ball... do we have to be overprotective and only play our fastest guys with the best handle (supposedly)? Rebounds can be just as much a change of possession. Remember early in the year when Zoubek started out like he would destroy smaller teams that had no big defender? Edit: And remember what he did to McBob in the blue and white?

[VaDukie]

Lulu the question is, what does Zoubek do with the ball? I could have nightmares thinking of what double teams with VCU defenders would do to Zoubek.

[Bob Green]

I agree that Maynor seemed like a jerk, but Greg initiated the "scrum" after that harder-than-needed foul at midcourt. I like Greg doing that. This team has reacted all year instead of forcing other teams to react to them like most Duke teams. If they're playing chippy and getting in our face, we can't just back down. Also, Greg didn't get the T like he did against FSU.

Initially, I was happy that Greg didn't back down. However, this play seemed to motivate VCU and propel them to victory. At the time it happenned, I was sure Duke was in the process of blowing the game wide open. Instead VCU stormed back from an 11 point deficit and won the game. They went 4 for 4 from 3-point land in the couple of minutes directly after this play took place. We would have been better off if the whole confrontation hadn't taken place. Of course, I'm Monday morning quarterbacking here.

Bob Green
Yokosuka, Japan

[Susan]

Bob, you actually expected Duke to blow the game wide open? :) I have to say that when we were up 11 with 10 minutes to go the clock couldn't tick fast enough for me. For me, I have had a feeling in the pit of my stomach during the second half of each of the recent Duke games where I just KNOW no matter what our lead, we'll blow it or come close to blowing it. Sad isn't it? However, when I think about how many fans must feel that way every year, I realize how lucky I have been to have so many years when I just KNEW we'd pull out the close wins, or that we'd blow out a team in the second half.

I do really appreciate this team, and I think a season like this DOES make us appreciate the outstanding seasons we so often can take for granted. I LOVE Paulus. A good night's sleep certainly can help bring perspective. :)

Now, LET'S GO DUKE WOMEN. They have been so much fun to watch all year. I really hope this is their year.

[tbyers11]

Initially, I was happy that Greg didn't back down. However, this play seemed to motivate VCU and propel them to victory. At the time it happenned, I was sure Duke was in the process of blowing the game wide open. Instead VCU stormed back from an 11 point deficit and won the game. They went 4 for 4 from 3-point land in the couple of minutes directly after this play took place. We would have been better off if the whole confrontation hadn't taken place. Of course, I'm Monday morning quarterbacking here.

Bob Green
Yokosuka, Japan

You very well may be correct that VCU's play may have gone up a notch after this collision but I think it was more a result of Duke's propensity for turning the ball over and not getting back in transition D than being fired up after this exchange. VCU made largely uncontested transition threes all game.

I guess that I was looking at the exchange more from Paulus' point of view. It showed that he wasn't intimidated. VCU had been doing small things to intimidate Duke (talking smack after making a basket, their point man on the press getting in Josh's way as he tried to pick the ball to inbound it after made baskets) and from my less than ideal vantage point in my living room, it looked like Duke was just sitting there and taking it. I know that letting your play do the talking is the best way to combat this, but this Duke team seemed way too passive and reactionary all year long and I liked Greg standing up for himself.

[SharkD]

Koolaid, I understand your perspective, and while mine is probably not objective, either, I don't like seeing 18-22yo kids getting hurt.

I don't mind a "physical" game so long as the refs ensure that, however rough the play may be, that the players are in control. When they get out of control (as GH did against Hansbrough, and as much of the VCU did last night), it's up to the refs to either assess a foul, or just pull both coaches to the scorer's table and tell them to reign-in the players.

Seeing Paulus' eye during the presser, I can only imagine what Scheyer's face must look like. Same goes for the VCU kid who was sidelined with a bloody nose. It's just unacceptable that an officiating crew let the game get that out of hand, but was more than willing to call an infrequent hand-check.

As I said before, if Kobe, or Shaq, or Artest, etc. want to beat each others' brains in, let them -- they'll get paid (minus their fines). But this is college ball and things need to be kept in check.

I also feel, that if touching the ball after it goes through the net is a technical, then hindering the inbounder from getting to the ball should be as well -- I literally screamed out loud when I saw that kind of crap going down without even a word from the official to the VCU player or coaches.

[BatteringRam]

Yawwwwnnnnn ...

this discussion is still going on, eh? Well, look guys it was a physical game on both sides. Thought Maynor's foul on Paulas was smart, because he was trying to wear him down. Thought Paulas getting up in Maynor's grill was smart, 'cause he was trying to get Maynor ejected, and/or his head out the game. And it sucks when young men get hurt, but it is a physical sport. I mean every single player on that court knows they run the risk of getting hurt, and will run themselves dead if they have too. That is what happened. Besides for neither Coach to mention it in the postgame, neither player said anything, none of the media outlets called it anything other then what it was: a knock-down-drag-out war.

Good game! Hell, GREAT game. It won't always end the way it did; it just did this time! Good luck, you don't need me to tell you that you will be back next year.

[throatybeard]

Yawwwwnnnnn ...

this discussion is still going on, eh?


Yes, but to look at it in a positive way, at least it got us off Hendo/Hansbrough.

[HK Dukie]

Personally I would rather have a broken nose than what Scheyer had in the VCU game.

This whole Duke gets all the calls thing is absolutely insane. Has anyone seen the NCAA tournament?

Langdon in '99, Boozer in '02, and Redick in '04 all were fouled in the last 30 seconds and nothing was called. Yet, still we are dogged by accusations of getting all the calls. The numbnuts on ESPN et al that believe we do are either completely blind or completely stupid.

I'm not even including the LSU '06 and VCU '07 examples because those were badly called for the entire game.

[SharkD]

Besides for neither Coach to mention it in the postgame, neither player said anything...

NCAA and individual conference rules prohibit players and coaches from publicly criticizing officials, their calls or the absence of calls.

[BatteringRam]

NCAA and individual conference rules prohibit players and coaches from publicly criticizing officials, their calls or the absence of calls.

True, but it does not prohibit the media asking coaches about these things. Also, I never said "Duke gets all the calls." I mean for Pete's sake it is college basketball. Things go your way sometimes and sometimes they don't, that goes for Duke, VCU, UNC, GMU, OSU, etc etc etc. We all get the call sometimes. And we all get the shaft other times.