Greg Oden Flips Out And Gets Away With It

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You'd have no idea by watching CBS' coverage of the Xavier-Ohio State game, but the ending of it was soaked in controversy. After a wild sequence of two Ohio State missed shots, Xavier pulls down a rebound with ten seconds left and a two point lead. Greg Oden is the nearest Buckeye to the ball and violently shoves the Xavier player out of bounds:

No intentional foul or flagrant foul was called. Xavier would miss one of two at the line, OSU would hit a game-tying three, and the rest is history. If the refs had decided a flying shoulderblock that sent a Xavier player into the photographers was a two-shot-and-the-ball foul we have a 9 over a 1. Instead we just have further evidence that the state of NCAA basketball refereeing leaves something to be desired. Like competence.

UPDATE: CBS just addressed this on their studio show; they did have a better angle that showed Oden could plausibly be construed as going for the ball. So it's a closer decision and the "competence" rip above was unwarranted. For livid OSU fans in the comments: yes, I'm a Michigan fan; no, I'm not rooting against OSU after last year's 3-6, Bill Simmons ripping on the league, the dual Rose/Fiesta fiascoes, and the torrent of negative publicity after the "open letter" Jim Delaney sent out. Win all you want; I just thought that was a really bad call. Still think so.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)

3-17-2007 @ 4:02PM

The Big Lead said...

Don't know ... looked like Oden was going to foul him and then the Xavier player took a step into Oden (or in his direction) ... and since Oden's like 6 inches taller and probably got 50 pounds on the guy, he flew.

Fever Fan said...

The Ohio State University and Greg Oden have been a victim of the poor officiating. All season, including several times today, Oden was just out and out hammered with no call. One key play late, Oden had position for an offensive rebound, the ball came off the rim toward him, and yet, no jump or move to it. He was just grabbed and held. Then, how about the leg whip steal be Xavier in OT, with no call. I have watched VCU and Winthrop use the poor officiating to pull upsets.

3-17-2007 @ 4:16PM

Brent said...

Looks to me like the officials must have gotten a better buy off from Ohio State. Why is it that during the middle of the game, someone can get mauled like Oden did, and nothing is called, yet in the end of the game when teams are trying to foul to stop the clock, the officials will call a foul if a player is merely looked at wrong??? Looks to me like the officials need to get paid by the league more and less by the big name schools!!!

3-17-2007 @ 4:17PM

chase said...

the X guy did a decent flop job. oden gets hacked all game long. give the guy a break. Cage hits that foul shot and you guys win. or coach sean miller fouls under 5 seconds osu doesnt get that 3 pointer off.

3-17-2007 @ 4:19PM

MonkeyJoe said...

His hands are going to the ball and are you seriously advocating that the officials decide the game like that?

3-17-2007 @ 4:20PM

Meatwad said...

Funny how they (OSU) almost covered the spread (-7.5) in OT. Like the Refs had money on it - If they had $ on OSU though they still lost....

3-17-2007 @ 4:35PM

FFM said...

I agree with the article: it was, by any definition, a flagrant foul, and yet the refs balked at making the obvious call. Over at the Xavier bench, I believe, a coach was seen asking for the obvious call -giving the crossed arm signal for flagrant foul. I am amused though, by some of the other comments here. Obviously there are more than a few brackets that would have gone up in flames - had Xavier gotten the win. I am so happy that the level of sportsmanship that is exhibited by fans, doesn't translate to the sportsmanship on the court. Otherwise, basketball would require shin guards, helmets, shoulder pads, and cut men.

3-17-2007 @ 4:44PM

rancid689 said...

Xavier had an 11 point lead and at least 4 or 5 opportunities to finish off Ohio state by making key shots. They did not. The officiating had nothing to do with that.

3-17-2007 @ 4:56PM

Rancid you are correct. I was just pointing it out from a gambling standpoint- Xavier hits a couple of more free throws and they win in Reg. I wish they would have since I had Tenn. beating OSU anyway. That will be a good game. UT played at OSU early in the season and lost by only 1pt. Of course UT has to defeat UVA before they get a shot at OSU!

3-17-2007 @ 5:15PM

dybbs said...

It is easy to rip Ohio State because they ended up winning. How about the absolute mugging of David Lighty on the putback? Refs swallowed their whistles on that one. Watch the entire game, don't edit it to one play that goes in your favor. Maybe Mr. Cook went to Xavier, but the refs favored the Musketeers most of the game.

3-17-2007 @ 5:33PM

EastIndyGuy said...

FFM, did you even watch the game? Xavier's coach did the crossed arms thing about 10 times during the game. it is one of Xavier's signals for calling plays.

Oden was going for the ball, and the smaller Xavier player collided with him and went flying. Compare that to the leg-whip take down/steal that the Xavier player got away with and honestly say which one should have been a flagrant foul.

3-17-2007 @ 5:50PM

Arland Pafford said...

Ridiculous! It was an obvious, flagrant foul, and should have been so called, but many are not. That's basketball. However when the CBS crew, dumb, dumber and dumbest attempted to clean it up, that was ridiculous

3-17-2007 @ 5:51PM

Gorgonzola said...

Looked like a flop to me. To change the subject, I love how #34 on Xavier runs at Oden then realizes he's kinda big and stops.

In Sean Miller's comments post game he stated that he did not think that the foul was intentional. This is sounding more like sour grapes from a UM fan who's looking for a 'moral victory' over the Buckeyes. Lord knows UM can't beat OSU in football or basketball.

3-17-2007 @ 5:57PM

It was an obvious, flagrant call and should have been called. But many are not. That's basketball. But when the CBS crew, Dumb, Dumber and Dumbest attempted to clean it up, that was ridiculous.

3-17-2007 @ 6:30PM

POJO_Risin said...

Look, it was a judgement call. There's no doubt that he was trying to foul him. I've seen hundreds of no-flagrant or no-intention foul calls on similar plays every year. It's all water under the bridge either way...

Ohio State won because they played to win the entire game. Xavier ran out of steam, and STILL could have put it away with a foul shot.

Check out my site, The POJO Dojo, for more on it.

Great game.

3-17-2007 @ 6:56PM

Swhat110Aaol.com said...

Greg Olden Got a way with a foul. It should have been a intentional foul .

3-17-2007 @ 9:24PM

Alex said...

3RD ROW VIEW

THE COMMENTS I HAVE SEEN IN THIS DISCUSSION ARE SOME OF THE WORST ARGUEMENTS I HAVE EVER HEARD. OFFICIATING IN PREVIOUS GAMES DOES NOT APPLY TO THIS SPECIFIC PLAY, UM FANS LOOKING FOR A MORAL VICTORY,ARE YOU SERIOUS????,FLOP??, AND THIS ISN'T ABOUT OVERTIME THIS IS ABOUT THE ODEN FOUL.
I WAS AT THE GAME, SITTING IN THE 3 ROW DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM WHERE THE FOUL OCCURED. ODEN WAS NOT GOING FOR THE BALL ON THE REBOUND, IF YOU WATCH THE VIDEO YOU WILL SEE THAT JUSTIN CAGE ALREADY HAS THE BALL AND ODEN COMES OVER, EXTENDS 2 ARMS AND THROWS HIM DOWN. CAGE IS A TOUGH PLAYER...A TOUGH PLAYER, HE DOES NOT FLOP. THE REACTION FROM THE CROWD WAS THE LOUDEST, MOST ANGRY BOOING I HAVE EVER HEARD. EVEN THE OSU FANS AT THE GAME THOUGHT IT WAS A FLAGRANT. IF YOU CAN'T SEE THE VIOLENCE IN THAT FOUL THEN I'LL ASSUME THAT YOU MAKE YOUR LIVING AS A SERIAL KILLER.

3-17-2007 @ 9:25PM

and look at Matta's reaction along with his Osu bench. Stunned

3-17-2007 @ 11:15PM

osu=gay said...

"i mean, i didn't fall down by myself."
-justin cage
if you think that is not an intentional foul you are either blind or just ignorant. cage did not step into him. oden deliberelty shoved cage and it should have been two shots and the ball. and the refs did not favor xavier for most of the game. did you watch the game? and espn/cbs is so biased toward the big boys its disgusting. the refs also give the big boys all the calls (see coach K, duke) so to say xavier got all the call is rediculous.