MBB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[Pat Coleman]

If all-American teams were released a day later I'm guessing Barber is at least one team higher. 

Certainly possible.

[raiderpa]

There were some calls that fans did not like against both teams, but you can't let it come down to a one call, either way.  As a Mount lifer, I thought it was an offensive foul, but that's how a fan thinks.  On the other hand, a no call lets the kids win or lose, and, in essence, this was a no call as it had no effect on the shot.  Mount, IMO, gave them confidence by allowing them to get back in it before halftime and from there on, it was a dog fight.  CNU did a good job taking away easy looks for threes. 
I once asked a veteran official, "What if, after you whistle, you get caught and are not sure if a block or charge, but you have to make a call?"...He said, it was usually close to traveling and that was his call, because normally in that case the ball handler would stumble...
I would have loved to seen OT.
Thanks to Mount guys, a bunch of really good kids and Coach Fuline, one of the finest in America.

[Pat Coleman]

If he'd stopped backpedaling and taken the hit, they'd have been forced to call something, but that didn't happen.

[Gregory Sager]

I agree with Pat. After watching the Twitter gif of Barber's arm going up and into Parker's chest, I'm fairly (but not 100%) sure that it was an offensive foul -- but the fact that Parker was backpedaling at the time gave the officials the luxury of not having to blow the whistle and thereby decide the national championship based upon that whistle, because it's impossible to say how much (if any) force was applied by Barber to accelerate Parker's self-propelled movement backwards.

I'm always one to argue that officials should call the final thirty seconds of a game the exact same way that it was called in the previous 39:30. But, given the stakes, I understand the human element involved, and I entirely sympathize with the officials. Until the day comes when we can have robots officiate a national championship game, a natty can only be decided by an official's call if the foul is clear and conclusive ... and, because of Parker's backpedaling, that foul wasn't.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

To add to GS and Pat's input - while Parker may have drawn the foul if he had stopped backpeddling and taken the hit, he's also likely thinking "I can't foul this guy and cost us the chmpionship".  A two point loss at the buzzer is excruciating for sure, but having the players decide the game (Parker could have blocked the shot, Barber could have misssed) versus a never-ending arguement over a charge/block kind of call would be worse I'm sure.   

[RaidersRGr8t]

We were 11-for-18 at the line, including missing the front end of at least 1+1. Let's start there before we start pointing fingers.
Really, the only whistles that fired me up were 1) the timeout granted to CNU, which clearly came after the 5-second violation whistle, and 2) the foul call from behind the play on the loose ball scramble at midcourt.
The official who granted the timeout, in my opinion, was out of his element.
The charge call on Newsom could have easily been a travel (the defensive player did not establish legal guarding position but Newsom was out of control); I was on the wrong side of the court to see Gurley's push-off and Mansfield's offensive foul was a 50-50 play; but we all know NCAA officials will call player-control 90 percent of the time. Ask Jay Bilas.
And, truthfully, CP had a blocked shot or two in the first half that could have been fouls.

[Pat Coleman]

it's impossible to say how much (if any) force was applied by Barber to accelerate Parker's self-propelled movement backwards.

Yes, I agree with this one as well. I ran into a game official at the airport yesterday, showed him our video from YouTube with the sideline angle, and he was completely on board with the no-call.

[Pat Coleman]

1) the timeout granted to CNU, which clearly came after the 5-second violation whistle,

The timeout was granted after the whistle, but it was asked for before the whistle. There has to be an allowance for the human lag between when an official hears the request for a timeout and has a chance to blow the whistle.

[Dr. Acula]

Watched the last possession numerous times.  Didn't see a travel.  Barber did push off as the video showed but that's a no call IMO.  If Barber had stopped and popped a jumper off the space created from the push off I'd be mad, but he didn't.  They're not gonna call an offensive foul there and I'm ok w that.  As someone mentioned, make your FT before then.  Brutal way to lose but no one wants a FT deciding it there.

[purple]

 Went to the game. Mount Union had superior athletes. They should have won. More talent, no knock on CNP, who played with a great heart. There were about 100 New P's there in the whole place. Nice place, the seats were wonderful and the pre-game spread set out by the Purple staff was great. We were the better team. I thought we bitched too much at the refs. The coach didn't but player(s) did. When the Refs turned into, "touch me not" refs. It changed the game. I heard a TV executive tell the refs to." slow the game down", in the second half. He told them there wasn't enough advertising time used in the first half and they, "needed to get with the program." That's the real reason the second half lasted twice as long. Big TV put the arm on the Refs.

[D3fanboy]

Watched the last possession numerous times.  Didn't see a travel.  Barber did push off as the video showed but that's a no call IMO.  If Barber had stopped and popped a jumper off the space created from the push off I'd be mad, but he didn't.  They're not gonna call an offensive foul there and I'm ok w that.  As someone mentioned, make your FT before then.  Brutal way to lose but no one wants a FT deciding it there.

Mount let CNU back in the game by missing the front end of multiple 1-and-1's in the first half.  Huge momentum swing.  Mount just has to play better in the last 1:30 to overcome the 50:50 calls that all seemed to favor CNU.  The Mansfield "charge", immediately the 5 sec vs TO call, the no-travel call on CNU at midcourt, the play-on call on Parkers lay-up and the no-call on the extended arm on the winning drive.  Mount just has to play better

[Pat Coleman]

I heard a TV executive tell the refs to." slow the game down", in the second half. He told them there wasn't enough advertising time used in the first half and they, "needed to get with the program." That's the real reason the second half lasted twice as long. Big TV put the arm on the Refs.

I laugh at the thought, even tongue-in-cheek, that there's a TV executive that is at the game.

[hopefan]

I heard a TV executive tell the refs to." slow the game down", in the second half. He told them there wasn't enough advertising time used in the first half and they, "needed to get with the program." That's the real reason the second half lasted twice as long. Big TV put the arm on the Refs.

I laugh at the thought, even tongue-in-cheek, that there's a TV executive that is at the game.

Maybe he was thinking you!!!!    Congrats!!!

[Gregory Sager]

I heard a TV executive tell the refs to." slow the game down", in the second half. He told them there wasn't enough advertising time used in the first half and they, "needed to get with the program." That's the real reason the second half lasted twice as long. Big TV put the arm on the Refs.

I laugh at the thought, even tongue-in-cheek, that there's a TV executive that is at the game.

Keep in mind that the word "purple" has more than one meaning.

[D3fanboy]

Mount should be attacking the portal, great chance to win it all in '24