Only 2 B1G b'ball teams with a winning record in away games
We all know that MANY Big Ten teams are bunched around .500: 7-5, 7-5, 7-5, 7-5, 7-5, 7-5, 6-6, 5-7, 5-).
Still, it surprised me that only two teams have a winning record in away games overall. It's Purdue at 7-1 and Northwestern at 5-2.
(If today's podcast covered this weirdness, I missed it.)
https://bigten.org/standings.aspx?path=mbball
February 6th, 2023 at 7:46 PM ^
Wild theory, I may be way off but man it seems like B1G officiating get’s influenced by crowd noise. I gotta feel it’s an adrenaline thing at times. I do think it influences tight games.
February 6th, 2023 at 8:14 PM ^
Every year there are a ton of teams anywhere from 9-11 to 13-7 and several are 10-10 and a lot of that’s because of the disparity between home and away officiating. It kills the Bigten come tournament time.
February 6th, 2023 at 8:18 PM ^
Why isn’t that an issue in other conferences considering the general mediocrity of cbb officiating across conferences?
February 6th, 2023 at 8:51 PM ^
I think the B1G has a bit more parity than other conferences. Not a huge difference from top to bottom in basketball. I think just a little bit of an edge in home court officiating is enough to tip the scales.
February 7th, 2023 at 12:49 PM ^
I don't think the difference is more than tiny, and probably negligible, but Big Ten games are typically well attended so the officiating is perhaps a tiny bit more influenced in big ten games than say...Pac 12 games, if crowds do indeed influence officiating.
ACC games are well-attended though too. And I think b12. So I'm sure they have similar home court advantages. Would be interesting to see data on it.
And of course, the notion this hurts big ten teams come tournament time is wrong.
February 6th, 2023 at 8:33 PM ^
Specific evidence at Crisler Center: minimal crowd noise and a negative whistle for the home team.
February 7th, 2023 at 2:08 PM ^
We still have a significant homecourt advantage overall, though. Our record at Crisler has been very good over the past decade.
February 7th, 2023 at 10:20 AM ^
I dont think it's a wild theroy at all. I have maintained for years that officials, being human, like being cheered more than they like being boo'd. And despite all their protests to the contrary, hearing a crowd cheer is much more pleasing than hearing one scream at you. So the 50-50 calls generally ALL go the home team's way. And it's not even something they're aware of.
Years ago they did a study (sorry no link) on the impact of the home field/court/ice on the outcome of games and what they found was the closer to the action that fans sat, the more impact they had on the outcome. So basketball was the most influenced and baseball was the least. Heck a few years ago Mark Cuban paid some guys to track officials calling the games involving the same teams and measured the foul disparity between home & road games and gap was wide. Same teams, same officials but when playing at home that team had a distinct advantadge in the officiating. It was so bad he was fined by the league and ordered to shut the comparison down and told to stop talking about it.
Another study I remember reading about was interesting. In that one they put the basketball officials in noise deadening headphones so they couldnt hear the crowd and guess what happened?
Calls were evened out - home court advantadge was gone.
February 7th, 2023 at 10:51 AM ^
Absolutely. It's not a wild theory but demonstrable fact that calls favor the home team.
I think the problem comes when the disparity gets attributed to conscious bias. ("He ALWAYS calls things against us!")
While some conscious favoritism may be in play, the greater effect is subconscious. Less a deliberate decision to tilt one way or the other but a barely felt sense that tilts them. Tilts us.
But a subconscious problem is tougher to solve. All of us prefer to think that we are in complete, conscious control of our ideas and actions, despite generations of studies of all sorts in all kinds of fields that demonstrate we are constantly swayed by subconscious feelings and thoughts.
Though noise-cancelling headphones seem like an interesting solution.
February 7th, 2023 at 12:50 PM ^
Saing ALL close calls go to the home team is wrong, but yes, more go to the home team than the away team.
February 6th, 2023 at 8:25 PM ^
Nevermind. I'm dumb.
I thought Ted Valentine retired but was back in action this season. Apparently he never retired. He just does other conferences more often these days.
February 7th, 2023 at 10:40 AM ^
The spirit of Ted Valentine lives on. Remember - all you fans - it's not about you (the fans), it's not about the coaches, it's not about the players on the court, it's about ME - the official. Yes, I - the official - control the game - I determine what is and isn't a foul - I decide what should be done - it's up to me, Me, ME!!!!
There have been discussions / conversation about the conference hiring officials and having them officiate games, with officiating being a full time job, instead of part time and contracted employment - as it is today. I'll be interested in whether the next B1G commissioner pursues this "full time" officiating approach.
February 6th, 2023 at 8:28 PM ^
Penn St coach has been calling out the conference officiating pretty vocally lately. He says a lot of the officials act like he doesn’t know what he’s doing and one couldn’t even remember his name. I think the conference officiating sucks really bad.
February 7th, 2023 at 12:52 PM ^
Why would a ref need to know the coaches name? I would argue that's good. Stay impartial. Be a robot. You don't need to know anyones names. Just ref the game.
February 7th, 2023 at 2:00 PM ^
It's common courtesy. If you work with someone for two hours, shouldn't you learn their name? They don't have to learn everyone's name on the team, but should know the head coach's, at least.
It's also a good idea from a standpoint of diffusing tensions. Calling a coach by his name is more respectful than calling him "you" all game.
February 7th, 2023 at 2:41 PM ^
He's probably right. That's why (like football officials) it goes back to the apparently poor management of the officials by the Big Ten Conference. They work for the conference and the conference should be doing a better job selecting, training, and evaluating them. For one thing, there seems to be little or no accountability that anyone can determine for bad officiating in games. You know this because you keep seeing the same bad calls year after year.
February 6th, 2023 at 8:36 PM ^
February 6th, 2023 at 9:19 PM ^
Previous comment is under review
February 6th, 2023 at 10:36 PM ^
Upon further review, that comment results in a game misconduct.
February 7th, 2023 at 11:35 AM ^
And the Michigan goal is overturned.
February 6th, 2023 at 9:41 PM ^
I watched Northwestern play Wisconsin Sunday. Late in the game, Northwestern was called for a charge. It was so obviously a block that I thought the refs were giving Wisconsin a home whistle. The next 3 close calls all went Northwestern’s way. I understand 1 makeup call, but not 3. That’s when I realized the refs were just really, really incompetent.
February 6th, 2023 at 9:49 PM ^
But they're trying and it's hard... and we're all just supposed to take it.
It's really a depressing concept, being a fan, yet so much rides on dudes (maybe we need to get more gals, truly) in stripes.
February 6th, 2023 at 9:59 PM ^
Webber used to openly laugh about how much of a home court advantage the refs gave teams. Said it was a huge advantage / disadvantage.
February 7th, 2023 at 10:43 AM ^
The point that was raised is fair. One NBA playoff series that highlights this is the 2002 NBA West Conference Finals between Sacramento and the LA Lakers.
February 7th, 2023 at 11:16 AM ^
I beg to differ. That series didnt showcase refs being swayed by home court advantage. That series showcased refs being swayed by large cash payoffs.
That series was fixed and everyone inside and outside the NBA knows it.
February 6th, 2023 at 11:01 PM ^
The home/away disparity in collegiate officiating in basketball has been so obvious for so many years that I can’t believe more coaches don’t make a bigger stink about it.
February 7th, 2023 at 10:22 AM ^
Except for at Crisler where Im still waiting for Michigan to get a call.
February 6th, 2023 at 11:46 PM ^
Yeah, home court in basketball is a real thing. When my boys were playing I told them you need to be 10 points better away than at home…and that was merely anecdotal, but…
February 7th, 2023 at 4:34 AM ^
The refs were another player on the court in Bloomington. IU would always make more FTs than Michigan would attempt. Most infuriating part of watching IU during the Bobby Knight days.
February 7th, 2023 at 8:16 AM ^
officiating would be easy to do better. simply: no one can speak to the refs or really even say anything that is meant for the refs to hear. if they do, technical; if they do again, throw them out. it would change reffing completely.
February 7th, 2023 at 8:41 AM ^
I'm sure I'm forgetting seasons past but I don't any year when the Big Ten was so mired in parity (or mediocrity if you prefer). Having six teams at 7-5 in conference is odd, but beyond that I can see just about any team beating any other tream in the conference. Michigan has 8 games remaining. Road games at Rutgers, Illinois and Indiana will likely be tough but there aren't any matchups that I would be shocked to win or lose.
February 7th, 2023 at 10:53 AM ^
Winning on the road in conference play is never easy. As several commenters note, officiating doesn't make it any easier.
Purdue's road record this season isn't a surprise, since - IMO, Purdue is the strongest B1G team.
However, Northwestern's road success is a bit of a surprise. And, that's a credit to the Wildcats and their play. I think Collins is a solid coach, but, I am surprised he hasn't had a bit more success in recruiting and their conference record. Perhaps the Wildcats have turned the corner and will go dancing again in March. Oh - the B1G Tourney will be in Chicago - which should help the Wildcats a bit, if their fans turn out.
February 7th, 2023 at 12:04 PM ^
NBA is similar this year. Only the Celtics have a very good road record. Compared to pre-COVID years it is abnormal.
February 7th, 2023 at 12:17 PM ^
Big ten officiating is straight garbage. Szelc can go kick rocks.
February 7th, 2023 at 1:48 PM ^
There are 30 teams in the NBA and only 7 have winning road records; 5 in the east and 2 in the west. Interestingly, 4 of the 7 teams are in the same division.
February 7th, 2023 at 12:44 PM ^
Road wins are difficult in the B1G.