Possession arrow in college basketball

Submitted by jmblue on
How do you feel about the use of the possession arrow to determine who gets the ball after tie-ups? I don't like it. It adds an element of randomness that can end up being game-changing. Yesterday Douglass (I think) made an excellent defensive play to tie up an Illinois player with around 1:20 to go. If the arrow had favored us, it would have resulted in a key turnover. But it favored UI, so the play went for naught. That just seems silly to me. Shouldn't both teams get a chance at the ball after a tie-up? They do to start the game. The pros jump it up every time. It's an exciting play, and it gives both teams a fair shot at the ball. I heard a referee explain once that the reason college doesn't do that is because college refs have a tough time tossing the ball straight up. Seriously? It's not that hard. And honestly, I'd rather take my chances on a possibly ill-thrown ball than have a random arrow decide possession. (Imagine hockey having a possession arrow instead of faceoffs. How lame would that be?)