Panel Addresses Game’s Top Topics at BIG EAST Basketball Roundtable
By Richard Finn
Special to BIGEAST.com
Archived Feed of the Roundtable
NEW YORK - Madison Square Garden is called the “Mecca of Basketball” and so it was an appropriate venue for a gathering of industry leaders Friday afternoon for a lively and thorough discussion of some of the game’s pressing issues at the third annual Basketball Roundtable hosted by the BIG EAST.
“Basketball is an amazing game,” said BIG EAST commissioner Val Ackerman. “It can and will continue to evolve and the best way it is going to do that is through assessment and dialogue and through the best minds in the sport coming together to talk about what is good, great and what needs to be changed.
“This is our attempt to add to that process,” said Ackerman. “We want to be able to be a platform to bring those minds together to talk about key issues, to talk about challenges, to talk about opportunities. We want to be part of the process of making a difference. We care so deeply about the game of basketball. That is in our DNA.”
Featuring three sets of panels and participants from a cross section of the sport including former players, NBA executives, BIG EAST college presidents, conference officials and the media, the industry summit took place just hours prior to the tip-off of the semifinals in BIG EAST tournament presented by the Jeep
® brand.
The recent changes in the rules of the game to allow “more freedom of movement” and to take away the emphasis on the physicality of the game was assessed and supported by a trio of veteran and highly respected officials from both the college and NBA game.
BIG EAST Supervisor of Officials John Cahill acknowledged that the adjustment by the players and officials to the more than 25 rules changes made to help increase scoring has not been “without pain” but has been a positive start.
“There is no backing off,” said Cahill. “We got a good start, it’s a process and we are in the first step of the process to remove the physicality in the game.”
J.D. Collins, named NCAA National Coordinator of Men’s Basketball Officials last year rattled off a series of statistics of more scoring, more offensive possessions and increased scoring from outside shots and beyond the three-point line as proof that the changes are making the game more attractive.
Collins said that in his discussions with coaches and fans through the season that there is overwhelming support for the changes.
“We are all in this together,” said Collins. “Coaches want it, media and fans want it. About 80 percent are all in for freedom of movement.”
The rule changes have been well received in the NBA said Joe Borgia, NBA Senior Vice President of Replay and Referee Operations.
“Scoring is going up and we are seeing more highlights (of offensive plays), and that is part of our business,” said Borgia. “You have to have the highlights to draw the fans. We are very pleased.”
However, the panel did not as eagerly embrace expansion of the replay rule.
“There is always going to be a human piece in this game that we don’t want to give up. If we take all of the art out of game and make it all science I could make all of you referees, “ said Collins pointing out the audience. “But we will have a different product and I am not sure it is a product we want.”
Cahill officiated for more than 40 year including 20 NCAA tournaments, 11 Final Fours and seven national championship games. There was one consistent throughout his distinguished career according to Cahill.
“Each time I put that referee shirt on, surprisingly enough I was a human being inside that shirt,” said Cahill. “One of the things that people need to realize is that you are still dealing with humans, who have feelings, weakness, who have had bad days.
“The game has to understand that there is a human element that is always going to be part of officiating and what we see every night on TV,” said Cahill. “If we take that out of it and become so reliant on replay, I don’t know where we stop.”
The question of also finding a balance in how much a youngster should play basketball against other sports or other activities was honestly addressed by a panel that included former player Kiki Vandeweghe and coach and FOX Sports analyst Steve Lavin.
“So many kids feel that they have to play so many games all the time and specialize so early,” said Vandeweghe, who played in the NBA for 13 years and today is the NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.
“It has been proven that players are much more successful if they play a lot of different sports and not play so much one sport,” said Vandeweghe. “I would encourage all young athletes to play a lot of different sports. “
The risk of physical injuries and even mental burnout would likely be less by playing more than one sport as child according to the group.
Lavin emphasized that philosophy of living a balanced life by recalling what legendary coach John Wooden would tell his players.
“His view was that at the end of basketball season, that you should put the ball away and be an 18-20 year and experience college life like a student not playing athletics would experience,” said Lavin.