Was it robbery or just a failure to execute in Arizona?

BYU basketball fans have been using many reasons the past two days to claim the Cougars were robbed by the officials in Saturday’s 76-75 loss at the Stadium Shootout to Arizona State. Obviously, most BYU fans knew what this game meant. A victory instead of a loss would have vaulted the Cougars into the Top 25 and ended all the criticism of BYU’s 10-0 start being the result of a weak schedule. Let me sum up a few thoughts on the ruling on Charles Abouo’s final tip, the officiating, why BYU lost that game and the Cougars in general.
Abouo’s tip: From courtside, I was confident the horn sounded while the ball was in the air. I was sure the officials were going to rule it good, and so were the reporters sitting at my side. But after watching the replay on the jumbotron it was tough to tell. Then back in the media room a photographer from an Arizona paper (I think) had still photographs (very good ones I might add) of Abouo’s tip. Every reporter in that room gathered around his computer to examine the photos. One frame showed the ball in contact with Abouo’s fingers, the backboard in the background and the time-expired lights off. The next photo, from the next frame one-tenth of a second later, showed the ball a short distance (maybe 6 inches) separated from Abouo’s fingers and the lights around the backboard lit up. That is how close it was. Somewhere in that one-tenth of a second is when the ball actually left Abouo’s hand. But no photographer there had any photo that showed the ball out of Abouo’s hand and the backboard lights off – in other words, with time on the clock. Also, I’ve since watched the replay time and time again on my DVR and I cannot determine for certainty that the ball was ever separated from Abouo’s hands with time on the clock. At 0.1, it looks like the ball is still in contact with his fingers. In summary, I think the officials got it correct. From watching the video, however, had BYU asked and the officials checked, there should have been 3.5 seconds on the clock for that final play and not 3.0, but with all that was going on at the time no one noticed that issue so it’s hard to place blame there. Again, I think the officials got it correct.
The officiating: Not good. Probably the worst I’ve seen this year. But not just in favor of Arizona State. No doubt James Harden was given superstar treatment to a level I’ve never seen before at a college game, and hope I never see again. Several of the fouls called his way should have been no-calls, or even called against him. For some reason, Harden was excellent at selling the fouls to the officials, and many NBA players have made millions doing the same thing. But just in general the three officials called too many fouls period, and were too inconsistent. Players did not know what was allowed and what was not. Fans and players don’t like games in which 50 free throws are shot, and 21 by one player.
Why BYU lost: Throw the ruling on the final shot out the window, and the officiating out the window, the Cougars still lost this game because they abandoned the game down the stretch that gave them the lead and had them in control for most of the second half. They quit executing. Execution results in good looks and easy baskets. The Cougars got nothing but tough shots and turnovers late in the game. The Cougars made only two field goals in the final 7:50. Instead, they turned the ball over five times, missed six shots and missed two free throws. Take a closer look at the final minute and you can find several costly and curable mistakes. For one, Abouo had no business going for that steal near midcourt. Clean or not, everyone in that arena knew a whistle was coming so why risk it? Make Arizona State take a shot. Second, after Harden made the go-ahead free throw the Cougars should have called a quick timeout and set up a better play than Jimmer Fredette’s off-balance forced shot. I’m sure BYU’s coaches will go through what happened Saturday and point out all of the ways the Cougars could have and should have won this game, and they won’t use any excuses or blame the officiating in any way. And I also expect the mostly-young and inexperienced Cougars to learn from this experience, so next time they’re in a similar situation they’ll execute a whole lot better.
Where does BYU rank? Some say the 10-1 Cougars are overrated (if a No. 26 team can be overrated) and that Saturday’s loss proves that. I believe the opposite. From what I saw, I certainly don’t think No. 17 Arizona State is a better team than BYU. I agree with what Jonathan Tavernari said. If BYU and ASU played 10 times, each would win five. I think the Cougars are at least a Top 30 team and could beat many of the teams already ranked in the Top 25. They might eventually get that chance. Fortunately, we’ll get to see them tested again when Wake Forest comes to town on Jan. 3. And I do believe BYU is the best team in Utah right now, and probably one of the Top 3 in the MWC and has a very good chance to win a third-straight conference title.

What was the original call on the floor on Abouo’s final tip? I’ve received some emails and comments that since the “original call” was that Abouo’s tip was good that it should have counted because the replay evidence was not “conclusive” and therefore the “original” call should not have been overturned. I think that issue is just as clouded as whether the final shot was released in time. Here’s how I saw it, and mind you there was a lot going on and it was tough to see everything. I only saw one official rule the shot good, while the other two almost immediately gestured that a replay review would be necessary. So, in other words, I’m not sure there was ever an actual “original” call, since I did not see two of the three officials ever make a call. I could have missed them doing that, but I didn’t ever see a firm “original” call ever made on the shot.
I like how FSN announcer Marques Johnson put it when he said, after watching the replay several times, that he still wasn’t confident the correct or incorrect call was made. I think that’s how this play will go down in history. But I still believe the way the officials pampered Harden and BYU’s lack of execution over the final seven minutes had more to do with the outcome.