The NCAA Tournament Means the Referee Shuffle

64 teams will take to the floor Thursday and Friday as the 2011 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament tops off.

That means 98 referees or officials as they like to be called will be in action as well.  The officials picked to work NCAA Tournament games come from each and every conference.  From the Atlantic Sun to the Pac-10, coaches not only have to prepare their team for their opponent, they have to warn them that the refs working their games from this point on aren't going to be the refs they became familiar with during conference play.

I like to call it the "ref factor."  While the N.C.A.A. has done everything in its power to make the way refs call games uniform from conference to conference, fans may not realize this, but refs are human.

Mike Brey, veteran Notre Dame Head Coach said the dynamics of N.C.A.A. tournament officiating can be distracting to both coaches and players. Coaches are given the names of officials an hour before a game. An assistant for Brey would find out where they are from, and sometimes Brey would ask his assistants during a game, “What’s his name again?”

Brey said he had coached N.C.A.A. tournament games in which his players would return to the huddle after an early timeout and say, “This is a little different.”  If officials are not familiar with a particular team's style, a head coach might have to make an adjustment to the official.

Refs may also have to make adjustments.  Chances are the three refs picked for a particular game have never worked together as a trio. 

Refs are scouted throughout the regular season and the best 98 out of the 350 considered are able to work tourney games.

Along with competition between the teams on the floor, there is something at stake for the officials as well.  It's a financial reward. John Adams, the Director of N.C.A.A. officiating said officials will make $1,000 a game in Rounds 1 through 3, $1,400 for the regionals and $2,000 each for the national semi-finals and finals.

The goal is the same for both teams and refs.  Have a clean game and advance.  Here's hoping we don't have a incident like we had in the Big East Tournament, but something out of the ordinary is bound to happen.

Here's my list of the top N.C.A.A. refs that hopefully will be working the tournament.

1. Ted Valentine

2. John Higgins

3. Kelly Self

4. Mike Nance

5. Tony Greene

6. Ed Hightower

7. Mike Thibodeaux

8. Bo Boroski

9. Mike Stuart

10. John Cahill

Fantasy Golf Buy, Sell, or Hold For Transitions Championship

 

The Tour de Florida of golf continues this week at the Transitions Championship.  The Innisbrook Golf & Spa will be the venue as the Tampa Bay area hosts this great tournament.

Jim Furyk is the defending champ and he returns to Innisbrook to defend his crown.  Also playing are 2009 champ Reteif Goosen and the likes of Martin Kaymer, Padraig Harrington and Zach Johnson.

The Copperhead Course will be the track this week and it is going to play to a par-71, 7.430 yards.

The course record is 62 and it is shared by Jeff Sluman and Mark Calcavecchia.

Here is this week's buy, sell and hold.

Buy

Nick Watney (A) - Don't sleep on Watney this week.  He won last week at Doral and he finished fourth here last year.  He has played four events this year and has four top-10's.  Not too shabby.

Matt Kuchar (A) - Kuchar has been a stud so far in 2011.  Six events and four top-10's.  Fifth is scoring average.  He generates points.

Retief Goosen (B) - Goosen loves this event.  He won here in 2003 and 2009.  He shoots just about every round he plays here under par.  Take him!

Francesco Molinari (C) - Molinari should be a strong C-level selection this week.  He had a nice t-3 last week at Doral.  He makes cut and shoots under par, what more could you ask for.

J.B. Holmes (C) - This should be a good course for Holmes.  He made the cut here last year, but barely.  He's playing better in 2011, though.

Sell

Michael Sim (A) - Any other A-level pick has to be better than Sim.

Steve Marino (A) - Marino has pulled out of this event.

Duffy Waldorf (C) - Waldorf used to be a good player, and keyword there is "used" to be.  He struggles to make cuts these days.

Fred Funk (B) - Three missed cuts in four events.  Fred needs to stay on the Champions Tour.

Hold

John Cook (C) - "Cookie" as Tiger calls him is playing some good golf.  Most of it is on the Champions Tour, but he did finish third at the Mayakoba Classic.  If you need a C-level player, you might want to go with "Cookie".


Don't forget to check out this week's AudioBoo for the "flyer" of the week.

Kindle Free Pick of the Week: No Fear

This free pick has received some good reviews.

Welcome to Medusa’s Island . . . a vacation paradise complete with beautiful beaches and the quaint town of Medusa. But the island’s serenity is shattered when two young women are found dead from no apparent causes despite their expressions of terror. Chief of Police James Winchester and Emma Gray fear a monster from the past has returned to make Medusa its feeding ground. With passion flaring between them and a storm isolating the island, Emma and James have no choice but to again face the horror of a killer who exploits the deepest fears of his victims.

When James and Emma discover that Emma is destined to be the next victim, will the love they share be strong enough to save them? Or will the monster finally finish what he started five years before?

The number one free book right now in the Kindle Store.

 

Big XII Basketball Play of the Day: Big XII Championship Game

Two big time programs meeting today in the Big XII Championship game.

Kansas and Texas.

The top-seeded Jayhawks will try for their fifth tournament title in six years - and eighth in the league's 14-year history.  The game is also being played in the Jayhawk's backyard, otherwise known as Kansas City.

Texas should put up a good fight, but only for a half.  Kansas wants to lock up that number one seed.  KU is favored by 4 and I see them covering that. 

Take Kansas, but look for some points to be scored this afternoon in Kansas City.

Thursday Night NBA Play of the Night: Lakers and Heat

This should be a classic tonight.

The Lakers are playing well on a long road trip and the Heat look like they are on the verge of self-destructing.

The Heat are actually getting 2 points at home tonight.  Normally I would like that, I don't for this one.

The Heat are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 home games and 0-7 ATS in their last 7 games overall.

The Lakers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games playing on 1 days rest and 5-0 ATS in their last 5 road games.

Should be an easy win tonight for the Lakers, who look like they are playing on cruise control.