Given their teams’ contrasting styles, it’s no surprise that
Fortunately, the
An oversight panel that convenes June 18 must approve the proposals, effective for the upcoming season, but that's a rubber stamp.
If officials and their conference supervisors heed the changes, college offenses should emerge from the Dark Ages.
Impeded by increasingly physical defenses, Division I teams last season averaged 67.5 points, the lowest total since the arrival of the shot clock in 1985-86. Moreover, scoring has declined nationally each of the last four seasons.
"For the last three, four, five years, (freedom of movement has supposedly) been a point of emphasis … and it's not called," said Shaver entering his 11th season with the Tribe. "It's crucial. I think it helps our program if it's called. Our offense is predicated on cuts, freedom of motion and timing, and when you allow teams to chuck you when you go across the lane and grab your arm when you're trying to post up, it takes that opportunity away from us."
Clearly the 13-member rules committee, chaired by St. Peter’s coach John Dunne and including
Per the NCAA press release, the committee wants the following to be called fouls "consistently throughout the game:
"When a defensive player keeps a hand or forearm on an opponent; when a defensive player puts two hands on an opponent; when a defensive player continually jabs by extending his arm(s) and placing a hand or forearm on the opponent; when a player uses an arm bar to impede the progress of an opponent."
For Johnson, the key word there is "consistently." He wants the same calls for defenses that press and trap, and those that pack the paint. He wants the same calls home and away, regardless of the officiating crew's conference affiliation.
"Whether it's in the post or on the perimeter," he said of preferring less contact. "To me, it's an easier call on the perimeter. You can see it more."
On the block/charge, the rules committee suggests "that a defensive player is not permitted to move into the path of an offensive player once (the offensive player) has started his upward motion with the ball to attempt a field goal or pass."
The current rule says a defender must be set before an opponent lifts off the floor.
I've long considered charges the bane of college basketball. They deter offenses, encourage flopping, and about 75 percent should favor the offense or be no-calls.
The college game added an NBA-like arc under the basket in 2011-12 to prohibit charges at point-blank range, but while well-intended, the line does add to what a referee must process.
"I'm in favor of whatever makes it easier for them," Shaver said. "The arc made the charge call more difficult. I don't have proof of this, I haven't studied it (nationally), but in our games, almost every block-charge call was a charge because of the arc. (Officials) stopped looking at whether a (defender was) moving" because their eyes were on the arc.
Despite media buzz to the contrary, the rules committee declined to shorten the shot clock from 35 to 30 seconds.
"The way we're going to play, I'm hoping the shot clock doesn't come into effect," said Johnson, entering his second year as the Hokies' head coach. "As fast as we want to play, 30 seconds would help our team."
The average Tech game last season averaged 66.6 possessions per team, according to Ken Pomeroy's website, which ranked 138th nationally. Johnson wanted to play faster, but injuries and transfers left the roster too depleted.
Though a
"I do like to play fast," said Shaver, who coached high-scoring teams at Division III Hampden-Sydney. "But the style we're playing right now, the more possessions you create, the tougher it makes it. I think the (shorter) the shot clock, the less chance the underdog has to win.
“We were second in the (
The average Tribe game had 63.4 possessions per team last season, 276th among 347 Division I teams. William and Mary has been 269th or lower seven consecutive seasons.
Shaver’s best squad, the 2009-10 bunch that defeated Richmond,
"We've got rules to score more," Shaver said. "We've just got to enforce them. … If the rule is enforced, coaches will adapt. If it's not, we're going to teach guys (accordingly). You get away with what you can."
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