Somewhere at a blackjack table in the AC, Tim Donaghy is hoping that people will forget his name. And he may well get his wish, because college officials to give the critics of officiating new ammunition almost daily.

The latest exhibit - the Big Sky conference suspended three officials late Monday for “misapplication of rules” in a game between Montana and Idaho State on Sunday. Their particular bone-headed move - not calling a technical foul on the Grizzlies when they attempted to call a timeout they didn’t have in a tie game. The correct call would have given Idaho State a few shots to take a lead with 1.2 seconds left. The actual call let Montana win in overtime.

Officiating a sport at a top level - bear with me that Big Sky is “top level” basketball - is hard work, and I do not come to bury these men. I mean, it’s not as if there is some really famous example of how that rule is supposed to be applied or anything …

… but seriously, folks. This isn’t a matter of getting a split-second call wrong, or abuse of discretion. They FORGOT something - either the rule itself, or that they could check the replay. So, suspend away, Mr. Big Sky Commissioner … and Mr. Donaghy, next round is on the house.

A few updates after a relatively light night of games:

The Game Everyone Was Talking About (sort of)

Beasley Cries Himself to Sleep, Wants His Huggins - #5 Texas 74, Kansas State 65: Put yourself in Michael Beasley’s shoes. Every night you step on the court, you drop a double-double (last night’s line: 30 points, 15 boards with 5 on offense, a pair of dimes and a steal). On any given night, your teammates MIGHT show up. More likely, as they did last night, they will actually vomit on the court. (Taking out Beasley’s stats, the Wildcats shot 26% from the floor and 45% from the line.) There are millions on the table in the NBA. Oh, and you are stuck in Manhattan, Kansas. I’m a big fan of higher education, with the student debt to prove it, and even I want Beasley to go to the NBA for his own sanity.

Meanwhile, the Longhorns showed the type of balance you need to win games on the road. Connor Atchley, who is unsurprisingly Caucasian, contributed 14 points and 7 boards despite spending most of the game in foul trouble after vain attempts to guard Beasley. D.J. Augustin and A.J. Abrams contributed 24 and 13 respectively thanks to 45% accuracy behind the arc. (The Longhorns may struggle against faster teams with better perimeter defense, but that’s a problem for another day.)

The Game You Should Have Watched

More evidence that student government causes harm than good - Texas Southern 77, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 76: The unfortunately-abbreviated APB sent the game to overtime when Marcelle Goins nailed a shot from half court as the buzzer sounded to tie the score at 68. Texas Southern, however, had a two point lead going into overtime thank to a technical foul called on APB as time expired. What gave? After Goins’ miracle lob, the home crowd celebrated by littering the court with cups, Frisbees, and pens given out pregame by candidates for student office. The two gimmes were the difference, keeping APB three games behind Alabama State in conference standings. Video courtesy of tWWL after the jump, that suggests that the refs may have overreacted just a bit: (more…)