'Every ref knows they can be replaced': Inside the high-pressure world of March Madness referees

Gonzaga gets hot from the behind the arc and buries a barrage of 3-pointers to pull away from Kansas in the second half.

But, according to Anderson, those tense moments early in his career proved to those above him that he could handle the heat, which led to better assignments. He still remembers bouncing the basketball at the free throw line at Madison Square Garden in the semifinals of his first Big East tournament. He looked up at the crowd and knew he had made it.

Higgins is the coordinator of officials for the Western Basketball Officiating Consortium, managing what amounts to a combine or draft process for basketball officials. At offseason camps operated by collegiate officials and coordinators around the country -- including the NCAA's own college basketball referee academy -- Higgins and his colleagues scout young referees from Division II and Division III, who hope to get the call up to Division I.

Jason Baker, an SEC official, said he attended over 125 camps, beginning when he was 17, to work his way to the top. From there, he'd grab every assignment he could until, much like NCAA teams on Selection Sunday, he got tapped to officiate at the Division I level."I reffed high school after I graduated from college, then worked games," Baker said."I got hired in Division I basketball in 1999. And I kept working my way up.

At a game in South Carolina last month, frustrated fans yelled Lindsay's name from the stands and expressed their dismay at some of his calls. Higgins said the uptick in sports betting has also led to more analysis of officials from watchdog companies, such as U.S. Integrity -- the same group that flagged"suspicious" betting activity before a Temple game this month. The school has launched an investigation.

United States Latest News, United States Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

March Madness Picks & Predictions for Every Single GameMarch Madness! Get betting picks and predictions for every game of the 2024 NCAA men's college basketball tournament from the experts at Covers.
Source: Covers - 🏆 341. / 59 Read more »

2024 March Madness: One thing to know about every NCAA Tournament teamLooking for tips on how to fill out your bracket? Here's are 68 things you might not know about the teams in the Big Dance.
Source: FOXSports - 🏆 280. / 63 Read more »

How to Watch Every March Madness Game Online: Stream the 2024 NCAA Basketball TournamentDon't miss NCAA March Madness 2024. Here's when and how to watch every college basketball game live.
Source: etnow - 🏆 696. / 51 Read more »

Round 1 March Madness Parlay Picks: Osobor Bullies Inside for AggiesMarch Madness picks, odds and predictions. Parlay Picks for March Madness Round 1 on March 22, featuring the UConn Huskies and Great Osobor.
Source: Covers - 🏆 341. / 59 Read more »

Inside the rush to cash in on fleeting March Madness fameIn the era of NIL, the heroes of the NCAA tournament have to act fast to capitalize on their moment in the national spotlight.
Source: washingtonpost - 🏆 95. / 72 Read more »

March Madness 2024: Predicting every Sweet 16 men's gameThe No. 1 offense vs. the No. 1 defense, a national title rematch and the best players and coaches are all part of the Sweet 16. Who will win each game?
Source: espn - 🏆 731. / 51 Read more »