LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — NCAA Tournament players and coaches could bring a new controversy to life: Inflategate.
After last weekend’s first and second round games were marred by low 3-point shooting percentages, rumors began questioning whether slick or excessively inflated basketballs could be the cause. Even the tournament’s top seed, Alabama, broadcast it in the locker room during March Madness.
“We kind of had that discussion as a team,” Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats said Thursday. “You can inflate any ball to be too hard. It would be great if the referees actually made sure this met the difficulty guidelines because obviously if you pump it up to where it’s a rock you’re not going to shoot as well GOOD.
This is certainly not the first time that balls or air pressure have been questioned in the world of sports.
After home run rates increased following the 2016 Major League Baseball season, some pitchers complained that the baseballs didn’t feel right. Justin Verlander even claimed that the balls were full of juice. In 2021, MLB responded by announcing that it had decided to make balls lighter and less bouncy.
In January 2015, seven-time Super Bowl champion and three-time NFL MVP Tom Brady was accused of using deflated footballs during the AFC Championship Game. Brady was ultimately suspended for four games and the New England Patriots were fined $1 million and lost two draft picks.
So far, no one is really excited about NCAA basketballs, but the topic has come up in conversations.
“I just feel like sometimes the balls are a little too bouncy,” Crimson Tide guard Jahvon Quinerly said. “I don’t think it affected me personally in this tournament, but you know, it’s something the guys talk about in the locker room.”
So far, Quinerly and his teammates have been unaffected by the balls.
Oats said Alabama’s team equipment manager collected footballs from different manufacturers and the team was practicing with the brand expected to be used in its next game. One solution, Oats believes, would be for the NCAA to establish a standardized ball for all Division I games.
“(Assistant coach) Charlie Henry was in the NBA and he says ‘I have no idea why college doesn’t have uniform ball, like I couldn’t imagine.’ You’re in the NBA, everyone’s playing the same ball every night,” Oats said. “I think it would be much better if the NCAA mandated a particular ball.”
But Oats believes the shooting problems at this year’s tournament have nothing to do with balls, air pressure or shoes.
“I think the defenses are getting better,” he said. “You look at the teams that are still winning, most of them have very good defenses. When defenses improve, shooting percentages decrease.
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