'Bama can beat Kentucky if the officiating is fair... Yep, I said it and believe it...

       

 I've been watching the pro-Kentucky officiating for eight decades. Every year. Every game. Until the end of time and then some. Yeah, I know some are saying you are just all Alabama. You can't be objective, but being objective is what I'm doing. In the first 42 minutes of today's contest, the Wildcats had 4 fouls. They had three in the first half. Kentucky shot 19 free throws. The Tide shot 9. Not 9 in the first half, 9 for the entire game. 

     Here's the burr under my saddle. Oscar Tsheiwe had only one foul called. One. Close to none. Tsheiwe came over the back of Bama rebounders at least 15 times. He's like an Abrahm Tank that gets 50 miles a gallon. If you won't call a foul against Kentucky you need to quit your job. An official's job is to be fair.

      Next point, John Calipari got upset and banged his rather prominent honker into an official and was not called for a technical. That only happens in Lexington. It's time for the cowardly SEC Director of Men's Officials to end this never-ending problem of the edge Kentucky gets in the SEC. Perhaps it's time for an independent board of observers to review and suspend a few refs. Nat Oats gets a technical foul and goes to the corner of the bench, sits down, and then gets kicked out of the game. Do you think that would happen to a Kentucky coach?

    It's been 10 years since the Wildcat's last national championship. That's a long time for a prominent program not to win. Why? Because the UK doesn't get preferential officiating outside the SEC. The sad thing about pro-UK-officiating is it takes away from the prominence of their program. I readily admit they have the best program in the SEC. When the Wildcats go outside the protectorate of the SEC, the Cats lose. I'm not stupid and indeed not blind. I tip my hat to the Tide for their hard played game. Would Kentucky beat Alabama on a neutral floor outside of the SEC? Yep, not every game but a fair share. You can win with poor shooting sometimes. Poor rebounding might beat you as well. One-sided officiating will always beat you. Saturday's game was exhibit number 1.

    Okay, sometimes I'm stupid. Saturday's game is not one of those times. Alabama played well enough to win if they got a few calls or Kentucky was fairly officiated. Just call a fair game. Alabama didn't need all the calls, just a few. When you allow people to push off from behind, it creates cheap baskets. And that's what beat Alabama. 

IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS, WE'LL HAVE A NEW WRITER WHO WILL PIN THE DEAN'S LIST," WHICH IS A PERSONAL TOP 25. IF  YOU'D LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE AN OPINION ARTICLE, SEND ME AN EMAIL AT BAMABASKETBALL@PROTONMAIL.COM

Kudos. to Keon Ellis, who was my Player of the Game. He had 28 points and played bandit defense.  Bama is close to being good. We need Q to find his mojo again. Roll Tide.

I can also help Auburn fans with counseling referrals after getting beat by middlin' Florida.