Former referee and fans say foul call late in KU win over Samford was wrong
The fourth-seeded Kansas Jayhawks held off a late charge from 13th-seeded Samford in Thursday’s NCAA Tournament, and it’s a game that is sure to be discussed for a while.
That’s because of a controversial foul call late in the Jayhawks’ 93-89 win in the MIdwest Region.
Samford had cut the KU advantage to a single point when Nick Timberlake drove for what appeared to be an uncontested dunk. But the Bulldogs’ A.J. Staton-McCray made a tremendous play and blocked the shot.
Or so most fans thought. The referee called a foul and Timberlake made both free throws.
Here is the play.
CBS Sports rules analyst Gene Steratore, the former NFL referee and NCAA basketball official, said it was a clean block. Steratore worked as an NCAA Division I basketball official for 22 years.
“Just an unbelievable, LeBron-esque chase down block by Samford’s AJ Staton-McCray. Did not like the foul call here, this appeared to be all ball,” Steratore wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Fans on social media agreed with Steratore and vented about the call. Here is what was being said.
This story was originally published March 22, 2024 at 9:33 AM with the headline "Former referee and fans say foul call late in KU win over Samford was wrong."
