Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. Have you heard something about overinflated basketballs in women’s and men’s March Madness? And you’re wondering what’s up? We’re here to help.
The NCAA men’s and women’s tournaments have reached their respective Final Fours. But along the way, we’ve heard some complaints about basketballs, which some players and coaches wonder about: Did it affect shooting or ball-handling in 2023? Is this is a problem the NCAA needs to figure out before next year’s set of tournaments?
Let’s dive in all about the discussions:
What's this now about the basketballs?
Let’s go back nearly a couple of years ago. From The Athletic:
The NCAA announced in June of 2021 that starting with the 2021-22 season, both the men’s and women’s championships would be playing with Wilson Sporting Goods Co.’s EVO NXT ball. In its press release at the time, the NCAA wrote that the ball’s Micro-Touch cover helps with grip, “moisture management” and feel. It was designed to be “easier to shoot from long-range.”
Did we see these last year?
We sure did. And they were a VERY bright orange.
observations from #marchmadness: the basketball is very orange. like, suspiciously orange. 🏀 #gozags pic.twitter.com/D5ofjuoZQ6
— jacqueline lambert (@jacquiejane) March 17, 2022
I can guarantee you these aren’t $5.99 basketballs. We took the best technologies from the previous NCAA game balls, the best technologies from the Evolution basketball (the number one game ball in the world) and created the new ball that you see being used this year.
— Dave White (@DaveWhite1223) March 16, 2022
Were there complaints about them then?
Yes. As we’ve seen in the past, like when the NBA temporarily switched to a different basketball, players who are used to one type are very much thrown off by the new ones. That said, it might be an issue of just getting used to them.
From a Columbus Dispatch article in 2022:
“For me as a point guard having the ball a lot, the ball kind of bounces different from the other ones,” Illinois guard Andre Curbelo said. “And it’s just kind of tricky because not everybody is Nike, not everybody is Adidas, not everybody is Under Armour. When you’re playing in your conference and you play with a Nike and Adidas ball, which is – mostly the Big Ten is Nike and Adidas – and you come to a tournament and play with a different ball, it can affect you in some ways.”
The total impact on shooting might be heavily reliant on anecdotal evidence and sample-size bias. According to statistician Ken Pomeroy, teams through the First Four and first day’s worth of games were shooting 33.3% from 3 and 72.1% from the line, comparable to the 2021 tournament (33.7 and 72.3, respectively) and the three that proceeded it.
And this year?
The complaints are everywhere. From The Athletic, on LSU’s issues with the basketballs:
“They need to take some air out of the ball. It’s too much and I think everyone’s shot has been off lately. Everyone in the tournament,” [Kateri] Poole said. “And I’m not trying to make excuses regardless, but throwing the ball off the backboard, it sounds like it’s gonna pop.”
But Poole said Sunday that the ball was so hard that it hurt LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson’s finger and split one of Morris’ nails. Asked about Johnson’s finger, an LSU media relations staffer deferred to one of the Tigers’ student athletic trainers. The trainer said she was not authorized to speak about potential injuries. An NCAA spokesperson also declined comment about LSU’s claims.
"Too bouncy, aired up."
"These balls are awful."@LSUwbkb @AlexisMorrisWBB and others aren't fans of the new basketballs being used for the NCAA Tournament.
"Maybe there is something to that, but everybody's playing with the same ball." #LSU #MarchMadness @WAFB pic.twitter.com/SD7y33iKDc
— Jacques Doucet (@JacquesDoucet) March 26, 2023
Worth noting: Some teams and conference tournaments used the ball this year.
Hmm. So this is a bounce issue to everyone?
Yup. The talk is that the balls seem overinflated. From Sportico:
“Yeah, I just feel like sometimes the balls are just a little too bouncy,” Alabama guard Jahvon Quinerly said earlier this week. “I don’t think it’s affected me personally this tournament, but, you know, it’s been something that the guys talk about in the locker room.”
And the Associated Press has more:
After last weekend’s first and second-round games were plagued by low shooting percentages from 3-point range, murmurs began about whether slick or excessively inflated basketballs may have been the culprit. Even the tourney’s top overall seed, Alabama, has been airing it out inside the locker room during March Madness.
“We’ve kind of had the discussion as a staff,” Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats said Thursday. “You can pump up any ball to be too hard. It would be great if the referees actually made sure it was within the guidelines of how hard it’s supposed to be because, obviously, if you pump it up to where it’s a rock, you’re not going to shoot as well.”
Also:
Here’s one coach about why the shooting is so bad in tourney.
“It’s not the ball- It’s how much damn air they put into them. All of them are like bouncy balls. You can tell no coach or real player aired them up. Only a dumbass administrator would fill the ball to capacity.” https://t.co/OLRTIbiFqK
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 22, 2023
People aren't calling it Inflategate, are they?
Uh, sorry, but …
The Season of NIL, The Transfer Portal, the extra COVID year and InflateGate has produced a FAU-San Diego State national semifinal matchup.
And I’m here for it.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 26, 2023
folks, it's time to start hollerin' about Inflategate https://t.co/Z0MQzSriTt
— jason (@jjringer) March 22, 2023
