It’s one of the things that makes college basketball different from the NBA. It’s one of the non-player interactions that can indirectly decide the outcome of a game. And it’s been around since 1982.

It’s the possession arrow, and opinion in college basketball is split over its use.

A Jan. 13 Southeastern Conference matchup between No. 20 Mississippi State and No. 5 Kentucky was ultimately decided by the alternating possession rule. The result has brought new discussion to an old change.

With 2.5 seconds remaining in the second half, Bulldogs point guard Timmy Bowers was tied up after a scramble for a loose ball. The possession arrow awarded Kentucky the ball, and Wildcats forward Erik Daniels made a last-second lay-up after the ball was inbounded near the visitor’s bench. A nationally-televised 67-66 game boiled down to the luck of the arrow.

‘The ball was inbounded at that hash mark,’ Mississippi State assistant Phil Cunningham said of the mark closest to MSU’s basket. ‘The only fairer way to do it may be to use a standard place on the court.’

Basketball creator James Naismith’s original 13 rules of basketball, invented in 1891, left all possession disputes up to the referee. NCAA rules prior to 1982 stated that a jump ball took place whenever play was stopped because of the following reasons: the ball got stuck in the rim, the ball was held, the referee didn’t know who tipped the ball out or if two players from opposing teams tipped the ball out.

‘They’ve tried everything,’ Cunningham said. ‘I think this is the best way to do it.’

Because human error is involved with the toss of a jump ball, the alternating possession arrow was introduced in the NCAA and high school basketball. The NBA still uses the jump ball.

‘The theory of the jump ball, I like,’ Syracuse assistant coach Mike Hopkins said. ‘Imagine at the end of a game, a little guy ties it up with a big guy. (The jump ball) would bring more of a ‘Holy crap!’ ‘

In 1999, the alternating possession rule was changed slightly. When defensive players forced held-ball situations, the defensive team would receive possession regardless of which direction the possession arrow pointed.

‘The unfairness of the possession arrow can be minimized a bit,’ Cunningham said. ‘But what if (the referee) gives Kentucky an unfavorable toss? What if the two guys in the jump ball are our point guard versus their center? It wouldn’t really be fair.’

Currently, there are 12 members on the Men’s Basketball Rules committee, including several Division I head coaches. Willis Wilson, head coach at Rice, serves as chairman.

The most recent consideration, to extend the 3-point line and change the free-throw lane to a trapezoid, was rejected on Jan. 14. A change back to the jump ball in college basketball looks unlikely any time soon.

‘They’ve talked about it before,’ said Marty Benson, liaison to the committee. ‘Although they have not moved to a vote on it recently.’

The Jan. 13 game at the Humphrey Coliseum in Mississippi is the only blemish on No. 11 MSU’s 16-1 record. The Bulldogs are first in the SEC West with a 5-1 conference record. Kentucky is second in the SEC East with a 3-1 record. The Wildcats trail only South Carolina.

Said Hopkins, ‘(The possession arrow) is like playing one-on-one when someone calls a foul rather than saying, ‘We’ll shoot for it.’ ‘

Cardinals soaring, Pitino ailing

In March of 2001, Louisville basketball was in need of a jump-start after a 12-19 record and no postseason appearance. Rick Pitino, an accomplished college coach, needed to prove himself again after a failed attempt with the NBA’s Boston Celtics. His subsequent hiring in March was a match made in NCAA heaven, as Pitino has raised the program among the nation’s elite.

The No. 4 Cardinals’ 16-1 start this season has come as a result of hard work from Pitino and his players. The fatigue may finally be catching up to them, though, as star players Francisco Garcia and Taquean Dean missed Wednesday night’s game against Houston along with Pitino.

Monday night, Pitino announced at a press conference that he would take an indefinite medical leave due to pain in his left side. He said the pain was ‘urological related’ but that prostate cancer had been ruled out.

‘Most men my age have these types of problems, and they go through it,’ Pitino said. ‘We’ll get through this. And in a positive way, we’ll come back and hopefully have a good run at the tournament.’

Garcia, the Cardinals leading scorer, missed Wednesday night’s game with an ankle injury. The sophomore forward was named Conference USA Player of the Week after defeating then-No. 5 Cincinnati, 93-66, with 19 points, seven assists, two blocks and two steals last Wednesday. He followed it with a career-high-tying 24-point game Sunday in a 65-62 win over Tennessee before injuring his ankle.

Dean, a sophomore guard and 3-point threat, sat out Wednesday with a groin injury. He is third on UL in scoring this season with 12.8 points per game.

‘He got hurt in the shoot-around,’ Pitino said after the Cincinnati game. ‘Not a whole lot you can do but rest. There are little point guard things he’s learning everyday. He’s mentally tough and he’s become a terrific point guard. And I’m very proud of him.’

Louisville is in first place in Conference USA with a 5-0 record. Pitino hopes to return to the team Saturday against Marquette in Freedom Hall.

‘Who knows what could happen to (Louisville) toward the end of the year,’ Tennessee head coach Buzz Peterson said. ‘If Dean is hitting shots and Garcia is playing the way he is, they’ll be a tough matchup for anybody.’

Player of the Week

Ryan Gomes, Jr., Providence

Before Providence’s Jan. 24 game against Big East power Connecticut, few people recognized Ryan Gomes as a potential All-American. His performance against the Huskies has forced everyone to reconsider.

Gomes scored 26 points and snatched 12 rebounds against 2002-03 Defensive Player of the Year Emeka Okafor. He shot 11-for-18 in 34 minutes on an afternoon when then-unranked Providence upset then-No. 4 UConn, 66-56.

The Friars earned a No. 23 ranking this week as Gomes earned several honors for his effort against the Huskies, including Big East Player of the Week and ESPN Player of the Week.

Gomes is averaging 19.6 points and 9.8 rebounds. The Friars are tied for first in the Big East with a 5-1 record.

Published on January 28, 2004 at 12:00 pm