Saturday’s Round of 32 matchup in the NCAA Tournament between the 2-seed St. John’s Red Storm and 10-seed Arkansas Razorbacks thrilled old-school college basketball fans with the presence of coaches Rick Pitino and John Calipari. However, the CBS broadcast team was quick to point out that the game was significantly influenced by questionable officiating.
The officials exhibited a quick whistle throughout the game, leading to a total of 44 fouls being called. Two specific calls drew the ire of CBS color analyst Steve Lappas. With 13:04 left in the second half, St. John’s standout Zuby Ejofor was called for a loose-ball foul during a rebounding attempt, a decision that Lappas found to be overly strict. “Wow, in this kind of a game… I’m sorry, that’s not a good call,” he remarked, expressing his frustration as Arkansas capitalized on the situation to stretch their lead into double digits.
“Wow! In this kinda game, I’m sorry, that’s not a good call.” – Steve Lappas 🏀🦓🎙️ #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/SddS9T55eJ
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 22, 2025
As the game continued, another controversial call impacted St. John’s. With 6:28 left in regulation, Kadary Richmond was assessed his fifth foul for what appeared to be a legal contest of an Arkansas shot, having his arms straight up without leaving the ground. Lappas again voiced his disapproval of the decision, garnering support from CBS rules analyst Gene Steratore and play-by-play announcer Andrew Catalon. “Oh, that’s not a foul! I mean, he is walled up,” Lappas insisted, emphasizing that the situation warranted a no-call.
“Oh, that’s not a foul! I’m sorry! That’s a no-call!” – Steve Lappas
CBS rules analyst Gene Steratore agreed with Lappas. St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino voiced his displeasure over the call. 🏀🦓🎙️#MarchMadness https://t.co/dyCZgLnkdw pic.twitter.com/On47nVBNRF
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 22, 2025
“You saw the reaction from Richmond, who is very mild-mannered and rarely shows emotion. He went right over to the official in disbelief,” Catalon noted, highlighting the gravity of the situation. Some may argue that the player’s foul count and timing should not influence a referee’s decisions. However, given that this particular call ended the game (and season) for an All-Big East First Team player, its controversial nature was only amplified.
Without their senior leader, St. John’s faltered down the stretch, succumbing to a 75-66 upset by Arkansas, thus concluding their impressive season.
“From 0-5 in the SEC to the Sweet Sixteen! Arkansas and John Calipari movin’ on to San Francisco!” – Andrew Catalon on the CBS call as Arkansas takes down Rick Pitino and No. 2-seeded St. John’s. 🏀🎙️ #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/pFTq3kak1T
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 22, 2025
While Pitino and St. John’s didn’t perform at their best, the conversation surrounding the referees’ performance is likely to persist in the analysis of this game.
