College basketball fans voice major concern about upcoming Final Four game

Joe Vitale

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College basketball fans voice major concern about upcoming Final Four game image

In one of the best matchups of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, Zach Edey and No. 1 seed Purdue will take on DJ Burns and the 11th-seeded NC State. 

The two dominant big men have been the talk of this year's tournament, both leading their team to a spot in the Final Four. And now that it's finally arrived, fans absolutely cannot wait to catch the action between the two. 

However, there is one major concern among spectators, and it revolves around how the referees will dictate the highly anticipated matchup between Edey and Burns. 

Fans are saying that Edey, the likely national Player of the Year who stands 7-foot-4 and weighs 300 pounds, received unfair treatment in the Boilermaker's Elite 8 win over Tennessee. He scored 40 points and shot 22 free throws during the game, as it felt like every time down the court he got the favorable call. but at the end of the game, Edey only had one foul called on him, leading fans to question the fairness of the officiating in the game. 

As for Burns, the fan-favorite who stands at 6-foot-9 and weighs 275 pounds, there's not been much chatter about the officiating he receives. Until now. 

Burns scored 29 points against Duke in the Elite Eight, and made only four trips to the line. He was called for three personal fouls himself. 

With so much on the line and with the potential for such a thrilling 40 minutes between the two superstars, the last things fans want to witness is a matchup dictated by one-sided refereeing. 

"DJ BURNS vs. ZACH EDEY: The refs trying to decide who to hand 23 free throws to," one fan wrote.

"Burns will foul out in 5mins because of the B1G/Edey refs," added another.

"I’m gonna go ahead and put this out there right now. Please for the LOVE OF GOD, let Zach Edey and DJ Burns Jr. play ball in the Final Four. The last thing we want to see is DJ Burns Jr. get hit with 3 fouls in the first 5 minutes of the game on ticky tack calls. Let them play," Robert Griffin said. 

 

Joe Vitale

Joe Vitale Photo

Joe Vitale is the founder of UGA Football Live, the largest independent social brand covering UGA football. Previously, he served as the editor at USA TODAY Sports Media Group's UGAWire.com, launching it as the network's inaugural College Wire site. He was also the college football editor at Athlon Sports, which was part of the ISports Illustrated Media Group at the time. He currently resides in Manhattan.