Kentucky basketball's ref complaints are real—but this JC Shirer Jr. call deserves a cheer

Being a college basketball referee is no picnic. Imagine sprinting up and down the court, eyes darting like a hawk, while 10 freakishly athletic players crash into each other at warp speed. You’re making split-second calls—traveling, foul, block, charge—under the glare of screaming fans who think you’re blind, biased, or both. Coaches bark in your ear, players flop like Oscar winners, and every whistle risks sparking a riot. In March Madness, the pressure cranks to 11. One bad call, and you’re the villain on X, trending for all the wrong reasons. It’s a thankless gig—except when it’s not.

Take Roger Ayers, a grizzled ACC ref with years of battle scars. During the opening round of this year’s NCAA Tournament, he proved refs are human—and pretty darn cool, too. Liberty’s getting smoked, down nearly 30 to Oregon with under a minute left. The game’s a blowout, the clock’s ticking, and the Flames are toast. But their coach wants to get one more player into the game. He sends JC Shirer Jr., a redshirt freshman from Texas, to the scorer’s table for his big moment. This kid’s been warming the bench most of the season, and patiently waiting for his One Shining Moment. Now, with the season circling the drain, it’s his turn.

Ayers spots Shirer sitting there, ready to check in. The clock is running, and the teams are not going to foul, and he may not get his chance after all. This vet ref pauses the game—calls it “cleaning up some water” while scuffing his shoe on the floor to dry it up (sure, Roger, we see you)—and strolls over. He shakes the kid’s hand, gives him a nod, and lets him jog onto the court. Liberty still loses, but for JC Shirer Jr., it’s everything. He’s officially an NCAA Tournament player now.

Refs catch flak nonstop—Kentucky fans could write a book on it—but Ayers flipped the script. Liberty’s no dynasty; they’ve hit the Big Dance just seven times ever (one got Covid-canceled), and clawing back isn’t a cakewalk. For Shirer, this might be his only taste of March Madness glory. Thanks to Ayers, he’s got a story for life: “Yeah, I played in the tournament—and a ref stopped the game just for me.” How many guys can say that?

So, next time you’re yelling at the stripes, remember: they’re dodging chaos, making calls, and sometimes, just sometimes, dishing out a little magic. Roger Ayers didn’t just ref a blowout—he made a kid’s dream real. That’s a slam dunk no one can boo.