CBB referee tendency rankings

← CBB games

Analytics and intelligence, bias modeling for the 3rd team on the court.

Showing 2020-2026 for Big Ten

2,197 games · 289 officials · 6 seasons · Updated Aug. 22, 2026

League reference

144.6 combined points per game · 34.2 fouls called per game

Above-reference frequency uses each game's stored scoring reference. It is not a sportsbook over/under record.

Referee rankings

Rank	Official		Average combined points			Fouls per game		Evidence
1	Mike Littlewood#268	77	152.0	+7.4	63.6% above scoring reference	35.0	+0.8	High
2	Jason Phillips#344	78	150.9	+6.3	57.7% above scoring reference	33.6	-0.6	High
3	Randy Richardson#119	108	149.4	+4.8	62.0% above scoring reference	34.4	+0.2	High
4	Tim Comer#191	119	149.4	+4.8	56.3% above scoring reference	34.6	+0.4	High
5	Andy O'Brien#316	68	148.9	+4.3	54.4% above scoring reference	35.0	+0.9	High
6	Nate Harris#94	88	148.8	+4.2	60.2% above scoring reference	35.1	+1.0	High
7	Alfred Smith#219	35	148.4	+3.8	54.3% above scoring reference	34.3	+0.1	High
8	Jeffrey Anderson#26	147	148.4	+3.8	52.4% above scoring reference	34.7	+0.6	High
9	Brian Dorsey#6	230	147.7	+3.1	53.5% above scoring reference	34.8	+0.6	High
10	Owen Shortt#60	40	147.6	+3.0	62.5% above scoring reference	34.6	+0.5	High
11	Amy Bonner#74	49	146.7	+2.1	49.0% above scoring reference	33.0	-1.1	High
12	Larry Scirotto#41	219	146.7	+2.1	55.3% above scoring reference	34.4	+0.2	High
13	Mike Scyphers#127	33	146.4	+1.8	63.6% above scoring reference	34.7	+0.5	High
14	Bill Ek#135	88	146.3	+1.7	58.0% above scoring reference	35.0	+0.9	High
15	Earl Walton#29	167	145.7	+1.2	47.3% above scoring reference	34.7	+0.6	High
16	Verne Harris#104	124	145.8	+1.2	56.5% above scoring reference	35.9	+1.7	High
17	D.J. Carstensen#139	296	145.7	+1.1	53.7% above scoring reference	34.1	+0.0	High
18	James Breeding#5	66	145.6	+1.0	51.5% above scoring reference	33.2	-1.0	High
19	Paul Szelc#142	273	145.5	+0.9	51.6% above scoring reference	36.0	+1.8	High
20	Chad Barlow#132	54	145.4	+0.8	57.4% above scoring reference	32.9	-1.3	High
21	Edwin Young#137	133	145.4	+0.8	57.9% above scoring reference	34.1	-0.1	High
22	Doug Sirmons#56	85	145.3	+0.7	52.9% above scoring reference	31.2	-3.0	High
23	Brian McNutt#218	66	145.2	+0.6	48.5% above scoring reference	33.5	-0.7	High
24	Michael Irving#86	131	145.0	+0.4	53.4% above scoring reference	33.8	-0.3	High
25	Bart Lenox#157	40	144.7	+0.1	40.0% above scoring reference	34.2	+0.1	High
26	Kelly Pfeifer#89	252	144.7	+0.1	48.0% above scoring reference	34.6	+0.4	High
27	Kevin Brill#129	80	144.6	+0.0	56.3% above scoring reference	31.9	-2.2	High
28	Keith Kimble#24	181	144.4	-0.2	46.4% above scoring reference	33.3	-0.9	High
29	Bert Smith#34	46	144.3	-0.3	47.8% above scoring reference	31.7	-2.5	High
30	Tony Padilla#79	69	144.1	-0.4	56.5% above scoring reference	35.0	+0.8	High
31	Rob Kueneman#140	131	143.7	-0.9	55.7% above scoring reference	35.4	+1.2	High
32	Mike Reed#51	119	143.6	-1.0	43.7% above scoring reference	33.3	-0.9	High
33	Terry Oglesby#50	67	143.4	-1.1	55.2% above scoring reference	33.7	-0.4	High
34	Michael Greenstein#68	51	143.3	-1.3	52.9% above scoring reference	34.5	+0.4	High
35	Robert Riley#131	159	143.2	-1.4	52.8% above scoring reference	35.1	+0.9	High
36	Eric Curry#40	69	142.7	-1.9	58.0% above scoring reference	36.2	+2.1	High
37	Lewis Garrison#145	92	142.6	-2.0	54.3% above scoring reference	34.1	-0.1	High
38	Donnie Eppley#138	68	142.5	-2.1	54.4% above scoring reference	33.8	-0.4	High
39	Chris Beaver#141	64	142.4	-2.2	53.1% above scoring reference	34.0	-0.2	High
40	Brooks Wells#85	98	142.3	-2.3	51.0% above scoring reference	33.5	-0.6	High
41	Courtney Green#43	166	142.3	-2.3	51.2% above scoring reference	34.1	+0.0	High
42	Steve McJunkins#144	103	142.2	-2.4	50.5% above scoring reference	34.7	+0.5	High
43	Kipp Kissinger#23	58	142.1	-2.5	48.3% above scoring reference	31.6	-2.6	High
44	Bo Boroski#42	98	142.0	-2.6	50.0% above scoring reference	32.9	-1.2	High
45	Don Daily#52	54	141.6	-3.0	53.7% above scoring reference	33.0	-1.1	High
46	John Floyd#225	98	141.5	-3.1	37.8% above scoring reference	33.9	-0.3	High
47	Randy McCall#87	45	141.1	-3.5	51.1% above scoring reference	34.8	+0.6	High
48	David Hall#118	35	140.9	-3.7	54.3% above scoring reference	33.5	-0.7	High
49	Gregory Nixon#92	41	140.4	-4.2	53.7% above scoring reference	33.0	-1.1	High
50	Deldre Carr#95	59	139.6	-5.0	42.4% above scoring reference	33.0	-1.2	High
51	Tommy Nunez#106	32	138.9	-5.7	34.4% above scoring reference	35.1	+1.0	High
52	Scott Brown#97	34	138.6	-6.0	41.2% above scoring reference	33.6	-0.5	High
53	Lamont Simpson#217	30	138.1	-6.5	36.7% above scoring reference	32.9	-1.2	High
54	Brandon Cruz#152	46	137.8	-6.7	50.0% above scoring reference	32.8	-1.3	High
55	Roger Ayers#2	39	135.3	-9.3	30.8% above scoring reference	30.8	-3.3	High
56	John Higgins#48	39	134.7	-9.9	35.9% above scoring reference	32.8	-1.3	High

Share of historical games finishing above the stored scoring reference for that game.

Notable patterns

Highest-scoring historical environment
Mike Littlewood
Higher-scoring history
152.0 average combined points
+7.4 versus league
77 games · High evidence
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Lowest-scoring historical environment
John Higgins
Lower-scoring history
134.7 average combined points
-9.9 versus league
39 games · High evidence
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Highest whistle rate
Eric Curry
Higher whistle rate
36.2 fouls per game
+2.1 versus league
69 games · High evidence
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Lowest whistle rate
Roger Ayers
Lower whistle rate
30.8 fouls per game
-3.3 versus league
39 games · High evidence
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