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Switching ft shooters

Hoopsquad20

Well-Known Member
May 29, 2001
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Missouri
What can be done about a team that sends the wrong player to the line and it is orchestrated by the coach?
 
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It is supposed to be a technical foul for unsporting behavior if a player knowingly takes a free throw to which they aren't entitled.
 
What bothers me about the situation is that this doesn't look like it was something that was spur of the moment from kids on a team without their coach's knowing. And for that to happen, that means that the kids on the team and coaches, all know it's happening. I would even go so far to say that there are parents who know what is happening. Coaches know who gets fouled, Assistant Coaches know who is fouled. All of them keep quiet, for whatever reason. At least now there is video evidence of him doing something so MSHSAA can't just turn a blind eye. Coaches are supposed to use sports and their interactions with student-athletes as a way to teach about life lessons; dealing with adversity, how to persevere, to create better individuals, etc. He's teaching his players to do whatever it takes to win, as long as you don't get caught.
 
And I totally agree that the refs need to be reprimanded for not catching this, and for the fact that there's video out that shows the last second shot from Licking should have counted, but was waved off by the same crew. My other question is that the article says that parents from other teams that Dora has played this year have complained about them doing the same thing during their games, why hasn't anyone said anything about it until now? I think MSHSAA should get ahold of all of their game film from both this and last year and see how often this has occurred to see if this was a one-time happening, or something coordinated.
 
No doubt that MSHSAA is right now, busy working on a strongly worded letter.
The letter should go to the officials that allow it to happen. I always hear refs say the NUMBER of the shooter, NOT a face or name. Then they can deal with the coaches of the team doing it.
 
That video is clear as day that the shooter that went to the FT line was not the player who was fouled. Just wow
 
ideo shows Dora players switch-out at free throw line
Video shows Dora players switch-out at free throw line
People-Tag: Jason West, Mason Luna, Rick Luna
VIDEO: Dora's free throws in Cabool Tournament
The Missouri State High School Activities Association is looking into complaints of the Dora Falcons switching players to shoot free throws after a pair of videos from Saturday’s Cabool Tournament Championship began making their rounds on social media.

“We are gathering as much information as we can right now,” MSHSAA Communications Director Jason West said about the calls his office has received about Saturday’s game.

The plays in question come at the free throw line and centers around Dora’s talented triplets in a tightly contested, 63-61 Falcons win over Licking.

The first one shows Dora’s #34 Auston Luna get fouled in the far corner of the court. As he walks to the make-shift team huddle at the top of the key, his brother #20 Bryson Luna goes to the line to take his shots. Auston, who was fouled, runs over to the bench.

The second video shows #34 Auston Luna is fouled again, this time at the elbow. He then hands the ball to #23 Mason Luna who throws it to the ref and takes the free throw line. Again, Auston heads to the bench.

Rick Luna, the Dora head coach and athletic director, has been hunting since the Cabool Tournament and hasn’t seen the videos from Saturday night when we reached out to him.

“Was this planned,” Chad Plein asked Luna on the phone.

“No, no,” Luna insisted.

The coach’s only knowledge of the incidents is what a friend told him over the phone. The coach even joked about if it was a plan, it was poorly constructed.

“The two free throws they’re talking about,” Luna says referring to the information his friend gave him, “(Dora) went one-for-four shooting those free throws and we won by two.”

“Winning isn’t everything,” Josh Murray a parent from Licking who helped spread the videos on social media said about the events. “You shouldn’t compromise the integrity of the sport for just another win.”

Over the years, West admits, he’s heard of schools changing free throw shooters before. By Wednesday afternoon, MSHSAA has spoken with one of the referees at the game as well as others involved.

The governing agency is also studying the rules and what education it gives referees. MSHSAA’s goal, to make sure something like this, no matter who is playing, doesn’t happen.

“Is it a technical foul to the player?” West says if a team is caught during the game switching out shooters, “A technical foul to the coach? A technical foul on both?”

And when it comes to education for the referees, when one ref reports the foul to the desk what’s the responsibility of the others on the floor?

As far as the possibility of changing Saturday’s outcome in Cabool once all the information comes in, MSHSAA says it cannot do that. Only when players are ruled ineligible for a game they played in can the state take wins away.
 
What bothers me about the situation is that this doesn't look like it was something that was spur of the moment from kids on a team without their coach's knowing. And for that to happen, that means that the kids on the team and coaches, all know it's happening. I would even go so far to say that there are parents who know what is happening. Coaches know who gets fouled, Assistant Coaches know who is fouled. All of them keep quiet, for whatever reason. At least now there is video evidence of him doing something so MSHSAA can't just turn a blind eye. Coaches are supposed to use sports and their interactions with student-athletes as a way to teach about life lessons; dealing with adversity, how to persevere, to create better individuals, etc. He's teaching his players to do whatever it takes to win, as long as you don't get caught.
The coach is also the father of the kids that were doing this.
 
Saw comments on Instagram too where the Dora boys were talking about doing it
 
I predict the reason or excuse to be along the lines of the boys just being mischievous. Sort of like the old Bobby Bowden speeches. Not saying it’s right.
The coach has to be involved to bring the one over to him and talk with him each time. Funny how they just meet at the FT line too. It is comical in a way, but cheating in another
 
The news leaders local sports coverage has been terrible the last couple of years but A+ for the "Dora the Exploiter" headline.
 
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It’s went national on a few other sites as well, according to some people from down in that area that I talked to today.
Doesn't anybody think the officials that let it happen should be held responsible too. May be plenty of blame to go around but the game officials should know who the shooter is by number. This cannot happen IF they do what they should be doing.
 
It’s went national on a few other sites as well, according to some people from down in that area that I talked to today.
Doesn't anybody think the officials that let it happen should be held responsible too. May be plenty of blame to go around but the game officials should know who the shooter is by number. This cannot happen IF they do what they should be doing.

I agree. Especially considering that it wasn’t that many years ago that we upped basketball from 2 refs per game to 3 refs per game, if I’m correct that is.
 
I worked the scorers table for about 20 years and yes, the refs and, to a lesser degree, the scorekeeper, share some blame. The problem is, most officials and table workers assume the coaches are going to act with honor and in a professional manner, not that a coach and team has worked out a premeditated plan to cheat.
 
It would be interesting to see the team foul totals for Dora and their opponents the rest of the way. I can't help but think that referees will not be too keen on giving them any 50-50 calls after all this. You reap what you sow though. Doing it once or twice in a season during a big game is one thing, but systematically doing it on an every-game basis is just idiotic and asking for trouble.
 
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It would be interesting to see the team foul totals for Dora and their opponents the rest of the way. I can't help but think that referees will not be too keen on giving them any 50-50 calls after all this. You reap what you sow though. Doing it once or twice in a season during a big game is one thing, but systematically doing it on an every-game basis is just idiotic and asking for trouble.
I was thinking a long the same lines. It is going to be a long rest of season for them. Away games and districts especially.
 
I wonder what the mo basketball coaches association thinks about this. Even if he isn't a member, it reflects badly on the profession.
Doubtful MSHSAA will do anything and the Dora supt didn't sound like the board/community was going to let this get in the way of winning a few games. Cabool could symbolically vacate the championship but other than that what? Officials are too professional to boycott their games or dispense too much karma with the whistle. Probably just fans chanting "check the shooter" or some other cheer every time they go to the line.
 
The coach is also the father of the kids that were doing this.
Yes, and he is the Principal of the school and now, any kid who goes to his office for cheating in class he has to look in the eye and mete out a punishment for doing, in class, what he is teaching his players to do in games. Btw, he's also the head baseball coach. Kind of makes you wonder about if they switch jerseys in baseball to get around that pesky pitch count MSHSAA has.
 
Yes, and he is the Principal of the school and now, any kid who goes to his office for cheating in class he has to look in the eye and mete out a punishment for doing, in class, what he is teaching his players to do in games. Btw, he's also the head baseball coach. Kind of makes you wonder about if they switch jerseys in baseball to get around that pesky pitch count MSHSAA has.

LOL, teachers take care of cheating students. The principal backs them up. They rarely make it to the office for a classroom violation.
 
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