Arizona came out swinging in its season opener and handed No. 3 Florida a loss, but the biggest highlight of the night might have been a call that never came. Late in the second half, Florida forward Alex Condon got away with one of the most blatant double dribbles you’ll see in a high-major game. It wasn’t subtle. He took a dribble, picked it up, shuffled his feet, then dribbled again, and somehow every official on the floor missed it.
To be clear, it didn’t affect the final outcome. Arizona pulled away late and earned a 93-87 win behind a monster performance from freshman Koa Peat, who dropped 30 points in his debut. Jaden Bradley added 27, and the Wildcats walked out with a big early win that will hold weight come March.
But still, how do you miss that call?
Condon’s play wasn’t borderline. It wasn’t a judgment call or something that needed a slow-mo replay. It was as clear as it gets. And in a game featuring two ranked teams, including the defending national champs, the standard has to be better than that. If we’re going to ask these teams to execute at the highest level from the jump, then the same should apply to the guys in stripes.
That’s what makes this moment so frustrating. It didn’t change the outcome this time, but it sets a tone. It’s the first week of the season, and officials are already letting obvious violations slide in marquee games. That’s how we end up with avoidable chaos later in the year when the stakes are higher and the margins are thinner.
Officials don’t need to be perfect, but they do need to get the easy ones right. That wasn’t a hard call. It wasn’t hidden. And it sure as hell shouldn’t have been ignored.
