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The NCAA Tournament hasn't started yet and we already have controversy: overinflated basketballs.
The latest round of discussion surfaced when former Wisconsin forward Sam Dekker posted on X that the NCAA should assign someone at every venue to ensure game balls meet proper standards.
“Do I have to scream this each year until I am red in the face?” Dekker wrote. “@MarchMadnessMBB needs to hire someone at every venue to make sure the basketballs are acceptable to be played with.”
Do I have to scream this each year until I am red in the face?? @MarchMadnessMBB needs to hire someone at every venue to make sure the basketballs are acceptable to be played with.
It turns the actual product into a completely random event. https://t.co/Yba1dkH2sZ
Complaints about the feel of tournament basketballs are not new. Players and coaches have occasionally questioned whether slick surfaces or excessive air pressure make shooting more difficult, particularly when early-round games feature unusually low 3-point shooting percentages.
In 2023, Alabama's Nate Oats raised similar concerns while discussing how ball pressure could impact shooting. “You can pump up any ball to be too hard,” Oats said at the time. “If you pump it up to where it’s a rock, you’re not going to shoot as well.”
The idea stems from past equipment controversies across sports. Tom Brady faced a four-game suspension after the NFL’s 2015 “Deflategate” investigation into underinflated footballs during the AFC championship game. Major League Baseball also altered the composition of its baseballs in 2021 after pitchers complained about unusually lively balls.
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Despite the chatter, Oats believes the real explanation for inconsistent shooting during March Madness is simpler.
“As the tournament goes on, the defenses get better,” he said. “When defenses get better, the shooting percentages go down.”
Every March brings pressure and the game itself continues to rise.
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