Sports

Big East benches refs for bad calls

Two of the Big East Conference’s veteran referees have been told they will not be working the league’s championship tournament because of calls that went against Louisville in a 77-74 loss at West Virginia earlier this season, The Post has learned.

Mike Kitts, who last year received the Naismith Award as the nation’s best ref, and long-time official Jim Haney, both of whom have worked Big East tourneys in the past, were involved in two controversial calls at the end of the Mountaineers’ victory.

Louisville coach Rick Pitino said he spoke to Art Hyland, the league’s coordinator of men’s basketball officiating, and that Hyland decided on the discipline with no input from Pitino.

“I think the officials in the Big East, which is by far the toughest league to work, do a great job,” Pitino told The Post. “But there have been a lot of errors this year that need to be addressed. I have no ax to grind with those three officials.”

Les Jones, who is committed to working the ACC Tournament, was the third member of the crew that worked the Jan. 30 game in Morgantown.

On the game’s most controversial play, a loose ball sailed out of bounds, directly at Kitts’ face. Kitts, whom three Big East coaches assessed as being a good ref, instinctively turned to avoid contact.

Neither Jones nor Haney had an angle on the play. None of the three signaled which team should have possession. In such a case, the ball is supposed to go to the team that has the possession arrow in its favor. But Haney and Kitts, in a procedural error, checked the replay monitor. The ball was awarded to West Virginia with 6.7 seconds left.

Kitts, Haney and Jones have not worked another game involving Louisville since that game. Dan Gavitt, the Big East associate commissioner for basketball, said disciplinary matters regarding officials are handled internally.

Coaches often contact their league regarding officiating matters and Pitino followed proper channels. But that doesn’t ease a growing sense that some coaches are imposing too much of their will on games.

In Connecticut’s recent 73-62 win over West Virginia, Jim Calhoun was assessed a technical foul just 47 seconds into the game. On the night, his Huskies attempted 42 foul shots, the Mountaineers just 23.

“Maybe with a young [official] you can get a couple of calls by getting on him,” said a Big East coach who requested anonymity. “But I don’t think that goes on too much.”

Perhaps not, but there is a danger if fans believe a coach can influence a game by engaging refs or by gaining favor by complaining to the league office. Pitino said he believes there needs to be fundamental changes in how coaches and refs interact.

“It needs to be like the NBA where if you’re abusive or use foul language you’re called for a technical foul and you’re fined,” Pitino said. “Coaches spend so much time with officials by the end of a game they’re asparagus, all curled up and fried.”

lenn.robbins@nypost.com