Robert Rosenthal, writing at his site IlliniBoard, can’t stand the idea of running drones during free throws.

Here’s the situation. With five seconds left, Kasparas Jakucionis was fouled and went to the free throw line. Make one and he ties it. Make both and Illinois will take the lead. The entire State Farm Center is on edge.

As you may know, I can’t watch important free throws like that. Call me weak or whatever – compare me to someone watching a horror film through their fingers as they cover their eyes because that’s essentially what I’m doing – but I just can’t do it. At home, I leave the room and try to listen, usually peaking around the corner of a doorway. On press row, I stare at my keyboard until I hear the crowd celebrate or groan.

Jakucionis is handed the ball. The arena goes quiet as it always does for free throws by the home team. I stare at my keyboard to listen for a cheer or groan. And I hear… a drone? The familiar WHZZZZZZZZZ of the tiny little copter blades of a camera drone. The “swarm of 10,000 mosquitoes” sound.

Look, I don’t know if Kasparas Jakucionis heard the drone at all. Even in the absolute worst case scenario – just as he went to shoot, he heard the drone, it distracted him, and he missed the free throw – it still didn’t affect the outcome of the game. Had he made both free throws instead of missing that first one, Tennessee would have won 66-65 instead of 66-64.

But that doesn’t matter to me. What matters to me is that we chose a different competition in that moment. We were trying to win some “college athletics video of the year” award over a basketball game. We thought of the content over the kids.

I saw the drone in warmups and at the beginning of the game but did not hear it during the Jakucionis free throws. Robert’s seats are much closer than mine, so it might have been more noticeable for him. I have no idea. The drone didn’t make KJ lose focus. Coach Underwood lost focus, but I can’t blame the drone either.

I’m just happy Brad Underwood realized he should have called a timeout after the free throws after the game was lost. After ten games, this team is still learning how to play together, but there is no next year. This team has to learn how to close out games, or they will be in for an early exit in March. The good thing is that it’s only December.