College Basketball Referee Jeffrey Anderson Goes Viral For Accidentally “Setting Screen” During Illinois-Rutgers Game

Not a good look for this referee in the era of people thinking “refs are deciding games.”

It’s not even March and we’re somehow already experiencing madness in college basketball. Though this hard-to-believe moment doesn’t stem from a wicked ankle breaker, or a devastating buzzer beater… it’s all because of a referee who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

And ended up right in the middle of a play.

College referee Jeffrey Anderson has a following of his own, believe it or not. He’s affectionally referred to as “High Knees,” because… well, he sometimes does high knees as he’s running up and down the court while doing his job.

Might as well get that cardio in, right?

https://twitter.com/highkneesref/status/1886933421118906617

Yeah, you read that right. The ref has his own fan account. He’s typically a beloved figure in the world of college basketball, but that all changed last night when he accidentally appeared to provide assistance to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during their game against the Fighting Illini of Illinois.

It initially looked like Anderson was trying to get out of the way on one of the sidelines when the action taking place on the 3-point line brought him right into the thick of it. Once the ref was bumped, he was just trying to catch his balance, which led him to set an inadvertent screen, clearing the way for Rutgers star Ace Bailey to convert the basket.

Needless to say, it created a hilarious moment:

https://twitter.com/TheFieldOf68/status/1887335088670556595

Way to clear out the lane Jeffrey Anderson! Was that a box out at the very end too? Reverting back to his basketball playing days, I suppose?

The funniest part about it all? If Anderson was actually a player, a referee would have immediately blown a whistle calling for an illegal screen. But I guess a ref can’t blow the whistle on themselves for something like that, especially if they’re just trying to regain their balance?

If you were wondering, the freeze frames of the play make it look even worse… almost like it was AI generated:

https://twitter.com/itsAntWright/status/1887489488235925729

It’s criminal how comical those images are.

That’s why college basketball is such a fun sport to be a fan of. You truly never know what’s going to happen out on the court. Sometimes – if you’re lucky – the “ref show” evolves into a referee literally setting two (illegal) picks in a matter of a couple of seconds.

Social media had a ball cracking jokes about it:

High knees had Rutgers ML

— College Sports Only (@CollegeSportsO) February 6, 2025

The ref has GOT to do a better job defensively!!

— David Griggs (@DavidGPuppet) February 6, 2025

So he can get his knees up to trot down the court, but can’t get his hands up on transition defense? Fundamentals

— Cranjis X… (@impracticalXfan) February 6, 2025

The New York Giants could use him on the OL.

— Juice George (@Juicey_G_Money) February 6, 2025

High knees needs faster knees

— The Red Beard (@RowanDonaghey) February 6, 2025

Moving screen. Another missed call by Anderson

— Brent Stanley (@BrentStanley11) February 6, 2025