Dan Sanford

Sports Editor

das6267@psu.edu

Tensions boiled over Feb. 20th as the NCAA basketball game between the Wisconsin Badgers and visiting Michigan Wolverines drew to a close.

Although the game was even at halftime at 31 points per team, Wisconsin was far more dominant in the second half, cruising to a 77-63 victory. Angry about Wisconsin calling a late timeout, Michigan coach Juwan Howard began an argument in the postgame handshake line. Moments later, he hit Badgers assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft in the head, and an all-out pushing and shoving brawl broke loose. Wolverines forward Moussa Diabate and Badgers guard Jahcobi Neath were involved in a fistfight amid the chaos. Wolverines forward Terrance Williams II also struck another member of the Badgers.

Angry about Wisconsin calling a late timeout, Howard began arguing with Badgers head coach Greg Gard in the postgame handshake line. The timeout was called with 15 seconds left and the Badgers leading by 15 points, and Howard took exception to this as he felt it unnecessary and unsportsmanlike. Gard responded that the timeout was called because his reserve players were in the game and only had four seconds to get the ball past midcourt. A timeout gave them 10 seconds.

“I was not going to put them in position, where the ball had already gotten knocked out of bounds, to have to break a press in four seconds,” Gard said, disregarding the lead the team held.

Howard will be facing the most severe penalty. He has been suspended for the rest of the regular season for his role in the postgame fight, and will lose $130,000 in pay in addition to a $40,000 fine. Diabate, Neath, and Williams were each suspended one game for their roles in the altercation. Gard was fined $10,000 for his conduct before the incident escalated. Should Michigan qualify for the Big Ten Tournament and NCAA Tournament, Howard will be eligible to return to his duties. In the meantime, the Wolverines will have to play against Michigan State, Iowa, and Ohio State without Howard; they defeated Rutgers without him, but most recently lost to Illinois Sunday evening.

“Big Ten Conference coaches and student-athletes are expected to display the highest level of sportsmanship conduct […] Our expectation is that the incident yesterday will provide our coaches and student-athletes with the opportunity to reflect, learn and move forward in a manner that demonstrates decorum and leadership on and off of the court,” Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren said in a statement closing the incident.