Sunday’s college basketball matchup between the Michigan Wolverines and the Wisconsin Badgers ended in absolute chaos, with a physical altercation between Michigan coach Juwan Howard and Wisconsin assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft at the end of the game.
The altercation came because Howard was noticeably upset with Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard calling a timeout while up by 15 points at the end of the game.
The players went to go shake hands following the game, which is where Howard and Gard began exchanging words and things got hostile.
While it is unclear at this point how severe the consequences will be for Howard, who started the altercation, it will likely result in a suspension at the very least.
This altercation became the talk of the college basketball world, and garnered attention from fellow coaches across the country.
Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo (seen above during a 2020 game) detailed how he saw things watching the melee from his office.
“It was bad for basketball. It was a scary situation. I just hope everyone learns from this and gets better.” Izzo said to Detroit Free Press reporter Chris Solari.
(2/?) Izzo: "It was bad for college basketball….It was a scary situation….I just hope everybody learns from it and gets better." Concerned about potential injuries, but doesn't want to comment further on what happened. Might call both coaches "or I might just coach my team."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) February 21, 2022
Izzo is one of the most respected coaches in college basketball today and is a big advocate for the Big Ten Conference, which certainly was not represented well by this display on Sunday.
“I’m a Big Ten guy. I believe in my university, but I believe in my conference,” Izzo added. “What you just saw, I think it was totally wrong. I can’t feel good about it.”
(7/?) Izzo: "I'm a Big Ten guy. I believe in my university, but I believe in my conference." Includes rivals and the players. "If what happened what you just saw, I think it was totally wrong," but he also says he "wouldn't pass judgement" until he gets more perspective.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) February 21, 2022
Izzo also added that the altercation reminded him of the infamous 2004 “Malice in the Palace” brawl between the Detroit Pistons and the Indiana Pacers.
(8/8) Izzo: "I can't feel good about it." Says seeing fans behind the punches reminded him of Malice at the Palace. "But what instigated it," he doesn't know yet. "I hope for everybody's sake, more than the punishment that's dealt, that lessons are learned and we move forward."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) February 21, 2022
While things can obviously get heated in the duration of a game, what Howard did after the game was over still stands out as well beyond the norm.
We should get some sort of official word on the consequences for all parties involved before Michigan’s next game which is set to take place on Wednesday against Rutgers.
[Chris Solari on Twitter; Izzo photo from Tommy Gilligan/USA Today Sports]
