Luke Goode, Mike Woodson Comment On Late Game Indiana-Illinois Player Confrontation

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana's men's basketball team was already on its way to a seasonal nadir against No. 19 Illinois well before the second half. The Hoosiers gave up 60 points in the first half to the Fighting Illini and were never closer than 16 points after halftime in what was ultimately a 94-69 defeat.

The last thing Indiana needed was to add more on the pile of things that went wrong against Illinois and in the wake of two straight 25-point losses, but that’s exactly what the Hoosiers did.

With 2:24 left in the game and with Illinois up by 31 points, Indiana guard Luke Goode slid hard, hip to hip, into Illinois forward Tomislav Ivisic on a missed 3-point shot by Illinois’ Jake Davis.

Ivisic did not appreciate the way Goode charged into him for the block out and began to jaw with Goode on the baseline under the Illinois basket, shouting into his ear.

Indiana guard Myles Rice then pushed Ivisic out of Goode’s ear, pushing him in the chest as he made contact with Ivisic’s goatee.

Several Illinois and Indiana players confronted each other on the baseline when Oumar Ballo came in, jumped over Anthony Leal, and shoved Ivisic again.

An angered Ivisic got up to confront Ballo, and by then, the Illinois and Indiana coaches jumped in to try to calm things down.

Game officials spent several minutes at the replay monitor trying to sort the situation out. In the end, a total of six fouls were called for the confrontation.

Ballo was given a flagrant 2 foul for his shove and was ejected from the game. Technical fouls were assessed to Rice, Ivisic and Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn of Illinois. Goode was assessed a common foul, his fifth, and was disqualified.

The confrontation left a bad taste in the mouth of everyone in the wake of what was already a nightmarish night for the Hoosiers.

Goode did not regret his hard block out, but did lament the reaction afterwards.

“I think it got blown way out of proportion. I went and talked to the Illinois staff after and said I had no bad intentions. It was simply a box out,” Goode said.

“I got called for one in the first half, which was awful as well. That's what we're taught to do. Go hit your man and turn and box out. That's what I was taught to do and that's what I did,” Goode added.

Goode said it went too far afterwards.

“I don't think Ballo reacted in the right way. He stood up for me and Myles did, which I really appreciate that. That's what team looks like. But it was a little too much,” Goode said. “I think Ballo should have controlled his emotions a little bit. Makes us look bad as a program, and that's not the kids that we have in the locker room.”

Indiana coach Mike Woodson hopes that Indiana won’t lose Ballo for its next game at Ohio State on Friday night.

“I'm sure the commissioner and everybody will take a look at what happens and make a decision on what they plan on doing. I just hope Ballo is with us our next game as we travel over to Ohio (State),” Woodson said.

It is at the discretion of the Big Ten in terms of how they handle Ballo’s flagrant 2 foul.

Last season, Indiana guard Xavier Johnson received a flagrant 2 foul and an ejection at Rutgers and was allowed to play in Indiana’s following game against Minnesota.

Woodson said he would talk to Ballo and Rice about their role in the confrontation.

“They're taking up for each other. I get that. In the heat of the battle anything is liable to happen. I don't condone players pushing players or their player got into our player's face. It went back and forth, two guys pushing and shoving,” Woodson said.

“I don't condone that by any means. In the heat of the battle, I'm not right there in the situation where I can stop it. Sometimes things get out of hand and they happen,” Woodson continued. “You know, Ballo and I will sit and talk, along with Myles, because he was assessed a technical, too, and see where we go from there.”

Goode thought Ballo went too far, but defended his character otherwise.

“Anyone that knows Ballo knows he's a great kid. We were all upset that we were losing the game by a margin we didn't expect or want to lose the game by. At the end of that day Coach went and shook Coach Brad's hand, I went and shook Brad's hand, and basketball is basketball,” Goode said.

“Ballo is a great kid who was sticking up for his teammate, and that is just not how we need to represent the Indiana program, and we'll continue to try and represent the right way in the future,” Goode concluded.

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