Wolverines HC Issues Interesting Response to Late-Game Scrum
The No. 8 Michigan State Spartans (26-5, 17-3) dominated their in-state rival on Sunday afternoon, earning a 79-62 win over the No. 17 Michigan Wolverines (22-9, 14-6) at the Breslin Center on Senior Day. The final moments of the game issued quite an interesting response from Michigan coach Dusty May.
With the Spartans leading big late, each senior has an opportunity to kiss the green Spartan helmet logo at center court as they are honored for the final time at the Breslin Center as seniors. Two Wolverine freshman stood firmly in the center of the logo as the Spartans began their tradition.
Senior center Szymon Zapala was awaiting his turn to kiss the logo while the two Wolverines stood in the middle of the logo. Junior guard Tre Holloman was having none of it, stepping in the two rivals' faces, giving a shove and defending the Spartan tradition.
A scrum of both teams would ensue as May came onto the floor to hold his guys back from escalating the situation. After the loss, he gave his thoughts on the Spartans' senior tradition and the extracurricular activities in the final seconds.
"I didn't know there was a tradition, where they're shooting a free throw and we have guys stand at half-court, that there's a tradition that we can't stand half-court as a game's going on?" May said sarcastically.
"I'm not familiar with that one, is that a tradition? Obviously, it took longer than any F2 timeout, monitors, whatever the case. It took a while, but we're fine with that. They've earned the right for that, the seniors have poured their hearts out."
May feigned ignorance in his postgame presser, diverting from his players' decision to stand directly where each of the Spartan seniors go to kiss the logo. There was an underlying level of frustration after the Spartans beat his team for the second time this season by double digits.
May is in his first season as the Wolverines' head coach, but this is not his first season of coaching college basketball at the Division I level. May actually used to be a Big Ten assistant, working alongside the late, great Bob Knight at Indiana.
To say he was unaware of the tradition certainly raises questions. As a head coach of a Big Ten team, knowing that it was the Spartans' Senior Day, May must control his players and should have self-awareness for the moment at hand. Michigan somehow always finds itself in these spots.
May double-downed, throwing out a question to the media.
"As far as whatever happened, are we not allowed to stand at half-court while they're shooting a free throw?"
"No, you are," said one reporter.
"Oh you are, OK," May said again sarcastically. "So he [Holloman] walked up. They earned the right to rub our noses in it. It is what it is."
There may not be a rule against standing in the center of a rival's logo during their senior tradition in a blowout, but there is definitely an indictment of class and respect for those two players trying to spite the Spartans for another whomping win.
"Rub our noses in it." Really? Per tradition, the Spartans honor their seniors in the same way every single year, win or lose. Just because Michigan State held a 17-point lead did not change the tradition that has lived on for years. May was naive to think the Spartans taunted them.
It was shown that senior Jaden Akins, as well as Holloman, both asked the pair of Wolverines to step away from the logo so that the seniors could have their moment. In unbelievably classless fashion, Michigan's players refused to move, and Holloman had to step in and physically remove them.
Don’t forget to follow the official Spartan Nation Page on Facebook Spartan Nation WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be a part of our vibrant community group Go Green Go White as well WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.
