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As most people know, the tension inside some games of the Big Ten Basketball Conference is really high, but few expected UCLA's Mick Cronin to take things into his own hands as he did on Tuesday night. During a heavy 82-59 loss to No. 15 Michigan State, Cronin did what many saw as unthinkable: he ejected his own player, senior center Steven Jamerson II, before the referees could finish their review.
The incident has gone viral since it happened, sparking a debate on things like pure coaching ethics, player discipline, and how to manage the mounting frustrations within the Bruins' program as they fight to secure an NCAA tournament bid.
The moment that lit the fire
With roughly four minutes remaining at the Breslin Center and UCLA trailing by nearly 30 points, Michigan State's Carson Cooper broke away for a transition dunk. Jamerson, attempting to stop the easy basket, committed a hard foul from behind, hammering Cooper and sending him awkwardly to the floor.
He immediately sprang up to confront Jamerson. While teammates and officials quickly separated the two, the atmosphere in the arena turned electric in just a matter of seconds. However, the real surprise came from the UCLA sideline.
Rather than waiting for the official ruling, Cronin decided to intervene. He kicked Jamerson out to the bench, grabbed him by the jersey, and pointed directly toward the tunnel. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo joked about it after the game.
"I guess he upgraded that to a flagrant 2, huh? That's the first time I've seen a coach do that. That sounded like Mick; he'll get that straightened out
Jamerson, who began his college career as a student at Michigan State before playing at San Diego, offered little protest as he went straight to the locker room. He finished the night with just two points and two rebounds in eight minutes of play.
Cronin's post-game words
The tension did not end with the final buzzer. During the post-game press conference, Cronin berated a reporter for asking about the Michigan State student section, the "Izzone", saying:
"I could give a rat's ass about the other team's student section
Whether this situation serves as a wake-up call or a point of fracture remains to be seen. For now, it stands as one of the most unusual displays of discipline in recent college basketball history.