EAST LANSING – The Breslin Center has been open for nearly four decades and might have just witnessed a first in the history of the building.
UCLA coach Mick Cronin ejected his own player, Steven Jamerson, following a flagrant foul from behind on Carson Cooper with 4:26 to play in the second half of an 82-59 loss against Michigan State on Tuesday night.
“I think a one- or two-point game, it might be a different situation that you could look at as a hustle play,” Cooper said, “but I think it was a little dirty.”
Michigan State was up 77-50 when Cooper took a long, press-breaking feed from Jordan Scott with two Bruins trailing as he dribbled across the 3-point line. A two-handed dunk attempt was broken up by Jamerson’s foul from behind that sent Cooper to the ground sliding into the basket support. The senior from Jackson immediately stood up and got in Jamerson’s face before the two were separated.
“I thought I had an open lane and I think, time and score, I didn’t think anything special was going to happen,” Cooper said. “When it did happen, I wasn’t expecting it and got a little outside myself. I’ll give credit to my guys kind of keeping me composed and everything. I wasn’t going to do anything that was going to – everybody knows I’m pretty composed and a pretty stable guy. I think at the end of the day, it’s a learning opportunity for both of us.”
As Cooper was being pulled away by teammates, officials sent Jamerson to the bench while they sorted it out and Cronin took it a step further. Before a flagrant foul and offsetting unsportsmanlike technicals on Cooper and Jamerson – his fifth – were even announced, the UCLA coach laid into the former Michigan State student and sent him off the floor to the locker room.
“Steve’s a good kid, he made a bad decision,” Cronin said. “If you want to be a tough guy, you need to do it during the game for a block out, for a rebound so I was thoroughly disappointed. The guy was defenseless in the air. I know Steven’s trying to block the shot but the game’s a 25-point game, you don’t do that.”
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, who is friends with Cronin, was surprised by the reaction from his counterpart.
“I guess he upgraded that to a flagrant 2,” Izzo said. “That’s the first time I saw a coach do it but that sounds like Mick so he’ll get that straightened out.”
