What started out as gamesmanship in the final seconds of Wisconsin’s 77-63 victory against Michigan basketball turned chaotic in the handshake line between Michigan coach Juwan Howard and members of the Wisconsin coaching staff.
After a made basket, Michigan pressed the Wisconsin offense, forcing the Badgers to inbound the basketball a second time with 15 seconds left. Before the inbound, Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard called a 30-second timeout.
Upon returning from a timeout, the Wolverines fouled a Wisconsin player, delaying the game even more.
As the clock ran out, Juwan Howard went to the back of Michigan’s handshake, rather than leading the way per usual.
As Howard was breezing through the line, not locking eyes with Gard, the Wisconsin coach put his hand on Howard’s chest and stopped his progress. Howard then backed up and put his hand on Gard’s chest, grabbing his pullover. By that point, fingers were being pointed and Michigan players flooded in.
Howard and Gard continued to exchange words as Wisconsin coaches arrived, and after some jostling, Howard reached out and hit Wisconsin assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft with what appeared to be an open hand. Just before Howard landed the strike, Michigan players appeared to grow very angry.
From there, things got out of hand.
Players and coaches pushed and shoved. CBS’ broadcast showed Michigan’s Terrance Williams II and Moussa Diabate throw punches at members of the Wisconsin team. After more pushing and shoving, both teams went to the locker room as the chants of “N-I-T….N-I-T” rang out from an enraged crowd.
Wisconsin athletics director Chris McIntosh said he put in a call to Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren after the incident.
“There is no room, no space for conduct like that at any competition, much less Big Ten competition,” McIntosh said forcefully from the…
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