Coaches on court storming: ‘Let’s get rid of it’

• Myron Medcalf, ESPN Staff WriterFeb 26, 2024, 06:06 PM ET

  Close

  • Covers college basketball
  • Signed up with ESPN.com in 2011
  • Graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato

LAWRENCE, Kan.– On Monday, Jon Scheyer, Costs Self and other college basketball leaders called for a ban on court storming in college basketball due to security concerns and possible legal impacts for athletes and students.The discussion about court storming escalated over the weekend after Duke star Kyle Filipowski was bumped by Wake Forest fans who spilled onto the floor following the Devil Deacons ’83-79 win over the Blue Devils on Saturday. That incident unfolded simply weeks after a fan encountered ladies’s basketball super star Caitlin Clark after Iowa’s upset loss at Ohio State.On the ACC media teleconference contact Monday, Scheyer said the ACC

must carry out a court-storming restriction now and not wait to resolve the issue this offseason. He stated Filipowski prevented significant injury during the court-storming event but was” a bit aching”on Monday. Scheyer initially said Filipowski had actually suffered an ankle injury. The forecasted lottery pick in this summer’s NBA draft was carried off the court by his colleagues after the collision.Editor’s Picks 2 Associated Eleven conferences– the Atlantic 10, Big East, Big South, Big 10, Big 12

, Conference U.S.A.

, Mid-Eastern

Athletic, Pac-12, WAC, Southeastern and West Coast– just recently told ESPN that the home school for a court storm could be subject to a fine under specific circumstances.The ACC does not provide fines for court storming, and an individual with knowledge of the circumstance confirmed to The Associated Press that the league does

not mean to fine Wake Forest for Saturday’s occurrence.”Absolutely we should not wait until next year, something should be done today,” Scheyer said during the ACC call.” At the end of the day, players and coaches and officials are the only individuals that belong on a court.”Self said he has experienced the security concerns firsthand during numerous court storms after road losses throughout his career.In 2012, Self had to help referee Darron George off the court after he suffered a broken arm as Iowa State fans stormed the flooring following an upset over the Jayhawks. In 2015, a Kansas State fan bumped former Kansas forward Jamari Traylor during another court storm after an upset of Kansas.”Let’s eliminate it, totally,”Self told ESPN on Monday. “I do not see the positive effect from a visual standpoint. Our game has enjoyment and individuals are delighted about college basketball a lot. [

Court storming] isn’t as huge of a favorable as a potential unfavorable that exists with someone getting hurt or suits. Can you envision a kid storms the court, encounters somebody, he gets taken legal action against and his life is changed permanently? It works both methods. Or, someone runs into one of our players, our player [lifts their arms] to safeguard themselves and captures someone right in the Adam’s apple or hits them in the temple and they get a concussion or something? That’s a suit versus them.”Self stated he enjoyed the video of the Wake Forest court storming on Saturday and thought Filipowski had no chance to prepare for the moment when fans ran onto the court. He explained it as a hazardous circumstance which the leagues could alleviate with stiffer penalties.” What took place recently, viewing it live, it could have been a lot even worse,” Self said.” Filipowski didn’t appear to be prepared to brace himself for it. “Self said Kansas has actually” most likely been stormed on about as much as anyone,” so he now tries to prepare his players if opposing fans may run onto the court. He said he tries to guarantee his players are near the sideline as the clock winds down in those situations. Nevertheless, it’s not always possible to create a safe scenario.Plus, it’s not his task to keep his group safe when fans storm the court, he stated. “The safety measures, up until recently, have actually been with the going to team informing their own players on how to manage [court storming],”Self said. “Like calling a timeout with 15 seconds left and it’s a 10-point

game, just to get guys out of the game or whatever or tell them do not go

out there, stand next to the sideline. Those things happen. However even with that, that should not be the responsibility of the visiting group to inform their guys.” Memphis head coach Cent Hardaway said court storming had previously been a fun minute for fans to celebrate an upset triumph. In the last few years, nevertheless, the tone around court storming has actually altered, he said. “I understand that that’s been a part of college basketball forever. And now it’s beginning to get a little too violent due to the fact that there are numerous people getting caught in the middle,”he said on Sunday after his group’s win over Florida Atlantic. “Usually, the trainees will come out and walk around the players, let the players come off the court and let security get them. Now, it resembles they’re attempting to let the players see them or to say something [to them] You want the security of the fans in addition to the players. I believe you should let the team exit. If you seem like you’re going to storm the court and you’re going to allow it, you do not do a handshake line.”The coaches aren’t the only ones steering the discussion. Brett Yormark, the Huge 12’s commissioner, told”Outdoors the Lines”on Monday that he and the other significant commissioners plan to resolve court storming in the near future.” I can inform you [Tuesday] in fact, I have a call with some of my

commissioner associates and we are going to address it due to the fact that it’s not a conference concern, it’s a market problem and something that, you understand, we need to resolve collectively,”Yormark said on the program.”And those discussions are

being had, and officially we will have one tomorrow and we’ll see where it takes us.” Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne went as far as saying he thinks teams must have to forfeit in scenarios like the Duke-Wake Forest game.”You have two kids run out there, no, but when you have a continual rush like what simply took place recently at Wake, you lose the game,”Byrne informed press reporters in Birmingham on Monday.”

That will get individuals to stop.” Details from The Associated Press was used in this report.