Baylor AD crucial of refs after Drew’s 1st ejection

• Myron Medcalf, ESPN

  • Staff WriterFeb 4, 2024, 02:15 AM ET Close Covers college basketball
  • Signed up with ESPN.com in 2011
  • Graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato

Following the first ejection of coach Scott Drew’s career, Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades said he couldn’t stay peaceful about the officiating after the No. 18 Bears’ 70-68 win over No. 12 Iowa State in Waco, Texas, calling it “an embarrassment for this league.”

Baylor led 54-44 midway through the second half when Drew was hit with his 2nd technical foul for stepping outside the coaching box, leading to an ejection. Iowa State released a 17-0 run to take a 61-54 lead after the ejection.

“I’m not someone that calls the officials or calls the league after every game,” Rhoades informed press reporters. “In reality, I never ever call when it concerns officiating. It’s always about, ‘We need to play much better, we require to carry out much better, we require to play harder,’ all of those things. However tonight was a humiliation for this league. We have the very best basketball league in the country, and the officiating tonight did not match it. Period. End of story.”

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Late in the very first half, Baylor had a 15-point edge over the Cyclones, who climbed up back into the game in the second half. Jayden Dunn’s layup with two seconds to play to put Baylor ahead. Iowa State’s Milan Momcilovic struck a deep 3-pointer, however it was waved off after officials figured out the shot went off after the buzzer.Drew had actually coached 706 games in his profession and never ever been ejected before Saturday. He stated he mored than happy to see his team rally without him. He said he did not get”a description”for his ejection. “Undoubtedly, I’m quite thrilled today, “Drew said. “Really happy with the personnel and what they were able to achieve. Genuine thrilled about the players rallying. Clearly, I have actually never been kicked out. I haven’t attempted to get tossed out, otherwise I probably would have been kicked out in the past.”In 2017, the coaching box was encompassed give coaches more space on the sideline. However it’s common to see coaches step outside the box throughout a game. The 2023-24 NCAA males’s basketball rulebook listed the monitoring of the training box as a point of issue this season.”Extra focus/attention must be offered to the consistent enforcement

of bench decorum, the coaching box and unsporting conduct rules for both players and bench personnel,”the rulebook says.Even though coaches can be reprimanded for leaving the coaching box, the punishment seldom exceeds a stern warning.Rhoades said he will reach out to the Huge 12 office.” This league needs to improve when we think of our officiating,”he stated.”And we have some great, fantastic officials. However this particular crew tonight did not match the level of this game. And that should not take place in this league. I’m going to defend our program. I’m going to fight for our school. I’m going to defend our coaches. We’re going to fight for our student-athletes. I’ll be on the phone tomorrow. “