Coach Ejects Player During College Basketball Game
In a surprising turn of events during a college basketball game, UCLA center Stephen Jamerson II found himself ejected—not by a referee, but by his own head coach, Mick Cronin. This unusual incident occurred when Jamerson committed a hard foul, leaving UCLA trailing by 27 points with just over four minutes left in the second half of their 82-59 loss to Michigan State at Breslin Center.
It all started when Michigan State’s Carson Cooper appeared set for an easy layup breakaway. Jamerson, however, hit him from behind, causing Cooper to fall hard. The situation escalated quickly when Cooper got back to his feet and retaliated by striking Jamerson in the face before both players were pulled apart.
Cronin, clearly upset, didn’t hold back his frustration. He confronted Jamerson, leading him back to the bench and even into the locker room, tugging at Jamerson’s jersey along the way. Eventually, Jamerson made his way to the locker room, accompanied by UCLA trainer Dave Andrews. It’s worth noting that Jamerson was originally a freshman at Michigan State before transferring to the University of San Diego.
As he left the court, Michigan State fans waved goodbye to Jamerson. Notably, Spartans head coach Tom Izzo remarked on the rarity of a coach ejecting their own player, humorously noting, “(Cronin) probably elevated it to a flagrant two. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen a coach do that. But that’s typical of Mick. So he’ll make it right.”
Before this defeat, UCLA had already lost to No. 1 Michigan State by a 30-point margin. While the Bruins managed to win five of their last six games, they now find themselves on a two-game losing streak. The Spartans, on the other hand, desperately needed this win, having dropped three of their last four outings.
