Big Ten officiating is a joke and it nearly cost Michigan basketball a shot at the Big Ten tournament championship on Sunday.
There were a number of questionable calls. There always are in close games, and yes, I realize that I'm wearing Maize and Blue colored glasses. But the call that put Maryland on the line to win the game was ticky-tack to the enth degree.
It's not a foul you'd expect to see in the first five seconds, let alone the last five. However, even though Maryland was gifted the lead, Michigan basketball coaches were smart enough to come up with a play for Tre Donaldson, utilizing a quick huddle, in order to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Donaldson went coast-to-coast for the win, reminding me of Tyus Edney's game-winning layup for UCLA against Missouri back in the 1994 NCAA tournament. Like Edney, Donaldson got down the floor in about four seconds for the win.
Officials put 0.4 seconds back on the clock for Maryland, but if officials were officating the game, and paying attention, Maryland never would have gotten the ball back.
A player on Maryland tried to call a timeout after Tre Donaldson’s go-ahead basket despite not having any left. Maryland should’ve been given a technical foul.
— Brandon Koretz (@BrandonKoretz) March 15, 2025
Brutal game all around for the officiating crew.pic.twitter.com/xW6NTTzNjY
After Donaldson scored, you can clearly see a Maryland player calling for a timeout. The problem is that Maryland didn't have any. Refs added time on the clock and so there was a stoppage, but a technical foul should have been assessed.
The Wolverines should have gotten two free-throw attempts, as well as the ball. Michigan basketball defended the play perfectly with 0.4 seconds, so it didn't matter, but when things are this important, it would be nice if the refs could do their jobs, or at least pretend to be impartial.