The big-time matchup between No. 1 Kansas and No. 10 Duke got heated.
The Terry’s Chocolate Vegas Showdown pitted two college basketball powerhouses against one another on Tuesday night in Las Vegas. The energy was palpable inside T-Mobile Arena, and it is also getting intense on the court.
The Jayhawks had a small lead in the second half when Hunter Dickinson set up Duke’s Maliq Brown near the basket but missed the shot. He got the offensive rebound ahead of Brown, but they both fell to the ground.
It looked like Dickinson swung his right foot and hit Brown on the head when they hit the deck. The Blue Devils forward did not like the contact, and a small fight broke out.
In the beginning, it was called a Flagrant One foul, but after a long review, the referees decided Dickinson actually did something Flagrant Two, which the NCAA defines as “brutal, harsh, cruel, dangerous, or punishing.”
Because of the call, Dickinson was kicked out of the game.
After the call, Dickinson stayed on the bench, but during the next timeout, he was told to leave the court, which is what a player who has been ejected must do. He had 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists by the end of the night.
It was agreed upon by Kansas coach Bill Self that Dickinson deserved a flagrant foul, but he “thought the Flagrant Two may have been a little severe.”
“I did not think at the moment that it warranted a Level Two, but I do think it needed to be called,” Self told ESPN.
The comments made by Duke coach Jon Scheyer were a bit more direct.
Scheuer told ESPN, “I have not seen it other than what I saw on the screen that he kicked him in the face.” “So I think that calls for the Flagrant Two.” Again, I have not had a good look or done anything else, but that one seemed pretty simple to me.
Kansas held on to win the game 75–72 in the end.
The fact that Dickinson was kicked out could “be the best thing to happen to us” because “it will teach him a good lesson and give some other kids some confidence.”