Star player ejected after 2 of the most shocking technical foul calls - 'completely out of hand'
Louisiana Tech senior guard Jacobi Boykins is one of the Bulldogs’ best players and was a preseason selection to All-Conference USA.
He appeared to be on his way to a great game vs. Charlotte on Thursday before he was hit with two of the most bizarre technical fouls ever seen, leading to his ejection.
The first came late in the first half with LA Tech leading 30-16. Boykins is the one (cleanly) blocking his opponent’s shot, which somehow resulted in his first T.
Here is his first technical. For simply blocking the shot. No personal was called. Just a tech. For blocking it too hard I suppose? pic.twitter.com/xBSMAotoO8
— Zach Harkins (@zharkins) February 9, 2018
There was no personal foul called on the play and Boykins didn’t say anything to his opponent, taunt him or stare him down. No one knows why he was whistled for a technical or what the official saw.
The second technical was just as bad, if not worse, than the first.
https://twitter.com/beINCOLLEGE/status/961789563890028544
Boykins stole the ball, finished with a breakaway dunk and merely backpedaled afterward. The ref must have been anticipating something happening so he decided to give Boykins his second tech and eject him from the game.
Former UNC player and Appalachian State coach Jason Capel called the game for beIN Sports, and he was livid about the play. He seemed to get more agitated with every replay
“This is out of hand,” Capel said. “This is completely out of hand what’s going on. You have to allow these players to play.
“You cannot call a technical foul simply because a player looked at another player and happened to have a smile on his face. That was absolutely ridiculous. The precedent was set in the first half, I didn’t agree with it then and I agree with it far less now.”
Those who watched the game noted that the same ref handed out both technicals to Boykins. But if you notice in the second tech, that referee was behind the play at the top of the court. He was around halfcourt when Boykins was slamming it and wasn’t even in position to make that call.
That ref couldn’t even see Boykin’s face so he must have assumed that Boykins said something to the defender who had fallen down. There was another ref right under the basket who was staring at the play the whole time and he didn’t think there was anything tech-worthy, but the guy 40 feet away and to the back of Boykins did?
Officiating has been exceptionally bad this year, but this was absolutely ridiculous…..
— Jason Norton (@HeelsFan86) February 9, 2018
There were numerous jokes on social media about that ref maybe placing a wager or two on the game.
There must have been a prop bet that this kid gets ejected and the ref bet his house on it. Should be fired and banned from officiating
— Jack Fiscarelli 🐬🍢🔥 (@JackFiscarelli) February 9, 2018
Or maybe that ref just wants players to show absolutely no emotion whatsoever. If that’s the case then Louisiana Tech should give former NFL receiver Andrew Hawkins a call so he can teach them how to act like robots when celebrating:
https://twitter.com/crownbet/status/785231121906671620
Fortunately Boykin’s ejection didn’t affect the outcome of the game. Louisiana Tech clobbered Charlotte 83-65 and has won five of its last six games.
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