After losing to #Michigan in overtime, Chris Collins was NOT happy with the officials, criticizing them and Vlad Goldin in his postgame comments:
The Big Ten has plenty of basketball coaches with quick tempers, with Fran McCaffery, Brad Underwood and Mick Cronin being quick to criticize officials and make headlines in their postgame press conferences.
After Michigan’s overtime win over Northwestern on Sunday, Northwestern head coach Chris Collins’ temper was on full display. The five-minute overtime took a half hour of real time, largely because of way-too-long replay reviews and Collins jawing at the game’s officials.
A turning point of the game was Jalen Leach being ejected. The Northwestern guard, who had 19 points at the time, committed what officials determined to be a Flagrant II foul after Leach kicked Vlad Goldin where the sun doesn’t shine . Northwestern was up 54-51 when Leach committed the foul. Michigan went on to win, 80-76.
Collins criticized Goldin by name in his postgame press conference.
“I’ll give him credit. If he doesn’t make the NBA, he’ll have an incredible acting career,” Chris Collins said, per Matthew Shelton of WildcatReport.com . “I mean that as a compliment, too.”
No you didn’t, Chris. No you didn’t.
“Look, if it’s malicious, and a kid is going for that area with a knee or fist, then absolutely,” Collins continued. “But I think the people that make the rules (don’t realize) Vlad Goldin is 7-foot-1, 275 pounds, setting a moving screen and Jalen is trying to get over.”
Andy Katz, working the game for Big Ten Network, got a clarification on the ruling from Big Ten head of officials Terry Wymer, who said, “By rule, if a player gets hit in the private area, it’s an automatic F2 and ejection for the opponent who hit the player. You can’t officiate intent.”
Perhaps Collins was voicing his frustration because Goldin objectively crushed the Wildcats. He led Michigan with 31 points to go along with eight rebounds and four blocks.
Being on the winning side of the overtime duel, Michigan head coach Dusty May was in much better spirits. We haven’t seen him lose his temper halfway into his first season at the helm, and he even was joking around about the uptick in replay reviews late in this one.
“I’m very, very frugal, so I’m not going to say anything to criticize the officials or any calls that they made,” May said.
Dusty May pic.twitter.com/wHGymaMHJh
— Clayton Sayfie (@CSayf23) January 19, 2025
What do you think about Collins’ comments? Fair or foul? Did he really mean it as a compliment to Goldin? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.