A Monday night game between Michigan State University and USC sparked heated emotions, including from a former college basketball star who played for the Spartans nearly two decades ago.
What did former Spartan star Paul Davis say to the referee?
MSU led USC 80-51 with six minutes remaining when a foul on a Spartan play drew boos from Michigan supporters in the crowd. Former player Paul Davis, who played for the team from 2002 to 2006 and was a member of the 2005 Final Four team, shouted something at referee Jeffrey Anderson, according to Yahoo! Sports and ESPN.
The incident went viral on social media, with video footage showing Davis standing up and shouting at Anderson, who blew his whistle, briefly stopped the play and pointed directly at Davis. MSU head coach Tom Izzo, a Hall of Famer for his 30-plus years of success leading the Spartans, had his arms outstretched and yelled from across the court at Davis.
“What the f**k are you doing?” Izzo said.
While Davis lingered around his seat, someone eventually came to escort him out, with Izzo gesturing at him and screaming, “Get outta here!” according to the video.
Tom Izzo speaks out following Paul Davis’ remark
During a postgame news conference, Izzo was asked about Davis’ controversial remark and behavior during the game. The veteran head coach provided few details about what his former player said.
“You know I love Paul Davis. He’s one of my favorite guys,” Izzo said following the Spartans’ 80-51 victory, per ESPN. “He’s always calling and doing things.”
He added, “But what he said — he should never say anywhere in the world. That ticked me off. Just because it’s 25, 20 years later, I’m going to have to call him tomorrow and tell him what I thought of it. And you know what he’ll say? ‘I screwed up, Coach. Sorry.'”
Tom Izzo: ‘I need Paul Davis here’
While many may be wondering what Davis actually said during the game, Izzo confirmed that Davis’ comment “wasn’t something racial, it wasn’t something sexual,” but that “it was just the wrong thing to say.”
Davis was a former McDonald’s All-American, ranking 10th in MSU’s history with 1,718 points, and averaged 13.2 points and 7 rebounds per game from 2002 to 2006. He added 14 points and 15 rebounds in the Spartans’ 87-71 loss to eventual champion North Carolina in the 2005 Final Four, according to ESPN.
Despite the incident, Izzo spoke highly of Davis, saying he often returns to visit and support the team. However, he stated that he would have a chat with Davis about what happened Monday night.
“I’m going to tell him he was wrong like I would my son, like I would my daughter, like I would my player,” Izzo said. “But I need Paul Davis here.”