‘I couldn’t talk to (officials)’

On Feb 3, 2023

The first technical, Chris Holtmann said repeatedly, was warranted and one he accepted without hesitation.

The second one, though, and the circumstances leading up to it were a different story.

In need of a win to break a stretch of seven losses in eight games, Ohio State immediately fell behind a similarly desperate Wisconsin team Thursday night at Value City Arena. The Badgers opened the game on an 8-0 run and never trailed in what would be a 65-60 win, but Holtmann wasn’t around to watch the majority of it. When sixth-year forward Justice Sueing was called for a charge with 27.7 seconds remaining in the first half to negate a made basket, an irate Holtmann charged up the court and let the officiating crew of Kelly Pfeifer, John Higgins and Courtney Green know his feelings.

In short order, Holtmann was gone. It was the second ejection of his Ohio State career.

“I’ve been ejected twice,” he said. “Once, I asked for it. The game was over. I’ve coached hundreds of games. Never even come close to being ejected. This was an official who I believe I couldn’t communicate with the entire game. Unfortunately, the first technical was warranted. I deserved the first technical. I don’t believe the second one was, but officials are going to do what they want to do and I’ve got to be more composed in that situation. I wasn’t composed. That’s on me.”

The first technical came from Courtney Green, who had refereed three Ohio State games earlier this season. The second came from John Higgins, although Holtmann did not identify him by name in his postgame press conference.

Asked what the officials had told him as the technical fouls were being assessed, Holtmann said, “Couldn’t tell me anything. I couldn’t talk to them. Couldn’t talk to him. Couldn’t talk to him, whole night. All we wanna do as coaches is talk to officials. Couldn’t talk to one of them.

“Couldn’t talk the whole half. Didn’t wanna hear it.”

The charge call was the second Ohio State was called for during the first half. Wisconsin’s Chucky Hepburn drew one on Brice Sensabaugh with 13:56 remaining and the Badgers ahead 15-10.

Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said the Big Ten needs to do a better job of simplifying the rule book and not continually adding addendums that prevent officials from simply calling the game as they see it. Holtmann said games are being officiated differently compared to a few weeks ago.

“I think the flop was called much better earlier in the season,” he said. “I’ve clearly done a poor job getting our guys to understanding that there’s a technique to that. I’m not taking anything away from Wisconsin. They beat us. I’ve said, I lost my composure, that was on me.”

Holtmann was last ejected in a 71-67 loss at Michigan State on Feb. 25, 2021, when he picked up a second technical foul with two seconds remaining.

Higgins was the subject of national scrutiny during Monday night’s ESPN broadcast of a game between Texas and Baylor. That was his third game in as many games after refereeing at Stanford on Saturday, at Purdue on Sunday and then at Texas on Monday. Higgins, who is rated as the nation’s fourth-best official by KenPom.com, then was at Kansas on Tuesday and Drake (Des Moines, Iowa) on Wednesday before getting to Columbus for Thursday night’s game.

The ejection helped the Badgers create some breathing room that would come in handy later. Had Sueing’s bucket counted, Ohio State could’ve been within 37-30 after trailing by as many as 15 points during the half. Instead, freshman guard Connor Essegian, an 89.5% free-throw shooter, hit all four attempts and Hepburn sunk a jumper with two seconds left to send the Badgers practically floating into their locker room with a 43-27 halftime lead thanks to that six-point possession.

“I would like to be able to talk to officials,” Holtmann said. “That’s all I would ask. I’ve coached hundreds of games and not gotten thrown out. The first technical was warranted. I thought it was a flop. I thought the video concluded that it was a flop. They’re trying to get that out of the game. They didn’t. Give them credit. He took the hit. I believe it was a flop. I said that. I shouldn’t have reacted like I reacted. I deserved the first technical, but after that, I think it was …”