[Cactus Jack]

What did they do?

Michigan State has a tradition where the seniors get a curtain call-- they'll usually exit the game during a dead ball and kiss the Spartans logo at mid-court as they exit the floor for the final time. The crowd cheers, people throw babies in the air, grandparents have tears in their eyes, and all is right in the world. This has apparently been something of a tradition that goes back to at least Mateen Cleaves and the Flintstones.

To set the stage, Michigan State was up 18 points with 37 seconds left. They'd lead 50-28 at the half and Michigan made a decent run to start the 2nd Half, but the game was around a 12-14 point margin from the under 8 timeout.

Izzo had already taken one player out for his curtain call and a couple of Michigan's freshmen players who combined for 2 points on the night are intentionally standing at the half court area as a way of trying to spoil the moment; they're asked to move-- no one is in anyone's face or being too dramatic, some MSU players are just motioning for them to move (you will have to do a deeper online dive to get to see this part).

Completely lacking the self-awareness to realize that they look like jackasses that are being sore losers about just having their ass handed to them, the Michigan players continue to stand well toward the middle of the logo while Michigan shoots a free throw as more seniors are about to have their moment. A Michigan State player takes exception, walks toward them and says something. Words are exchanged, a Michigan player is the first to shove, and the ending is delayed and the teams have to be separated.

Oblivious to the fact that he's the one who controls his team and apparently thinking he's back at Florida Atlantic where his teams games may be lucky to get a thirty second Sportscenter segment that few will see and even fewer will care or write about, Dusty May then proceeds to go into the press conference and gives a bunch of sound bites that make him come off as aloof at best or a smug prick who seems to have an opinion of himself that doesn't really match his coaching achievements at worst.

For a school with Michigan's academics and prestige, you'd think May would realize they'd just gotten rid of Juwan Howard, an alum who has done way more for the program than he probably ever will, for being involved in altercations that became a distraction and cast the university in a negative light, but apparently he doesn't and since this one doesn't have quite as many eyeballs as the OSU/Michigan football scuffle that led to players, staffers, and reporters being (inadvertently) pepper-sprayed, it will have to settle for being second place in this season's Michigan lore.