OT - NMSU-UVU Brawl (Basketball)
After Utah Valley beat New Mexico State last night to take over control of the WAC, NMSU G K.C. Ross-Miller threw the ball at a Utah Valley player. Combined with the timing of UVU's fans storming the court, the fight between the players on the two teams escalated to also include a few UVU students. One can be seen throwing a punch at a NMSU player. Ugly scene, and it is already drawing more talk about banning storming the court. Storming the court is a part of the tradition of college (and high school) basketball, but is it so dangerous that it needs to be outlawed?
This is obviously an isolated situation, and the first time I can recall an incident of this nature occuring in college basketball. I think storming the court shouldn't be banned, and might be tough to enforce anyways. Do schools pay some sort of penalty for an incident? Would it require extra security at every game? Just doesn't seem practical to me.
February 28th, 2014 at 12:35 PM ^
I suspect we'll be able to thank UVU's students for getting court-storming banned. It was a tenuous truce as it was, now with this I don't think the NCAA has a choice but to ban it.
If they're going to trumpet caring about players, they can't reasonably let this one slide
February 28th, 2014 at 12:46 PM ^
It should be banned right now anyway. Not because of incidents like this, but because we are a top tier program and EXPECT to win a top game at home. Students should now never rush the court no matter the circumstances.
February 28th, 2014 at 1:34 PM ^
Well I can say that there has been no plan to rush the court this year regardless of who we beat (Arizona, MSU, etc.)
February 28th, 2014 at 1:29 PM ^
There should just be a rule that you can't storm until the opposing players have left. It could be enforced like the Hunger Games - if you step off early, a landmine will blow you to pieces.
February 28th, 2014 at 12:35 PM ^
Well that blonde d-bag can forget about ever attending a home game again.
February 28th, 2014 at 12:36 PM ^
pegged a guy with a faux-hawk, wearing a bandana to be the one to do something dumb, right?
February 28th, 2014 at 12:45 PM ^
He should thank God there were 50 people trying to break it up, because otherwise it would have been bad a really bad time for him.
February 28th, 2014 at 12:50 PM ^
Had that not been broken up, odds are that his nose would've ended up pointing out of the back of his head.
February 28th, 2014 at 12:53 PM ^
So I tried among a frame by frame pik of a NMSU player blasting a UVU student - pic.twitter.com/HItPEC0cVy
Which I'm actually glad about. Everyone insists players need to be the restrained ones but fans are equally responsible for their behavior. Especially when the player is an amateur.
February 28th, 2014 at 2:29 PM ^
"Players, don't go into the stands (angry) ever" is "Fans, don't go onto the court (angry), ever.".
A mix of angry fans and players is a recipe for a riot.
However, this one came about as a series of unusual, unfortunately timed events. And so do we ban going onto the courts in joy because of one out of a gazillion events?
I think the old adage "Hard (unusual) cases make for bad law" applies here.
February 28th, 2014 at 3:08 PM ^
February 28th, 2014 at 12:38 PM ^
The main thing I learned from this link was that Utah Valley even existed. I seriously had no idea that they were a D1 team.
Other than that, this was a stupid situation all around. Sounds like NMSU's coach will take disciplinary action, at least from the quotes I saw. As much I would love to hurl the ball at many annoying players' private parts who probably deserve it, restraint must rule.
February 28th, 2014 at 12:38 PM ^
I do believe they're the only other D1 team to be called the wolverines. They shame our great name
February 28th, 2014 at 1:08 PM ^
I did see "Wolverines" plastered on a banner in that clip. Bastards. There hasn't been a wolverine spotted in Utah Valley in over 300 years!
/Sparty'ed
February 28th, 2014 at 3:32 PM ^
February 28th, 2014 at 12:39 PM ^
Ross-Miller, the one who threw the ball, was suspended for a game.
February 28th, 2014 at 1:39 PM ^
I feel like that's one of the soda caps you would get during March Madness when Sprite or whoever had their contest where you win a prize if your cap matched the tourney winner. So for every Kentucky and Dook there were ten thousand Utah Valleys and Southwest Nowhere Tech.
February 28th, 2014 at 12:40 PM ^
February 28th, 2014 at 12:42 PM ^
EDIT- I tried just embedding, but it was not clean. Here's the link, and it's amazing.
http://beehivebugle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Utah-Vivint-University.png
February 28th, 2014 at 1:17 PM ^
Man that great.
February 28th, 2014 at 12:41 PM ^
February 28th, 2014 at 12:43 PM ^
I don't know about court storming, but "Stort Corming" REALLY needs to be keep under control!
LOL. Nice one Seth!
February 28th, 2014 at 12:44 PM ^
I be like whoa.
February 28th, 2014 at 12:46 PM ^
My 'cool story bro' moment from this event is that my brother is the PA for UVU sports. He hasn't given me the full story yet on the incident, but it looks pretty wild on the videos. I would like to think my one semester at UVU did not somehow contribute to this nightmare, but I will never know.
February 28th, 2014 at 12:48 PM ^
angered faux-hawk bro in some type of manner? Did you steal his girlfriend? Cut in front of him in line for MMA tickets, perhaps?
February 28th, 2014 at 12:53 PM ^
I think there is a chance I took his seat in intro to spanish, and he has forever hated me. I don't know man. I guess the streets of Orem, UT are just full of thugs waiting to punch athletes. Maybe user, UofMUT can come on and elaborate on the story.
February 28th, 2014 at 1:18 PM ^
Since I hadn't heard of UVU before this brawl, 1000 apologies to you for not knowing about your home turf better. I did some quick research...over 30000 students enrolled?! Much bigger than I thought. Have they been D1 sports for a long time?! How long in the WAC?
Additional research has since revealed to me that Noelle Pikus-Pace was a track and field star for UVU.
February 28th, 2014 at 12:48 PM ^
The guy on UVU that got the ball thrown at him is actually a friend of mine. I'm still considering whether or not I should congratulate him for finally making it onto Sportscenter.
February 28th, 2014 at 12:53 PM ^
Your friend is named Holton Hunsaker? Why can't we recruit a guy with a name like that?
February 28th, 2014 at 12:54 PM ^
and just walking away. He's about the only person of interest in the whole video who makes any type of good decision.
February 28th, 2014 at 12:59 PM ^
He's the nicest dude ever. I have a hard time believing the NMSU coach when he says that he was "a little chippy himself".
February 28th, 2014 at 1:17 PM ^
This information also refutes my earlier theory that the ball-thrower was hurling it at someone who probably deserved to get a ball thrown at their private parts. The internet has thoroughly enlightened me about UVU and the ball throwing victim in this case.
February 28th, 2014 at 12:53 PM ^
I think this is from the ESPN segment on it -
February 28th, 2014 at 1:37 PM ^
Why is everyone's reactions to everything lately ''If there's a slight chance of danger WE MUST BAN IT!''
Schools have been storming courts for years, and now we're talking about about banning because of safety? BS.
February 28th, 2014 at 2:04 PM ^
Maybe because there was a physical altercation between a fan and a player on the court. Not exactly a safe environment there.
February 28th, 2014 at 2:09 PM ^
So we should ban storming the court after two schools had an altercation when there's 348 other schools in division 1 basketbal that have not had a problem. Makes perfect sense.
February 28th, 2014 at 2:19 PM ^
Throughout history (sports and otherwise) once single event has completely changed security and safety. People going on the field at baseball games, basketball games, etc., and getting in physical altercations. Rules are changed for safety of everyone involved.
February 28th, 2014 at 2:26 PM ^
Yes. And I think the reactions are ridiculous. You can only change so many things until you give up your freedom and does the ''safety'' really outweight the inconvience? Example: Michigan banning purses, water bottles, and seat cushions.
February 28th, 2014 at 2:32 PM ^
February 28th, 2014 at 2:57 PM ^
February 28th, 2014 at 4:02 PM ^
Kids will never understand how fun it was to try and stay on a merry go round as it was going nearly 100 miles per hour. Or burning your ass on one of those metal slides. Too dangerous.
February 28th, 2014 at 5:35 PM ^
Quit beating your kids. Problem solved.
February 28th, 2014 at 2:26 PM ^
(as if it had to be emphasized) when they read NMSU - UVU Brawl?