While just about everyone had their own hot take on whether or not the Isaac Humphries technical foul was justified, I wanted to give things a little bit of time before diving right into the issue.
Yup, even two days later, it was ridiculous.
In case you missed it, the Isaac Humphries technical foul as time was winding down in the Kentucky-Texas A&M game didn’t just change the outcome–giving A&M two free throws and possession of the ball when it would have been two free throws for Humphries and then a standard in-bound–but possibly the season.
As it was, the Aggies forced overtime and came out with a 79-77 win on Tyler Davis’ game-winning shot. The win halted A&M’s losing streak and stopped the momentum that Kentucky had built over the previous four games. It also put the SEC crown back in play for a handful of teams like South Carolina, LSU, and the Aggies themselves.
According to the letter of the law, a technical foul should have indeed been assigned. I understand that and thus, understand where the official was coming from when he did it. However, there are plenty of times throughout the season when officials read the situation they’re in before making a rash decision assigning a technical. Immediately following him spiking the ball, he and teammates around him starting pleading with the official to ensure he knew that it wasn’t a malignant move meant to show up the referees.
In such a crucial moment of such a crucial game, both player and official lost sight of the restraint they’re entitled to, putting a damper on what was a spectacular SEC showdown.
