Postgame Altercation Occurs Between Michigan and Wisconsin

Sunday’s matchup between Michigan and Wisconsin was a hard fought game on both sides, but it was the events after the game that turned heads. During the postgame handshake, Michigan head coach Juwan Howard ended up in an altercation with a Wisconsin assistant and several players were also involved in the melee.

Here’s a clip of what happened:

The entire situation was a disgraceful one. Howard deserves the most blame as a head coach who attempted to physically strike someone. However, the involvement from other players and coaches was also disappointing. Instead of deescalating, there were too many people looking to rile things up further. Even if emotions are high, there’s no excuse for something like this to happen.

The Big Ten has since issued the following statement regarding the events:

ROSEMONT, Ill. — The Big Ten Conference is aware of a physical altercation involving Michigan Head Coach Juwan Howard at the conclusion of the Michigan Wolverines and Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball game. The conference is in contact with both member institutions and is currently assessing the incident. The conference will provide more information and will take swift and appropriate disciplinary action when it completes its review.

Michigan also released a statement on the incident:

We’ll have to wait and see what the conference and athletic departments do about the incident, but expect some significant suspensions in the days ahead. And that’s terrible news for Badger and Wolverine fans. Wisconsin is working toward a Big Ten title and Michigan is hoping to grab a few more wins to make the NCAA Tournament. Engaging in something like this certainly won’t help any of those efforts.