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Michigan State

Malik Dia hits Jase Richardson in groin, no flagrant foul called in Sweet 16

Wade-Peeryby: Wade Peery03/29/25
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(Photo by Brian Bradshaw Sevald-Imagn Images)

When a player gets hit in the groin in college basketball, sometimes it’s often called as a flagrant two foul and the player is ejected from the game automatically. We got some controversy on Friday night in the Sweet 16, when Michigan State was facing off against Ole Miss. Spartans star Jase Richardson was trying to cut across the lane, when Rebels’ Malik Dia accidentally tapped him in the groin.

The refs went to the monitor and after review, decided that there was no foul on the play. Which likely makes Spartans fans a little angry.

BYU groin shot against Wisconsin in Sweet 16

BYU was looking to break a long drought and finally break through to the Sweet Sixteen. Holding on to a 10-point lead at the under-four media timeout, a potentially huge swing went in favor of Wisconsin. A Flagrant 2 foul was assessed to Dawson Baker, kicking him out of the game.

Baker was being trapped by two Wisconsin defenders and attempting to get out. While holding the ball, he did use his elbows with the presumed attempt of making space. But Baker wound up making contact with the groin with a Badgers’ player.

CBS rules analyst Gene Steratore went on to explain how there is no middle ground with this kind of play. Either no call is made or the play is upgraded to a Flagrant 2 with a technical. The officials cannot call a Flagrant 1, the determination is made by the intent of the elbows on replay.

“When you have contact to the groin area, by rule, if that contact is not ruled clearly accidental, then they have no option to go Flagrant 1,” Steratore said. “They have to go with a Flagrant 2 foul.”

Steratore went on to give his opinion of the call, saying “In this case, we do see that the player is trying to duck and trying to split the two defenders. He does lower his shoulder. It may be incidental but within lowering there, in their opinion and their judgment, they felt that was not accidental. So now, you have forcible contact to that area. They will elevate that to a Flagrant 2. Dawson Baker is ejected for that and they will have two shots. And now, Wisconsin will have the ball.”

On3’s Griffin McVeigh also contributed to this article.