Florida fans were left disappointed and infuriated on Saturday after a non-call helped Auburn eliminate their team from the SEC Tournament, and Joakim Noah was as angry as anyone about it.
With the Gators trailing 65-62 and the final seconds ticking off the clock, freshman Andrew Nembhard dribbled up the court and tried to toss up a desperation three-pointer that could have sent the game to overtime. It looked like there was plenty of contact from Auburn defenders, but the whistle never blew.
No foul on this..
Auburn beats Florida, 65-62, to advance in the SEC tourney pic.twitter.com/JAeT4YFkNi
— Bleacher Report CBB (@br_CBB) March 16, 2019
Noah, who won two championships at Florida before he was drafted by the Chicago Bulls, was asked for his thoughts on the way Saturday’s game ended. He did not hold back.
“Bulls—. F—in bulls—,” Noah told SB Nation’s Matt Ellentuck. “They cant fine me. It’s the NCAA. That’s f—ed up.”
Referees are always more hesitant to blow the whistle in situations where it could decide the outcome of the game, but it sure looked like Nembhard was fouled. That would have created a separate debate about whether or not he was in the act of shooting, but a foul should have been called. Noah and others have a right to be angry.
