Good thing Nick Boyd isn’t playing soccer, where red card ejections typically carry a three-game suspension, even with 10.9 seconds left.
All the San Diego State basketball player received is a letter of “private reprimand” from the Mountain West, with a warning that a second offense within one year will result in “suspension for at least one contest.”
So what exactly did the 6-foot-3 guard do Saturday at Viejas Arena with the Aztecs up nine and Wyoming’s Obi Agbim at the free-throw line?
He did not, as some believed, say something to the officials.
“The situation involved an unsportsmanlike comment to an opposing player per (rule) 10.3.1.g, which resulted in a Flagrant foul,” a Mountain West statement said, responding to a request for clarification from the Union-Tribune. “If the language is egregious enough, officials have the authority to immediately eject a player.”
The opposing player presumably was Agbim, who had engaged in spirited banter with Aztecs players for much of the game, which Wyoming led 50-41 with 6½ minutes left before a 20-0 run by the hosts gave them a 61-50 lead.
BJ Davis then fouled Agbim attempting a 3-pointer with 10.9 seconds left and sent him to the line for three free throws. Moments before he stepped to the line, Agbim jawed with Miles Byrd, who appeared to say, “Don’t talk to me,” while pointing to the scoreboard.
Agbim made the first free throw and then the second, after which Boyd casually stepped into the lane and said something to him.
Official Andy O’Brien, positioned under the basket, angrily stepped into lane, gave Boyd a technical foul and ejected him. There was no physical confrontation or threat of it.
An incredulous Boyd began walking toward the bench while the officials huddled. Soon, crew chief Larry Scirotto told the scorer’s table that it was a Flagrant 2 non technical that carries automatic expulsion.
Rule 10.3.1.g reads: “A flagrant non infraction that involves extreme, sometimes persistent, vulgar, abusive conduct when the ball is dead or live.”
A later description says it “involves unsportsmanlike conduct that is extreme, sometimes persistent, vulgar or abusive.”
Coach Brian Dutcher declined to provide details afterward, only that Boyd was warned.
“They warned him, they warned him at our end,” said Dutcher, whose team has a midweek bye before playing at Colorado State on Saturday night. “They came to the bench. He must have said one more thing. I told him, he’s not the first or the last player have that happen to, but it can’t happen again. He made the game a little bit in doubt at the end.”
Agbim had one free throw left from Davis’ foul, plus two for the technical, and made all of them. That cut the Aztecs’ lead to 61-55.
The Cowboys also got possession and inbounded to Dontaie Allen, who was fouled by Taj DeGourville as he shot a 3-pointer with 8 seconds left. His three free throws — Wyoming’s eighth in 2.9 seconds — made it 61-58.
The Cowboys pulled to one after a DeGourville free throw followed by an Agbim 3. With just .8 seconds left, SDSU’s Kimo Ferrari was fouled and his free throw created the final margin of 63-61.
In all, Wyoming scored 11 points in 9.5 seconds.
“We were too far ahead and, like most young teams, we thought it was over,” Dutcher said. “BJ tried to block it from behind, because we were ahead and he thought he could get the block, and it started the process. Then Nick got a technical. It’s what happens when you don’t concentrate for a full 40 minutes, you leave yourself open for problems.
“And we didn’t concentrate for 40.”
Byrd in top 10
Byrd is among the 10 finalists for the Julius Erving Award, presented annually to college basketball’s top small forward. Last season, SDSU’s Jaedon LeDee won the Karl Malone Award for the top power forward.
A 6-foot-7 redshirt sophomore, Byrd leads the Aztecs in scoring (13.8 points per game), made 3-pointers (41), free-throw accuracy (85.7%) and steals (39). In the Mountain West, he’s second in free-throw percentage, second in steals, fifth in 3-pointers, seventh in blocks (1.0 per game) and 12th in scoring.
Also among the 10 finalists is Auburn senior Chad Baker-Mazara, who spent the 2021-22 season at SDSU.
Neither, however, figures to win it. Duke freshman Cooper Flagg, a candidate for national player of the year among all positions, is considered a small forward and the overwhelming favorite for the Julius Erving Award.
Gwath honored again
Magoon Gwath was named Mountain West Freshman of the Week for a second straight time. It is the sixth freshman of the week for the Aztecs, split between Gwath, DeGourville and Pharaoh Compton.
The 7-foot Gwath averaged 19.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in a pair of close victories against San Jose State and Wyoming. He also shot 51.9%, 4 of 11 on 3s and 6 of 7 from the line.
LeDee traded
Trades are rare in the G League, but LeDee was part of one last week. His rights were traded from the Iowa Wolves to the Salt Lake City Stars for forward Babacar Sane.
LeDee appeared in 30 games for the Minnesota Timberwolves’ G League , starting four, and averaged 6.9 points and 5.3 rebounds in 17.5 minutes per game. Sane had similar stats for the Utah Jazz .
The Stars faced former SDSU forward Jalen McDaniels and the Capital City Go-Go on Tuesday, but LeDee did not play. McDaniels had 15 points and eight rebounds in a 139-136 win.
