Semi OT- Ayo Donsumu Out Tonight, May Miss Other Games
Couldn't find a better source than reddit, but my Illinois buddy texted me that he "hates MSU even more now" because Sissoko apparently broke Ayo's nose on that foul.
Huge blow to Illinois if he's out extended time.
I know, I know, just win and the conference championship will work itself out!
https://www.reddit.com/r/CollegeBasketball/comments/ls8js9/npoy_contender_ayo_dosunmu_out_tonight_after_msu/
February 25th, 2021 at 10:47 AM ^
They’re saying he’s also out for the Michigan game. It’s all unconfirmed at this point but I kinda doubt he’d miss multiple games.
February 25th, 2021 at 12:36 PM ^
Do we know what this injury/recovery time normally looks like? I feel like dudes usually just miss a day or two and mask up but I could be misremembering
February 25th, 2021 at 2:48 PM ^
Somehow they usually get those masks pretty quickly.
February 25th, 2021 at 4:39 PM ^
Couldve caused some head ache issues as well,he took double elbows right between the eyes
February 25th, 2021 at 10:48 AM ^
Appears to just be a rumor right now. I'd imagine he'd be back for the Michigan game with mask but I'm no expert on broken noses
EDIT: It's now been confirmed by The Athletic
https://twitter.com/_Brian_Hamilton/status/1364971029299257346
February 25th, 2021 at 12:18 PM ^
Thanks! I had been looking for the source but it was essentially on subscription Illinois blogs only for a while- my old roommates are both big Illinois fans so I figured it was true but was definitely nervous about it just being a rumor.
February 25th, 2021 at 11:40 AM ^
He's ducking us!!!
February 25th, 2021 at 11:42 AM ^
Injury is confirmed. Unconfirmed stuff I saw was that he's out through the B1G tournament.
That's competitively good for us. It's bad for the B1G.
I didn't watch the game, but I saw the replay... and holy cow was that a dirty hit. On a NPOY candidate. That should be a multi-game suspension, and frankly Izzo should be the one holding a presser saying "it was a dirty hit and we're sitting him for multiple games."
February 25th, 2021 at 11:49 AM ^
Where did you find video of the foul without watching the whole game to find it?
I can't find it but then again, I am not the best at the Googles. :)
February 25th, 2021 at 11:53 AM ^
Popped up on twitter.
February 25th, 2021 at 12:04 PM ^
Ah thanks. I don't twitter. lol
February 25th, 2021 at 12:04 PM ^
Wow that was dirty. Dude wasn't going to the block, he was just trying to keep any part of Ayo's upper body from going closer to the rim
February 25th, 2021 at 2:24 PM ^
And we'd be nuts to think MSU won't try and pull this same crap against Michigan. Izzo won't actively encourage it, but he's sure not going to discourage it, either.
February 25th, 2021 at 3:07 PM ^
absolutely agree. Proud program, their worst season in 20 years and their rival is in the discussion for the NC
we need to keep our heads on the swivel
February 25th, 2021 at 12:11 PM ^
Hadn't seen the earlier hit on Kofi, which wasn't called flagrant. So here it is:
Pretty clear, from that, that Sissoko was going Bad Boys on the Illinois players. And the refs let it happen. And no way Izzo didn't know what was going on, whether encouraged or not.
This sort of thing might have been ok 30 years ago, and sure we hearken back to the "good old days." But deliberately hacking the best players to the point of injury is not cool in today's game. It shouldn't be tolerated. And the refs should be held partly responsible for letting it happen as well. I will be sports angry if MSU starts hacking our guys, and it looks like that's exactly what they plan to do.
Edit: BTW, this is *really* bad for the conference, for which the "haven't won the title in 21 years narrative" is getting old and loud. The B1G is elite this year and has several elite teams capable of making deep runs. This potentially damages one of the most important bullets in the chamber. The B1G office should not let MSU throw a "if we can't win it no one can" tantrum just because they're bitter that other programs have better teams than they do.
February 25th, 2021 at 12:26 PM ^
I'm of the opinion that Sissoko, Izzo, and the refs should be suspended for however long Ayo is out, plus five games.
February 25th, 2021 at 12:51 PM ^
Sissoko should be done for the year after that game. Kinda hard to suspend Izzo for one player’s actions. As for the refs they need a massive overhaul. The B1G is the worst officiated conference in the NCAA. They give massive advantages to home teams. IMO it hurts the teams in the tournament when games are called evenly.
February 25th, 2021 at 1:00 PM ^
Nah, it was clearly MSU's plan to go Jordan Rules.
February 25th, 2021 at 2:52 PM ^
it's not just basketball either
February 25th, 2021 at 12:29 PM ^
Brown had a stunned look on his face after that hit, like he couldn't believe what he just saw his teammate do.
February 25th, 2021 at 1:02 PM ^
The fact that the officials made a conscious choice to call the game this way was absurd. This so far beyond "letting them play."
February 25th, 2021 at 1:43 PM ^
So, if an opponent gets the ball in the block, you can smack in on the top of the head before he even goes up and it is a common foul. Good to know.
February 25th, 2021 at 1:54 PM ^
It has never been okay. That's not basketball.
I would argue one of the reasons Beilein did well in the NCAAT is because his teams were designed to play basketball, not indoor rugby. The B1G's approach to officiating actually hurts the conference IMO, and doesn't just look bad, it leaves teams unprepared for real officiating.
February 25th, 2021 at 1:43 PM ^
Sissoko is out here pulling Davison's left and right.
February 25th, 2021 at 11:54 AM ^
Oh, and this made me chuckle aloud:
" Izzo should be the one holding a presser saying "it was a dirty hit and we're sitting him for multiple games."
February 25th, 2021 at 11:54 AM ^
That should be a multi-game suspension, and frankly Izzo should be the one holding a presser saying "it was a dirty hit and we're sitting him for multiple games."
What coach above Little League would do that these days? Plus, Izzo is probably encouraging his guys to step it up a notch tonight to keep the tourney streak alive.
February 25th, 2021 at 11:59 AM ^
Probably. But no sense in letting Izzo off the hook by ignoring what should happen just because we know he won't do the right thing.
February 25th, 2021 at 11:55 AM ^
lol, you know rape cover up guy isn’t going to do a damn thing about this. That same cheap shot artist also almost got the shit kicked out of him earlier in the game after a hard foul on Cockburn. If Izzo had any balls at all he would sit that piece of shit for multiple games, but since they don’t have any actual talent at center, he needs all the fouls he can get against actual centers. Dickinson better play with his head on a swivel because this is a clear message that it doesn’t matter what you do on the court, if you can help Izzo win, you’re all good to go
February 25th, 2021 at 12:01 PM ^
IMO, Sissoko should definitely be suspended. He is at best, an inexperienced player and at worst a goon. Langford stripped the ball from Ayo on the way up, so there was nothing to block. He should be coached to keep his hands straight up unless the ball is already in the air and you can make a play on the ball. It was obvious that Izzo’s game plan was to foul and foul hard. Sissoko had an earlier hard foul to the head of Cockburn and two Spartans had already fouled out.
February 25th, 2021 at 12:10 PM ^
While we're suspending people, we should suspend the refs who missed the first after the whistle blow to the head from Cissoko (on Cockburn) and let that get way out of control.
February 25th, 2021 at 12:12 PM ^
I embedded the vid of that hit further up the thread, but commenting here to point out that I made a similar point in that embed... and you had posted this before I made that point. And you are right.
February 25th, 2021 at 1:05 PM ^
In the replies to that tweet there's another video showing Cockburn did the same thing to Sissoko earlier in the game. Both should have been flagrants, but Sissoko's latter foul is beyond egregious.
February 25th, 2021 at 12:54 PM ^
MSU play dirty? I am shocked .... shocked ... that is going on here.
February 25th, 2021 at 11:44 AM ^
Illinois should still win without him against Nebraska, but it’s a lot more questionable now. They’ve had a lot of close wins where Ayo saved them and Nebraska has had a lot of close losses where they couldn’t finish the job
February 25th, 2021 at 11:48 AM ^
They got taken to OT with Nebraska a week or two ago so who knows
February 25th, 2021 at 4:20 PM ^
and Ayo had to take over the game to get to OT and then win
February 25th, 2021 at 11:49 AM ^
I watched parts of this game. The flagrant foul on Sissoko was intentional. staee's game plan to foul hard and often was successful. Not surprised Ayo's nose is broken.
February 25th, 2021 at 11:56 AM ^
Watching the game live I thought he may have been concussed.
February 25th, 2021 at 11:57 AM ^
That hit undoubtedly warrants a multi-game suspension. Less egregious, but earlier in the game, Sissoko also hits Cockburn on the head with an elbow after a whistle I believe.
February 25th, 2021 at 1:11 PM ^
Cockburn should have just picked him up and snapped him in half. It looks like he thought about it.
February 25th, 2021 at 11:54 AM ^
And we get to play the Thugs twice. Not looking forward to that series.
February 25th, 2021 at 11:57 AM ^
Did you mean slugs?
February 25th, 2021 at 11:58 AM ^
Yes, it could get dirty. Let's hope the refs are on top of it. Juwan won't put up with it, either.
February 25th, 2021 at 12:55 PM ^
Let Juwan and Izzo go at it one on one. Like the outcome of that one.
February 25th, 2021 at 1:27 PM ^
Significantly easier for izzo to reach up and hit juwan in the balls than the other way around
February 25th, 2021 at 3:06 PM ^
Izzo can actually talk directly to Juwan's balls, so yes you are right.
February 25th, 2021 at 3:41 PM ^
Head-butt....
February 25th, 2021 at 12:39 PM ^
And during the final two games of the season where MSU likely does not make the tournament so they have nothing to play for. In other words, a multi-game suspension means nothing if Izzo wants to send in the goons.
February 25th, 2021 at 3:16 PM ^
Yeah, the Big Ten officials had better be ready to not tolerate any of that crap.
February 25th, 2021 at 4:43 PM ^
Ant Wright is going after people on Twitter using that term to refer to Sissoko, specifically an Illinois sports radio guy. The dude referred to Sissoko specifically as a "Spartan thug," which I took to mean as an over-aggressive and dangerous player that's common amongst Izzo's teams. And yet, rules . . .