NASHVILLE – Maybe it was the 26 free throws Florida shot to only 11 for the bigger, deeper Southeastern Conference regular-season champion LSU Tigers that most frustrated LSU interim head coach Tony Benford on Friday afternoon.
Maybe it was the zero free throws the Tigers shot in the opening half of the two schools’ SEC tourney quarterfinal game, even as LSU was outscoring the shorter Gators 26-10 in the paint.
Or maybe it was only the final score that got to Benford after the champs’ 76-73 defeat, especially since a technical foul called on him with 3:45 to go somewhat contributed to a late Florida comeback.
“We’re not going to get any calls,” said Benford, who is filling in for head coach Will Wade, who was indefinitely suspended by his administration on March 8 for allegedly offering financial incentives – almost always an NCAA no-no – in the recruitment of current Tigers guard Javonte Smart.
“I heard guys (say) when there’s an interim coach, you’re not getting any calls. We didn’t get any calls.”
Smart, by the way, also was suspended for last Saturday’s home victory over Vanderbilt, but he was reinstated Friday morning in time to score 13 points in 31 minutes against the Gators.
But both that technical on Benford and his reaction to it also highlight why the Tigers – whether Smart continues to play or not – could be in deep trouble moving into the NCAA tourney without Wade.
Whether you’re getting the calls or not, you just can’t get a technical foul with less than four minutes to play in a game in which your team had just filled Bridgestone Arena with enough positive energy to make even a Vanderbilt fan feel good, and the Commodores lost all 19 SEC games they played this season.
That play – a wicked dunk by LSU’s Skylar Mays – had given the Tigers a 63-60 lead with 4:01 to go, causing the arena to erupt in every corner not filled with Gators.
However, what followed was one of those officials’ calls that everyone could be justifiably angry about, but which there is no recourse to change, mostly because, by the letter of the rule, the call was a correct one.
Try to follow along: With 3:45 on the clock, Florida freshman forward Keyonte Johnson launched and hit a 3-pointer thanks to a solid screen set by senior teammate Kevarrius Hayes. Trouble was, LSU forward Naz Reid shoved Hayes before Johnson shot his 3 and was whistled for a foul for that shove. But the official who whistled Reid for the foul didn’t blow the whistle until Johnson’s shot was in the air.
Because the whistle didn’t blow until after the shot was released – even though the shove occurred prior to Johnson shooting the ball – the Gators got the best of both worlds. Johnson hit his 3-pointer and Hayes got to go to the line for a one-and-one.
However, Benford didn’t connect the whistle to the shot. He just knew the foul had occurred before the shot, which should have voided the shot. So he erupted. And earned a costly technical that cost his team two points via two free throws.
Maybe Wade would have gotten that same “T.” Or maybe the refs would have looked the other way more. Or maybe he would have remained calm, though that rarely has been Wade’s demeanor in such situations.
But he wasn’t there, though the media certainly enjoyed guessing where Wade was, sort of like “Where’s Waldo?”
Was he at his parents’ home in nearby Franklin? Was he working undercover as an arena usher or janitor? Was he hiding inside the Tigers mascot costume, secretly delivering coaching tips to Benford through some James Bond-ish walkie-talkie?
Wherever he was, he wasn’t around to support his team because the LSU administration has steadfastly and correctly refused to let him coach until Wade explains just exactly what he was talking about on those FBI transcripts that mentioned “strong-ass offers” and Smart in the same recorded conversation.
Instead, Smart played and the first media question directed his way in the postgame news conference was as follows: “Javonte, have to start with this. Do you have any knowledge of the offer that Will Wade was quoted as saying on the FBI wiretap?”
Replied a composed Smart: “No, sir, I had nothing to do with that.”
Wade almost certainly had much to do with doing something against NCAA regulations – and possibly federal laws – or he’d be singing as if he was on stage at the Grand Ole Opry. Instead he’s silent, his team has to face some pretty somber music in Music City that it didn’t compose and what should have been a magical LSU basketball season has become something of a nightmare.
As he was wrapping up his postgame remarks, Benford returned to his ill-timed technical.
“Unfortunately,” he said, “I probably shouldn’t have gotten the ‘T,’ looking back on it (because it hurt my team).”
Looking forward, the question now becomes how much Wade’s absence will hurt the Tigers come the start of the NCAA tournament next week. If Friday was a primer, Benford may find wins as hard to come by as favorable foul calls.
Contact Mark Wiedmer at mwiedmer@timesfreepress.com.