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Billy Richmond receives Flagrant 2 foul, ejected in Sweet Sixteen vs. Arizona

IMG_0985by: Griffin McVeigh03/27/26griffin_mcveigh

Frustrations are beginning to bubble over in San Jose in what was a highly anticipated Sweet Sixteen matchup. Arizona is running away with the game, dominating Arkansas and John Calipari. Both sets of players are beginning to get a little rougher and chirp back and forth with each other. And apparently, Billy Richmond went one step too far.

Richmond seemingly pushed Ivan Kharchenkov away from the ball. A foul was instantly called, only for officials to head to the monitor. After a review, they determined Richmond should be assessed a Flagrant 2 foul, ejecting him from the job. Nobody on the Arkansas sideline was too thrilled, especially Richmond.

An assistant coach went with Richmond back to the locker room as Arizona shot its two free throws. You can check out the full thing here.

After the call was made, CBS rules analyst Gene Steratore explained the decision from an official’s standpoint. He says everyone’s goal is to get the game over without anything completely crossing the line. A Flagrant 2 was essentially called to restore some order, hoping nothing else happens.

“I think when you’re looking at the players, the play is so far away from the ball,” Steratore said. ” … Is there some embellishment? Yeah, there is. But you can feel what’s happening, the frustration is building. And now, you have a shot like that and now we’re going to step in and make it a more strict punishment because we’ve got to send a message to get this game and finish it the right way. That’s where I think that’s where they’re at right now from a management standpoint.”

Richmond put together a decent performance before the Flagrant 2 foul. His 13 points made him one of three Arkansas players in double figures. Six of his 10 field goal attempts went through the hoop. One of the misses came on a three-point attempt. Five rebounds and three assists are nothing to be ashamed of, either.

Unfortunately, it appears as if Richmond’s season is over. Arizona is in full control and set to appear in the Elite Eight under Tommy Lloyd for the first time. Calipari continues to make great progress in Fayetteville, no matter what the final score ends up being tonight. Richmond and his teammates will have plenty of memories for years to come. Officials just felt the need to get some control back in the game.