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Controversy emerges over Big Ten officials not ejecting Anthony Leal for hit to Caleb Furst's groin

Chandler Vesselsby:Chandler Vessels•02/23/25•

ChandlerVessels

anthony leal
Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

There was some controversy early Sunday in an in-state rivalry between Indiana and No. 13 Purdue in Bloomington. Hoosiers guard Anthony Leal appeared to kick Boilermakers forward Caleb Furst in the groin area in the first half after the pair got tangled up.

Both players were on the ground when Leal tried to get up and run back down the court. In doing so, he stepped on Furst while taking off in a sprint. Much to the surprise of many Purdue fans, Leal was not assessed a flagrant foul despite a referee standing there watching the whole thing transpire.

Not only was there no flagrant for the incident with Caleb Furst, but not even a common foul was given to Anthony Leal. He stayed in the game and finished the contest with eight points, five rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks in a 73-58 Indiana win.

The Hoosiers weren’t in control the whole way, however, entering halftime down 37-25 before making a furious comeback in the second. Indiana opened the second half on a 14-2 run to come back and tie the game and had taken the lead by the 14:39 mark. It would go to outscore Purdue by a total of 27 points in the second half.

The victory was a big one for the NCAA Tournament resume of the Hoosiers (16-11, 7-9 Big Ten), as it gives them a top 15 win. Leal played a season-high 35 minutes in Sunday’s victory, nearly double his yearlong average of 17.8.

Controversial no-call aside, his energy seemed to provide a huge boost to the team, particularly on defense. The game between Indiana and Purdue was the second this season, with the Boilermakers winning the first.

Next up for Leal and the Hoosiers is a matchup against Penn State at 8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

Mike Woodson coaches from chair that Bob Knight was ejected for throwing 40 years ago today

On the 40-year anniversary of volatile Indiana coach Bob Knight‘s infamous chair toss across the Assembly Hall floor, the once-thought-lost chair is back on the Hoosiers sideline.

And just in time for Sunday’s home game against in-state rival and No. 13 Purdue, the same program on the court for Knight’s notorious outburst.

Outgoing Indiana head coach Mike Woodson sat in what is believed to be the same exact chair Knight slung across the floor after he received a technical from officials in a now-famous 1985 game against the Boilermakers, prompting a swift ejection for the late Hoosiers head coach.

“Mike Woodson told us before the game that he believes that this is THE chair,” CBS broadcaster Andrew Catalon said during the Sunday broadcast. “And on the 40th anniversary, Mike Woodson said that to honor his former coach, he’s going to sit in that chair and not throw it today. And there he is, Mike Woodson sitting in the famous Bobby Knight chair.”

On3’s Alex Byington contributed to this report.