Kentucky student newspaper condemns Arkansas assistant knocking phone away from journalist

There has been some terrific basketball on display at the SEC Tournament and there’s also been an ugly moment or two.

One of the latter unfolded after Texas A&M defeated Arkansas to end the Razorbacks’ run in the tourney. A basketball staffer at Arkansas swatted away a phone from a student photojournalist from Kentucky, Jack Weaver, as coach Eric Musselman stormed off the court following the defeat.

The Kentucky Kernel, the student newspaper, condemned the Arkansas staffer’s actions in a tweet on Friday night.

“The Kentucky Kernel is appalled by the actions of the Arkansas men’s basketball program. @jack_weaver_ always embodies professionalism on the job and no journalist, especially a student journalist, should be subjected to violence for simply doing their job.”

You can see the video of the interaction at the SEC Tournament below.

Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman left the court in a rage of f-bombs after losing to Texas A&M in the #SECMBB Tournament. His assistant then grabbed my phone and threw it at the ground. @KYKernelSports pic.twitter.com/xRiX7O7dAN

— Jack Weaver (@jack_weaver_) March 11, 2023

Arkansas blows 13-point halftime lead

Eric Musselman had good reason to be heated after the game; his squad blew a 13-point halftime lead to Texas A&M. Arkansas couldn’t seem to get a handle on Texas A&M driving hard into the paint in the SEC Tournament quarterfinal matchup.

One of the key players for the Aggies in the comeback, Henry Coleman III, described the approach in the second half.

“We just got to go 1-0. We’ve got to go 1-0 every possession,” Coleman said. “We weren’t focused on the next possession, we were focused on the possession that we were in, whether that was offense, whether that defense. We tried to go 1-0, and that’s what the guys did, so credit to them.”

That focus allowed Texas A&M to turn over the entire 13-point deficit less than 10 minutes into the second half at the SEC Tournament.

Wade Taylor IV, who was just 1-of-8 from the floor in the first half, found much more productive ways to benefit the offense after the locker room break. He wound up going 5-of-9 in the second half and was the floor general the Aggies needed.

He and several others attacked downhill and were able to get into the paint on the offensive end.

“That’s what we harp on every day, we’ve got to be the best downhill team in the country,” Coleman said. “Credit to Wade Taylor and even the guys that came off the bench like (Andre Gordon), they came with such good energy and everything, and that’s just Texas A&M basketball.”