Micah Shrewsberry condemns Big Ten officiating following Penn State loss

PHILADELPHIA – Penn State head coach Micah Shrewsberry had seen enough. His Nittany Lions, bludgeoned by No.1 Purdue in the second half at the Palestra on Sunday night, had gone another trip down the floor in an intense, physical game. 

And once again, Penn State was unable to operate offensively due to Purdue’s aggressive defensive approach.

But, left unchecked by the game’s officiating crew of D.J. Carstensen, John Higgins, and Courtney Green, Shrewsberry’s frustration boiled over. For the second time in his career at Penn State, it reached the point of drawing a technical foul from Carstensen.

In a game Penn State would go on to lose, 76-63, Shrewsberry spent his postgame press conference detailing his frustrations not just with the evening’s call, but with the state of officiating in games his team is playing against Big Ten opponents for two seasons.

“There wasn’t a point I was trying to make. There were a thousand points I was trying to make. You get frustrated after a while,” Shrewsberry said. “This isn’t like a one-time thing. This is an every-time thing. I know I haven’t been here. I know I haven’t done anything in my career to earn any kind of goodwill from the officials. 

“But, we shot three free throws. I know they shot seven. It was a really physical game. The game didn’t warrant 10 free throws by both teams. Both teams are out there fouling. If we want to be the best league in the country, then we need our officials to be the best in the country.”

Micah Shrewsberry postgame press conference

As Shrewsberry would later suggest, his fundamental grip with the officiating his team sees is one of misunderstanding.

Welcoming a style of play to Penn State that has been built offensively around perimeter screens and constant, frenetic cuts to the basket, the team’s approach is upended when opponents can stunt that pace with physicality. Contrasting the style employed by Purdue, Shrewsberry explained how unchecked physicality on the perimeter disproportionately affects Penn State when it isn’t called.

“We play so differently than a lot of other people in the league. The fouls I’m asking for are different. Matt Painter is asking for fouls in the post, or Zach Edey’s post-up before he catches the ball, after he catches the ball, things like that,” Shrewsberry said. “I’m asking for fouls on the perimeter. We’re trying to post. Jalen Pickett is getting into the post and he’s scoring a lot. He’s not getting the fouls he deserves. He’s getting fouled. Dudes are jumping on him, they’re wrapping around, throwing in the post. Gotcha. 

“But like, on the permanent, we cut, we move everything, and if you can put your hands on us, you slow us down. You take away what we want to do. So understand that. Come into the game and study that and know, this is how Penn State plays. This is how Purdue plays, this is what they’re looking for, this is what they’re looking for.”

Fighting for respect

Calling out the officiating in the Big Ten for that unpreparedness, Shrewsberry also gave shape to that objection with a pointed objection to incidents he described from recent games.

Acknowledging that the lengthy expression of his frustrations might hurt him, or Penn State, in the next game due to “hurt” feelings, Shrewsberry continued to state his case.

“I’m gonna fight for my guys, always. Always gonna fight for my guys, always gonna fight for this program. And I don’t care what anybody thinks about that at all,” Shrewsberry said. “We got big-time refs that are coming into this league and doing different things. I can’t have a ref not know my name at Michigan. Call me by my right name. Don’t come in here in the Palestra and treat me like I don’t know basketball, man, (don’t) treat me like I can’t see the game and I don’t understand the game. 

“This has nothing to do with Purdue. Purdue kicked our asses in the second half. That was all them. But I get frustrated, man. I’m gonna fight for my guys. I am always gonna fight for my guys. And if I gotta get a tech, I gotta get a tech. If I gotta get kicked out, I gotta get kicked out. I am going to fight for my guys. I’m gonna fight for this program to get some frickin respect.”