Florida Atlantic’s Vladislav Goldin had no illusions of what his team would face Friday as the NCAA Tournament’s Cinderella team took on No. 4 seed Tennessee.
“They can play dirty sometimes from what I have seen. So we just have to stay focused,” Goldin said before the game, according to the New York Post.
Little did he know then that he would be one of the stars in a play that drew condemnation from fans as Florida State defeated Tennessee 62-55 Friday to make its first appearance in the NCAA Basketball Tournament’s Elite Eight, according to Fox News.
This is the type of play that hurts momentum, or gets an easy whistle.
Uros Plavsic cannot think he’ll get away with this, especially at that point in game pic.twitter.com/nmmlUuwiez
— Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace_) March 24, 2023
At about 7:32 of the second half, Tennessee forward Uros Plavsic slammed his elbow into Goldin, sending the Florida player to the floor of Madison Square Garden.
After referees looked at the incident on tape, Plavsic was slapped with a Flagrant 1 foul. Goldin had two free throws — making one — and Florida Atlantic kept possession afterward.
Duke star Kyle Filipowski , who went up against Plavsic when Tennessee ousted Duke in the tournament, shared his disapproval, as did many others.
Should Plavsic been ejected after the play?
Yes: 100% (2 Votes)
No: 0% (0 Votes)
“Speaking from experience I don’t think this is a basketball play…” he tweeted.
Speaking from experience I don’t think this is a basketball play… https://t.co/BYxajGdqYX
— Kyle “Flip” Filipowski (@kylefilipowski) March 24, 2023
Surprised Plavšić didn’t get tossed for this. Dirty.
— Jake Marsh (@PMTsportsbiz) March 24, 2023
@MarchMadnessMBB @NCAA needs to investigate UROS PLAVSIC. He is dirty and intentionally trying to hurt players! @Vol_Sports @Vol_Hoops Coach Rick Barnes needs to be held accountable for his players. UROS PLAVSIC needs to never play college basketball again! https://t.co/562WwjORZv
— ERM (@erose1221) March 24, 2023
Plavsic should sign up for the football team
pic.twitter.com/BPuPQi4T0N— Barstool Sportsbook (@BSSportsbook) March 24, 2023
Prior to the game, Florida Athletic coach Dusty May had said his team was “going to study Australian rugby rules and get ready for the Vols,” according to the Knoxville News Sentinel.
“I say that in the most complimentary way possible,” May later said, trying to defuse the remark.
“It’s the most physical sport without pads that I’ve ever watched or have ever seen,” May said about rugby.
“I know that was taken, I guess, in different ways. If you said that our team is extremely physical, extremely aggressive and extremely intense, I would tell the staff and the players that you guys are doing a great job, because that’s what I want them to say about us defensively,” he said.
Florida State will play Kansas State Saturday, according to the Associated Press.
