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Sunday, December 22
Updated: December 23, 10:34 AM ET
 
Indiana coach repeatedly says he was wrong

By Andy Katz
ESPN.com

Mike Davis couldn't go to church Sunday in Bloomington, Ind. He was too embarrassed by his behavior Saturday in Louisville.

He didn't want to talk to his mother. He couldn't stop apologizing to his wife and his 4-year-old son.

Mike Davis
Mike Davis, right, ran out on the court to confront Bert Smith.

He already apologized to his school, his players and he was searching for the phone number of official Bert Smith to call him and let him know that he was sorry if he embarrassed him too.

"I thought the game was over, but there was two seconds on the clock,'' said the Indiana head coach, who ran on the court Saturday to protest a no-call on a Bracey Wright layup that could have beaten Kentucky at Freedom Hall.

Instead, Davis got hit with two technicals for his wild behavior in Kentucky's 70-64 victory. Davis ran at Smith, slapping his head in reference to a foul he thought occurred when Wright went past Kentucky's Jules Camara toward the basket on the far side of the court. But replays showed it was actually Indiana's Jeff Newton who bumped Wright, not Camara.

Davis was on the court and actually was hit with a technical first by official Mike Wood, who was down at the other end of the court, but not in the sights of the television cameras. Wood signaled a technical for Davis coming out onto the court. Smith was patient before signaling the first of two Ts that eventually gave Kentucky four free throws and Davis an early exit to the locker room.

"I was wrong for coming on the court,'' Davis said. "I got caught up in the emotion. We took the lead with 30 seconds left. I thought we were going to win the game. They took the lead and won. Coaches think they're right no matter what. I was wrong. I never should have embarrassed the school or the official.''

Davis said he watched the play and understands the no-call. He won't watch his reaction on SportsCenter, though. He said he doesn't want to see how he embarrassed himself and his family again.

Davis said his outbursts at each of the past three Indiana-Kentucky games were merely a coincidence. Two years ago, his first as head coach, Davis said he didn't know if he should be the coach at Indiana after the Hoosiers were blasted. Last year, he made a joking reference that he "hated Kentucky,'' but he later said he didn't mean it seriously.

"This year we were 8-0 and had a chance to do something special and still do,'' Davis said of the Hoosiers' chances to return to the Final Four. "I wanted so bad to win this game. I thought my guy got pushed, but there was no reason for me to react like that. I just got caught up in the moment.''

Big Ten officials had no comment Sunday night about any form of action the league might take. Indiana hasn't heard if the league would do anything to Davis. He was fined $10,000 last year for comments he made about officiating instead of taking a one-game suspension. But Davis didn't make any postgame comments about the officials. Instead he was remorseful.

I told my team it was my fault and I put them in a bad situation. I told Bracey (Wright) that my twin brother came out. That wasn't me. I acted like I was 17, not 42. Everything was going so well and then I go and do this.
Indiana coach Mike Davis

"I told my team it was my fault and I put them in a bad situation,'' Davis said. "I told Bracey that my twin brother came out. That wasn't me. I acted like I was 17, not 42. Everything was going so well and then I go and do this.''

Davis said he felt bad that he took away from a great college basketball game and from Kentucky's victory.

Indiana is off this week until a game Saturday at Temple. The team will resume practicing Thursday.

"I really thought we could go undefeated,'' Davis said. "Call me crazy but we just missed four free throws down the stretch the last two minutes. But I reacted wrong. (Smith) wasn't wrong. I was wrong.

"My son, Antoine, walked into the locker room after the game and said, 'Daddy are we ever going to beat Kentucky? I said, 'Well, maybe one day.' That put it perspective. I embarrassed him. He doesn't know it but his daddy acted like a fool. I feel so bad. How can I do that? How can I act like that? As a player I was so competitive, just like I am as coach. Whatever they say about me today I deserve it.''

Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.








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