Chet Holmgren is likely going to play his next basketball game as a professional – perhaps as the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft. But his final college game was marred by two horrendous foul calls that forced him out early.
During Gonzaga’s 74-68 loss to Arkansas in the Sweet 16 of March Madness 2022, the seven-footer picked up two fouls in the first half, and his third early in the second. But as he was starting to get into a shooting rhythm, he was called for a fourth foul – in which it seemed like he was doing nothing but playing solid defense.
If anything, it looked like Arkansas’ Au’Diese Toney could have been called for an offensive foul for attacking Holmgren’s chest. But it was still called, forcing Holmgren to play safe for the rest of the game.
Which he did. And yet, he somehow got called for an equally questionable foul not much later in the game:
It certainly looked like Holmgren went straight up, but the officials decided differently. And it was a consequential decision – the call knocked the star center out of the game.
Gonzaga was down six points when Holmgren fouled out and ended up losing by six. Any hope of a comeback was extinguished.
The Bulldogs shot only 37.5 percent from the field – well below their season average and what they managed in the first two games – and their shooting woes are much more to blame for yet another disappointing loss in the NCAA Tournament. But Holmgren has to be frustrated that he wasn’t able to help his team down the stretch.
Arkansas now moves onto the Elite Eight, where they will face Mike Krzyzewski and Duke, who scraped past Texas Tech on Thursday night.