“Alabama players get away with murder”: SEC under fire from fans over lenient punishment for Tide's Mohamed Wague's vicious elbow on Florida player
Mohamed Wague received a one-game suspension from the Southeastern Conference on Thursday for his elbowing of Florida’s Alex Condon on the head in the Wednesday night game. The forward will miss the Crimson Tide's game against Kentucky on Saturday.
While scrambling for a loose ball in Wednesday's game, Wague threw the elbow while Condon was on the ground. Notably, the forward was not called for a foul on the play despite its violent nature. Nonetheless, the SEC has risen to the situation to punish the player.
However, a host of college basketball fans are not happy with the length of Mohamed Wague's suspension. Considering the nature of the incident, several fans believe the forward should have been given a longer ban by the conference for the sake of sportsmanship in the sport.
Let’s take a look at some of the reactions online:
The SEC ruling on Mohamed Wague
Following a video review conducted in the conference office, it was determined that Mohamed Wague committed the fighting act by striking Florida's Alex Condon in the back of the head with his elbow/forearm with 9:25 remaining to play in the first half of Wednesday's game.
According to NCAA rules, a player must be suspended for the next regular-season game if they commit an act of fighting. In the rulebook, this is clearly defined as:
"A confrontation involving one or more players, coaches, or other team personnel wherein (but not limited to) a fist, hand, arm, foot, knee, or leg is used to combatively strike the other individual."
Alabama head coach Nate Oats confirmed that the program has been notified of the suspension and they have accepted the decision of the conference regarding the issue.
“We received the discipline for Mo from the SEC and agree with the suspension," Oats said in a statement (via ABC News). "After reviewing the film, the penalty is understandable and appropriate.”
No. 13 Alabama (19-7, 11-2 SEC) is set to face No. 17 Kentucky (18-8, 8-5) on Saturday at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky, with the game scheduled for 3 p.m. CT. The Crimson Tide has five games remaining in the regular season and won’t have Mohamed Wague in one.