The NCAA tournament has had a history of intense and heated brawls on the basketball court. The verbal or physical exchange in the heat of the moment has created many infamous moments over the years. There have been innumerable incidents when the ballers have let their emotions get the better of them.

However, there were some selective events when things really got out of hand. Apparently, these brawls have their own place in history.

NCAA’s Nastiest Clashes

Brigham Young locked horns with Texas El Paso on February 9, 1985. Entering the second half, UTEP guard Kent Lockhart was involved in an ugly altercation that resulted in a chaotic situation on the court. Moreover, tensions boiled over so much that even the referees were at the receiving end of some blows. 36 years later, Wisconsin took on Michigan in a feisty Big 10 contest. Following Michigan’s loss, coach Juwan Howard exchanged some verbal blows with Wisconsin coach Greg Gard regarding his poorly called timeouts. The matter further escalated with players and coaching staff from both teams having a rumble on the court.

Jamaal Smith of New Mexico took on the duo of Brad Jones and Brandon Ewing from Wyoming on January 30, 2007. The battle got so fierce that one of New Mexico’s players had to tackle Smith to stop him. Back in 1972, the similar scenes erupted in a game between Ohio State and Minnesota. With just 30 seconds left in the clock, Minnesota’s athletic director was forced to call off the game following a pandemonium involving players and coaches from both ends.

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However, there was one unfortunate confrontation that occupied the top spot.

A Battle of the Kansas

Silvio De Sousa of Kansas never thought that his block to DaJuan Gordon of Kansas State would turn into the biggest fight in college basketball history. In addition to this, De Sousa decided to audaciously take a jibe at Gordan about this move. His poke infuriated Gordan and that led to a physical tussle between both teams.

At one point, De Sousa even picked up a chair to strike at a player from the other end until his coach intervened and snatched the chair out of his hand.

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The passion and craze that these young college basketball athletes have for the game is unparalleled. As a result, they compromise with the discipline of the game at times. Nonetheless, there is no denying that it’s also a part of the game.