Former Michigan State star Paul Davis was ejected from the No. 12 Spartans’ 80-51 blowout win over the USC Trojans at Breslin Center on Monday. Official Jeffrey Anderson stopped the game in the second half and approached Spartans coach Tom Izzo, who greenlit the decision to eject his former player from the alumni Izzone.
An irate Izzo gestured angrily at the departing Davis, who was removed from the stands by event staff at the game.
Tom Izzo Addresses Paul Davis’ Ejection From Spartans Game
During his postgame news conference, the outspoken Izzo revealed his disappointment at Davis’ actions towards the officials and revealed the way forward with the former Michigan State standout.
“I love Paul Davis, I really do. He’s one of my favorite guys. He’s always calling and doing things,” Izzo said. “What he said, he should never say anywhere in the world. That ticked me off. Just because it’s 25, 20 years later, I’m gonna have to call him tomorrow and tell him what I thought of it.
“And you know what he’ll say? ‘I screwed up, coach. I’m sorry.’ He kind of got after the official, and he was 150% wrong. And for a guy like me to 150% agree with the official, it’s almost illegal.”
In 1,054 games in charge of Michigan State, stretching from 1995, Izzo has never been ejected from any game.
Davis Apologizes for Actions That Led to Ejection
Davis attended the Spartans’ practice session on Tuesday morning after the incident, and during a news conference afterward, apologized for his actions that led to the ejection.
“Yesterday shouldn’t have happened, but today needs to happen,” Davis said. “I’m up here to take accountability, to own it. There’s a lot of people that have known me, seen me here for the last 25 years, they know that’s not me, but last night it was.
“This was the easy part. The hard part was every minute leading up to this. If anything, the lesson, whether it’s for myself or young kids, is taking accountability. That’s what we do here. Whether it’s good, bad or in between, we have each other’s backs. As terrible as a situation as it was, you try to find what good can come out of this.”
Davis played for the Spartans between 2002 and 2006, helping to lead Izzo’s team to the Final Four in 2005. He declared for the 2006 NBA Draft and was picked No. 34 overall by the Los Angeles Clippers. He ranks No. 10 in the Spartans’ all-time scoring list (1,718 points) and No. 5 in the rebounding list (910).