Pacific 10 Conference reprimands UCLA’s Joshua Smith
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The Pacific 10 Conference has reprimanded UCLA’s Joshua Smith for comments the freshman center made that were critical of the officiating after the Bruins’ 63-52 loss to USC on Sunday. Smith will not be punished beyond the reprimand.
‘While we are appreciative of the fact that he has since apologized publicly for his remarks, all of our student-athletes must adhere to Pac-10 policy that prohibits them from making public comments about officiating,’ Pac-10 Commissioner Larry Scott said in a statement.
‘In these circumstances, conference rules require a public reprimand.’
After fouling out against the Trojans, Smith said ‘the refs were terrible. The one where I fell and [USC’s Nikola] Vucevic fell on me, the refs said, ‘Well, I had to call it on you because you fell.’ They’re giving me [ridiculous] answers. They’re telling me this, this and this. I mean, I’m a guy who will own up to it when I foul.’
UCLA Coach Ben Howland admonished Smith on Tuesday for his comments, calling them ‘totally poor judgment.’ Smith apologized for his remarks when he met with reporters the same day.
Smith has fouled out in each of his last two games. The Bruins (9-6 overall, 1-2 in the Pac-10) will try to break a two-game losing streak on Thursday night against Oregon State (7-8, 2-2) at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis, Ore.
-- Ben Bolch