Why did Viktor Lakhin get a tech? Explaining controversial call in Clemson’s NCAA loss
Viktor Lakhin is one of Clemson basketball’s best players.
But he spent the final minutes of the No. 5 Tigers’ 69-67 NCAA Tournament loss to No. 12 McNeese State on the bench after a technical foul call that drew the ire of the broadcast team and observers on social media on Thursday.
With roughly six minutes left in the game, Clemson went on a run and cut McNeese’s lead to 13 points after trailing by as many as 24 points early in the second half.
On the ensuing fast break, McNeese guard Sincere Parker rose up and tried to dunk on Lakhin. He missed the dunk attempt and Lakhin was called for a shooting foul (his fourth of the game). Parker and Lakhin slightly bumped chests and exchanged words under the basket after the dunk attempt.
Then Lakhin was called for an additional technical foul, which was his fifth and disqualified him for the rest of the game. Lakhin put his hands over his mouth in disbelief as the truTV broadcast team reacted to the moment.
“Wow, I don’t know,” analyst Steve Lappas said. “I mean, c’mon.”
“That’s a tough call,” play-by-play announcer Andrew Catalon said.
“That’s a tough call, I agree,” Lappas said. “I mean, it wasn’t like they were pushing, shoving. ... It’s basketball. People talk sometimes in basketball.”
Lakhin, a first-year transfer from Cincinnati, finished the game with six points, 10 rebounds and a plus-minus of -5 in 25 minutes. The Tigers ended up making a late rally and had the game within a possession late before coming up short.
“The guy drove, I tried to block his shot, I fouled him and then got a technical for talking, from the referee’s point of view,” Lakhin said postgame.
Did he think he deserved a tech?
“No comment,” Lakhin said.
Clemson coach Brad Brownell, who was shown looking puzzled on the broadcast after Lakhin’s technical foul, said postgame he felt like both players were at fault but was “disappointed” one of his players was involved.
“I just talked to my guys and I made a big deal to our team about not getting involved in any woofing today,” Brownell said. “That was very disappointing. I think the second guy got caught. Obviously, it was a very inopportune time for that call. Disappointed but, you know, things happen.”
Parker, the McNeese player who attempted the dunk, said that after his near-poster he looked at Lakhin and that was “just the competitive nature in me.”
“And then, I don’t know, I guess he walked me down or whatever,” said Parker, who mostly had his back turned to Lakhin when the technical was called.
Parker said Lakhin didn’t say anything inappropriate to him — just general trash talk — but he understood why the refs thought it warranted a technical foul.
The call prompted frustration on X (formerly Twitter):
“Just an atrocious technical foul called on Victor (Lakhin),” college basketball journalist Seth Davis posted. “Gave him his fifth. Gimme a break.”
“Horrible judgment on the ref’s part. And Gene Steratore tries to excuse the call,” another journalist wrote, referencing Steratore, who is working as CBS’ rules analyst for the NCAA Tournament and said on air he agreed with the ruling.
“Softest technical on Viktor Lakhin,” Barstool’s Jake Marsh wrote. “What the heck!”
No. 5 Clemson’s season ended at 27-7 with its upset loss to No. 12 McNeese on Thursday at Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, Rhode Island. McNeese and coach Will Wade advanced to a second round game against No. 4 Purdue on Saturday.
This story was originally published March 20, 2025 at 6:40 PM with the headline "Why did Viktor Lakhin get a tech? Explaining controversial call in Clemson’s NCAA loss."
