Jay Bilas shreds controversial foul called on Tennessee late in win over Auburn

Jay Bilas was on the call for Saturday’s SEC basketball action, and he was clearly irritated by one controversial call late in Saturday’s game.

Tennessee will play for an SEC Tournament Championship on Sunday, knocking off No. 1 seed Auburn in a 70-65 thriller in Nashville on Saturday. However, the win by the Vols was in question all the way until the final whistle.

At one point, Tennessee held a 12-point lead heading into the final minutes of the game, but the Tigers came roaring back. Then, one controversial call in the final minute of the game gave Auburn some major life.

With 29 seconds left and trailing by 3, Johni Broome tried to back down Felix Okpara in the post. Broome’s initial shot attempt was no good, but Okpara was whistled for a foul as the two went after the ball.

The foul awarded 2 free-throw attempts to Broome at a pivotal moment, but the ESPN crew was clearly upset about the call. It appeared Okpara simply tapped the ball in an effort to go for the rebound with Broome in a similar position going for the rebound.

“That’s a terrible call. Terrible,” criticized ESPN’s Jay Bilas on the call. “That’s just rebounding. Period. That’s not a foul. If that’s what the call was, that’s a terrible call.”

Here’s what the play looked like:

While Auburn benefitted from the call, Broome could not cash in. He missed both attempts at the free-throw line, keeping the deficit at 3 points with the Vols able to hold on.

Overall, the game itself was must-see action and a great precursor to the full March Madness bracket to come next week. Tennessee grabs the win and will play for a title on Sunday against the winner of Florida vs. Alabama.

Paul Harvey

Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.