"Unreal ref show, absolutely disgusting": Ex-Buckeye Mark Titus slams Big Ten tournament's shoddy officiating in Ohio State’s defeat to Illinois

Former Ohio State player, podcast host and book author Mark Titus voiced his disappointment over the officiating in the Buckeyes' 77-74 loss to Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal on Friday.

Titus, who wrote the book "Don't Put Me In, Coach: My Incredible NCAA Journey from the End of the Bench to the End of the Bench," criticized the referees on social media for shoddy officiating, as the Buckeyes were called for 27 fouls. In contrast, the No. 13 Fighting Illini only had 13.

"Unreal ref show, absolutely disgusting," the host of Mostly Sports and Mark Titus Show wrote on X.

Others agreed with Titus' point, tweeting their disapproval of the referees' calls.

The Buckeyes were given 13 free throws from Illinois' fouls, making 10, while the Fighting Illini were awarded 32 freebies, making 21.

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Illinois beats Ohio State to gain Big Ten semifinal ticket

Illinois makes it to the Big Ten semifinal with a win over Ohio State.

Illinois outplayed Ohio State to secure a semifinal meeting with the winner of the Indiana-Nebraska showdown on Saturday.

Terrence Shannon Jr topscored for the Fighting Illini with 28 points, on 8-of-20 shooting from the field and 10-of-11 from the free-throw line. Dain Dainja added 18 markers off the bench, while Ty Rodgers contributed 12 points for Illinois.

Jamison Battle and Bruce Thornton carried the fight for Ohio State, scoring 21 and 20 points, respectively.

The Fighting Illini came from 10 points down to beat the Buckeyes, thanks to a 13-3 second-half surge to tie the game at 59. Dainja, Shannon and Coleman Hawkins scored Illinois' last seven points on free throws.

Ohio State failed to score in the last 1:43 of the game, while the Fighting Illini forced defensive stops in the second half.

Illinois' victory kept their hopes of gaining the Big Ten Tournament crown alive, as they made the conference's Final Four. They are now two wins away from securing an outright NCAA Tournament berth.

The loss, meanwhile, halted the Buckeyes' five-game winning streak and ended their hopes of securing an automatic ticket to the NCAA Tournament. They have to wait for Selection Sunday to know their fate.

Ohio State had a tumultuous 2023-24 season, firing coach Chris Holtmann in the middle of the season and replacing him with Jake Diebler as interim coach.