Big Ten Clears Oumar Ballo to Play After Scuffle in Indiana-Illinois Game

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Indiana Hoosiers center Oumar Ballo will face no further disciplinary action from the Big Ten Conference following his ejection during a heated scuffle in Tuesday’s game against Illinois. The sixth-year senior from Mali is cleared to play in Friday’s matchup against Ohio State, a decision that has relieved Indiana fans and head coach Mike Woodson.

The incident occurred late in the Indiana-Illinois game when tensions flared after Illinois’ Luke Goode committed a common foul while boxing out Indiana’s Tomislav Ivisic. Ivisic took exception to the play, leading to a confrontation with Goode. Myles Rice of Illinois intervened, pushing Ivisic away, which escalated the situation as players from both teams rushed to defend their teammates.

Ballo entered the fray, shoving Ivisic to the ground, an action that resulted in a Flagrant 2 foul and his immediate ejection. Rice, Ivisic, and Indiana’s Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn were also assessed technical fouls. After reviewing the incident, officials determined no additional penalties were warranted for Ballo.

Woodson addressed the situation postgame, stating he would discuss better ways for Ballo to handle such confrontations in the future. “We’ll talk about it and make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Woodson said. “Oumar is a key player for us, and we need him on the court.”

Indiana, currently on a two-game losing streak, hopes to rebound against Ohio State. Ballo, who averages 10 points and 11 rebounds per game, will be crucial to the Hoosiers’ efforts. The game tips off at 8 p.m. ET at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio.

In their last outing, Indiana narrowly lost to Illinois despite Ballo’s strong performance before his ejection. The Hoosiers will look to capitalize on his presence in the lineup as they aim to turn their season around.