UCLA's Sebastian Mack Ejected For Incredibly Dirty Elbow To Throat Of Utah Player

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On Sunday night, UCLA and Utah squared off in a college basketball matchup between two Pac-12 rivals vying for entry into the NCAA Tournament. UCLA is led by freshman star, Sebastian Mack, who averages 13.5 points per game.

However, just 10 minutes into the game, referees sent Mack to the locker room to watch the rest of the contest. 

While heading up the court on defense, Mack inexplicably threw a flagrant elbow into the throat of Utah forward Branden Carlson. 

Officials called a foul on the court and then went to the monitors to review the play. Nearly all contact to the head or neck area of an opposing player in college leads to a review. 

This review resulted in a flagrant 2 foul, which meant an automatic ejection for Mack. 

I'm not a pearl-clutcher who gets overly hyperbolic when it comes to dirty plays. I played competitive sports while growing up, as most did, throughout my life and I understand that things happen on the court, field or ice. 

Emotions can run high and things happen. But, this move by Mack is impossible to defend. Carlson didn't even appear to do anything to set Mack off prior to the elbow. 

Mack didn't even try to make it look like an accident; he blatantly threw an elbow at the throat of the Utah player for no reason. 

UCLA Sebastian Mack Utah

(Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire/Getty Image)

Ultimately, the officials got together and made the right call. The NCAA basketball rule book defines a flagrant 2 personal foul as "a personal foul that involves contact with an opponent that is not only excessive, but also severe (brutal, harsh, cruel) or extreme (dangerous, punishing), while the ball is live." 

Hard to argue that's what happened here with Sebastian Mack throwing a vicious elbow up high on Branden Carlson.

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Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to Outkick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named “Brady” because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.