INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Referee Joe DeRosa is back in the game — the college game.
The official who was suspended for one playoff game without pay in May and later retired from the NBA was part of a three-man Horizon League crew calling No. 17 Butler’s 83-54 victory over Marian on Saturday.
There were no unusual incidents with the officials in the game.
Butler spokesman Jim McGrath says all refs are assigned by the Horizon League, not hired by the individual schools. It’s unclear whether DeRosa is working with any other conferences.
DeRosa was walking to the scorer’s table at halftime of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals between Boston and Orlando when a fan behind the table approached him. DeRosa flipped the game ball to the fan, who tossed it back.
