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Michigan State’s Branden Dawson denies that he punched Purdue’s Travis Carroll

Branden Dawson

Branden Dawson a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds in Michigan State’s win over Purdue on Saturday, but his stat line wasn’t the focus of the conversation after the game.

Instead, the conversation has centered around this, video footage that some believe shows Dawson getting in a physical altercation with Purdue’s Travis Carroll and throwing a punch at him late in Michigan State’s blowout victory.

The Big Ten has reviewed the tape and decided there is no conclusive evidence of a punch being thrown and, thus, will not discipline Dawson. On Tuesday, Dawson responded and explained how he saw the situation, via MLive.com.

“Travis Carroll, he came down, and he latched into me and kind of bumped me,” Dawson said. “The ball went in through the net, and he kept going. Our arms got tangled, and I kind of smacked down. We kind of had some words, and our guys were talking toward each other, so it got kind of chippy.

“With Purdue and their fans, it was just crazy because I wouldn’t do anything to hurt anyone. I was just kind of bummed out about it.”

Did Dawson throw a punch? Check out the hyperlink above and make your own judgment. As for Dawson, he and the Spartans go on the road to face Iowa on Thursday.

Daniel Martin is a writer and editor at JohnnyJungle.com, covering St. John’s. You can find him on Twitter:@DanielJMartin_