Many sports media figures have their favorite teams, but few display as much passion as ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt for his alma mater, the Maryland Terrapins. Recently, Maryland found itself embroiled in controversy following a dramatic finish in their NCAA Tournament second-round match against the Colorado State Rams. The heated discussions were sparked by Derik Queen’s game-winning layup, which some fans argued bordered on traveling.
While CBS rules analyst Gene Steratore and the CBS studio team of Charles Barkley, Clark Kellogg, and Kenny Smith assert that there was no travel on the play, many believe Colorado State was unfairly treated with the no-call. Given his bias for Maryland basketball, Van Pelt defended the officials’ decision not to call a travel. However, he took it a step further when Barstool Sports’ Dan Katz, popularly known as “Big Cat,” attempted to troll him over the missed call.
During his appearance on Pardon My Take, Van Pelt echoed college basketball broadcaster John Fanta’s remarks, who criticized fans for their hypocrisy in complaining about the lack of tournament drama while also lamenting Queen’s game-winner—one of the tournament’s standout moments. “Scott, first of all, congrats, that was an awesome game,” said Big Cat. “Walk us through your range of emotions, knowing you maybe root for the Maryland Terrapins harder than anyone roots for any team.”
“Did you really just say walk us through your emotions? What are we doing with this? (John) Fanta nailed it the other night. This tournament has largely lacked those moments that make the tournament what it is. Then we get one. But because we live in this space where we can’t exist unless we’re upset about everything: ‘Oh, he walked.’ Okay, well, (Gene) Steratore said he didn’t. I could show you a video of a Colorado State player doing the exact same thing. ‘Oh, that happened earlier in the game.’ Well, they got two points, and nobody cared because that’s just basketball in the modern era. The emotions were insane. As I’ve grown older, I thought my attachment would wane, but I really enjoy Maryland basketball. This team has been a joy. (Derik) Queen was a player they hoped to keep in Maryland, and he did; he could have gone anywhere—he’s a five-star guy, a potential lottery pick. And he had an incredible moment.”
.@notthefakeSVP walks us through his emotions of the Maryland Buzzer Beater pic.twitter.com/kjLr3498K5
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) March 26, 2025
As Van Pelt pointed out, there are numerous instances in every game where players travel without penalty, making it difficult to defend outrage over a no-call in the game’s final seconds. Fans often scrutinize officiating at every turn; had a travel been called on Queen, many would have been just as upset about that call during such a critical moment as they were about the no-call.
Regardless, Van Pelt isn’t getting caught up in the negativity surrounding Maryland’s significant win as he prepares to watch his team face off against the Florida Gators in their Sweet 16 matchup on Thursday night.
