Former UConn star James Bouknight was ejected from his alma mater's game against Xavier on Saturday -- but he got the last laugh when he declined to leave the arena.
Bouknight, a rookie with the Charlotte Hornets, was sat courtside with two others when FOX cameras showed the trio being tossed by veteran referee Mike Roberts.
The official reason for the ejections was unclear, but play-by-play announcer Tim Brando suggested Bouknight was "standing on the floor on his cell phone."
"If there's an official you don't want to mess with, it's Mike Roberts," Brando added. "He wants this game to be played the right way -- and he's going to officiate the game the right way."
Analyst Donny Marshall, a former UConn player, seemed to agree.
"By the way, the official has the right to do whatever he wants," Marshall said.
The small group quietly left the floor, but rather than exiting the arena, Bouknight climbed into the student section, where he received a notably warm greeting from the fired-up home crowd.
Bouknight, 21, was drafted 11th overall by Charlotte in last year's NBA Draft.
The 24th-ranked Huskies went on to beat Xavier, 72-61, on Saturday.
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