With the news of his basketball program coming up in federal court testimony this week regarding potential offers of payment to former top recruit Brian Bowen, Jr., head coach Greg McDermott addressed the allegations to members of the media prior to the team’s practice on Saturday morning (see end of post for other official statements):
“Let me begin with a brief comment about a serious claim made in earlier this week in the federal court in New York City. Over my 25 years as a head coach and 30 years in college basketball, our programs have been compliant with NCAA rules, and our coaching staffs have acted with integrity. I have never knowingly violated NCAA rules, nor would I allow any member of my staff to do the same.
“The serious accusation that a prospective student-athlete was offered money to attend Creighton is counter to the type of program we have worked hard to build and maintain during our eight years in Omaha. The university thoroughly investigated our program and our staff last fall and — with the exception of a minor violation regarding game tickets — found no wrong-doing or attempts to circumvent NCAA bylaws in any way. We will continue to cooperate with any and all reviews or investigations related to our program as the judicial process continues to unfold.
“I plan to return all of my energy and focus on the outstanding young men in our program. I chose Creighton for our values, our world class education, and our competitive record of basketball success.”
As for the team, they began the day as they usually do — with a film session followed by running through half court sets. The Jays introduced some sideline out of bounds plays this morning before jumping into a brief scrimmage that emphasized a lot of the ball screen actions. They followed that up with two-on-two drill to work even more on making the proper reads between the big men and guards. The team session ended with a timed 20-minute defensive drill towards before finishing up with some individual shooting drills.
Notable Observations:
- All coaches and staff members were present and engaged throughout practice, including assistant coach Preston Murphy.
- Sophomore center Jacob Epperson was back in action after missing a week to rest his injured knee. He looked sharp at times, while obviously still dealing with the pain. He had a nice drive and finish off the glass, a couple nice turnaround hook shots along the baseline, and one emphatic blocked shot on a dunk attempt by Damien Jefferson that sent both guys crashing to the floor.
- As for Jefferson, this morning was the first day for him practicing without a brace on his wrist after injuring it toward the end of the summer.
- Sophomore guard Mitch Ballock was particularly active on the offensive glass even if that didn’t necessarily result in him getting the rebound. He also made several nice reads on lobs to big men out of ball screens.
- Freshman point guard Marcus Zegarowski had what might have been his best day in what has been a series of impressive practices to start his college career. The highlight of the morning was a smooth hesitation move he put on his fellow position mate Davion Mintz, further showcasing the instincts that have his coaches and teammates excited about his potential. He just a feel for the game that is hard to teach. No matter what type of pace that particular possessions calls for, Zegarowski’s internal clock always seems to be on the right time. He’s going to be a good one.
Other Creighton Statements:
— Creighton Men’s Basketball (@BluejayMBB) October 5, 2018
— Creighton Men’s Basketball (@BluejayMBB) October 5, 2018
