OMAHA, Nebraska – Five male basketball players from Creighton explained on Saturday in a brief pre-match video why they were hurt by coach Greg McDermott’s comments in their locker room conversation after a defeat last weekend.
A sixth player who did not speak in the video, point guard Marcus Zegarowski, said after Saturday’s 93-73 victory over Butler that although McDermott made a mistake in his choice of words, he loves and supports all his players.
McDermott used the term “plantation” twice as part of his comments calling for the team to join. The university suspended McDermott indefinitely on Thursday after he trained in defeat on Wednesday in Villanova. Assistant coach Alan Huss was the interim coach for Butler.
“I need everyone to stay on the plantation. I can’t let anyone leave the plantation, ” McDermott told the players after a defeat on Xavier on February 27, using a term that evokes slavery and the South before the war.
Creighton players did not publicly comment on McDermott’s comments until five black players spoke in the video before the game at the CHI Health Center Arena.
“James Baldwin said that not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed without being faced, ” Bluejays striker Christian Bishop said at the beginning.
Guard Shereef Mitchell then said: “For slaves, life on a plantation was full of mental, emotional, physical, psychological and sexual abuse. You were property and not human. Slaves had no rights and had no voice. They were marked as cattle, driven out of their homeland and stripped of their culture, language and basic human rights, they worked 18 hours a day, six days a week. Any sign of irregularity, such as lack of productivity, failure to follow instructions or resistance would result in beatings or death and so … “
“What Coach Mac said hurt me and my teammates,” said playmaker Denzel Mahoney.
Guard Antwann Jones then said: “People talk about inequality and equality, but they don’t really know what it means to be equal. And I feel that this is the beginning of a new conversation to have in the future. We will continue to educate each other, and we will continue to grow. “
Striker Damien Jefferson said, “If I were your son, would that matter? We won’t agree with racism. Let’s start the conversation.”
The video ended in silence, with all Creighton players arm in arm on the court.
Subsequently, “Lift Every Voice and Sing”, also known as the national black anthem, was played.
Neither team was on the pitch for the national anthem.
Zegarowski spontaneously praised McDermott for the impact he has had on him since he arrived on campus and that the coach’s comments in the locker room should not define him.
“A lot of guys in that locker room were suffering from this, and I was suffering from what he said,” said Zegarowski. “At the same time, Coach Mac has been a great mentor to me and I know he would take a bullet for me and everyone in that locker room, including the coaching staff.
“I know that he made a very serious mistake with what he said. Only I know everything he did for me as a player, but more importantly as a human being. He loves me; he loves everyone in that locker room. This is my coach; I love that guy. People make mistakes, and this is my guy. “
McDermott publicly apologized on Tuesday and again on Wednesday.
Creighton’s athletic director Bruce Rasmussen said additional sanctions are being considered, none of which will be made public.