OMAHA, Neb. – Five Creighton men’s basketball players explained Saturday in a short preliminary video why they were hurt by coach Greg McDermott’s statements in his talk in the locker room after last weekend’s loss.
A sixth player who did not speak in the video, star guard Marcus Zegarowski, said after Butler’s 93-73 victory on Saturday that while McDermott made a mistake with his choice of words, he loves and gives support for all your players.
McDermott twice used the term “plantation” as part of his comments urging team unity. The university suspended McDermott indefinitely on Thursday, after training in a defeat Wednesday at Villanova.
“I need everyone to stay on the plantation. I can’t make anyone leave the plantation,” McDermott told players after a loss to Xavier on Feb. 27, with a term that evoked slavery and the southern antebel .
Creighton players had not commented publicly on McDermott’s statements until five black players spoke in the previous video at the CHI Health Center Arena.
“James Baldwin said you can’t change everything you face, but you can’t change anything without being confronted,” Bluejays forward Christian Bishop said at the start.
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 or voice. They had the cattle brand, forced from 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 illicit acts such as lack of productivity, no following instructions or resistance would cause blows or deaths and therefore … “
“What Coach Mac said has hurt me and my teammates,” guard Denzel Mahoney said.
Then guard Antwann Jones said, “People talk about inequality and equality, but they don’t really know what it means to be equal. And I think that’s the beginning of a new conversation in the future. We continue to educate each other, and we continue to grow. “
Striker Damien Jefferson said, “If I were your son, would it matter then? We’re not okay with racism. Let’s start the conversation.”
The video ended in silence, with all Creighton players locked arm in arm on the court.
Then, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” also known as the Black National Anthem, was played.
Neither team was on the national anthem track.
Zegarowski, unforeseen, praised McDermott for the impact it has had on him since he arrived on campus and that the coach’s locker room observations should not define him.
“A lot of guys in that locker room hurt, and I was hurt by what he said,” Zegarowski said. “At the same time, Coach Mac has been a huge mentor to me, and I know he would grab a bullet for me and for all the locker rooms, including the coaching staff.
“I know he made a very serious mistake with what he said. Only I know everything he has done for me as a player, but more importantly as a human being. He loves me; he loves all the locker rooms. This is the my coach; I love this guy. People make mistakes, and this is my guy. “
McDermott publicly apologized Tuesday and Wednesday.
Creighton athletic director Bruce Rasmussen said additional sanctions were being considered, none of which would be made public.