Krzyzewski addresses alleged rape
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski told the Associated Press that he has “no knowledge” of a woman’s allegation that she was sexually assaulted by Corey Maggette, a former Blue Devils basketball player who is now a Clippers broadcaster, and the Hall of Fame coach believes the school should and will investigate.
Lawyer Nancy Erika Smith has said her client, Meredith Watson, was raped by a basketball player while she was a student at Duke. The New York Times and other publications have identified the player as Maggette, who has denied the allegation. The reports cited a friend of Watson, R. Stanton Jones, who said she told him about the alleged assault at the time.
Watson has also said Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax sexually assaulted her while they were students at Duke in 2000. Smith said Watson told a high-ranking administrator about the alleged assault by a basketball player but was dissuaded from filing a complaint or notifying police. Maggette played at Duke in the 1998-99 season and then left for the NBA, where he had a 14-year career.
Krzyzewski was asked about the allegation after Duke’s 71-69 victory over Louisville on Tuesday night. He said he wasn’t aware of the details.
“At that level for that serious an accusation, it’s always university level. Our university, they’ll handle everything and that’s what should happen,” Krzyzewski said.
Maggette, who has worked as a Clippers’ analyst for Fox Sports West, has not done a game since he was accused. He had covered the Clippers this season as a pre- and-postgame analyst and color commentator.
He denied the accusation through a spokesman in a statement released to the New York Times.
“It has only been through media accounts and a statement from Meredith Watson’s lawyer that I first learned or heard of anything about those allegations,” Maggette said in the statement. “I have never sexually assaulted anyone in my life and I completely and categorically deny any such charge.”
Injury update
Clippers coach Doc Rivers said that Wilson Chandler, who is out with a right quad strain, and Luc Mbah a Moute, who is out with a sore left knee, will most likely return to practice next week after the All-Star break.
Rivers said getting Chandler and Mbah a Moute back will give the Clippers two more forwards to play alongside Danilo Gallinari.
Rivers has been forced to start a three-guard lineup of Landry Shamet, Patrick Beverley and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander because he doesn’t have enough forwards after trading Tobias Harris to the Philadelphia 76ers.