Several former college basketball players are speaking out about the things they suffered while playing at New Mexico State.
Former New Mexico State basketball players Shakiru Odunewu and Deuce Benjamin have spoken out about the sexual assault and harassment they say they and other members of the team were subjected to by teammates.
In an interview this week on ESPN, Odunewu said “There were most definitely other players that got attacked the way that we got attacked,” but he felt the alleged attackers “manipulated them to believe that if they came out, that they were snitching.”
Benjamin remembered a game they played at the University of Texas-El Paso, the players who harassed them “pantsed” one of the assistant coaches while sleeping on the team bus.
“[Other coaches acted] like they didn’t see it,” he added.
Odunewu further claims he told head coach Greg Heiar of what was going on and Heiar pledged to suspend the players. When nothing happened, he would report the behavior to the campus police and the school shut down the program for the rest of the year and fired Heiar.
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The public comments come after Benjamin and Odunewu filed a lawsuit last month. Odunewu told ESPN the three players named in the lawsuit—Kim Aiken Jr., Doctor Bradley, and Deshawndre Washington—targeted “just about everyone” on the team at least once.
According to Coello, Odenuwu explained the “more frequent or severe punishments were reserved for those who fought back” against the attacks.
Benjamin specifically cited one incident when Washington “ordered another player to pull down his uniform shorts for good luck” when players got ready to run onto the court.
Benjamin and Odunewu have since entered the transfer portal and hope to play elsewhere next season.
