Featured Testimonial About Creighton University
The competitive aspect ... I just have to find new ways to channel that, which is obviously more into coaching, but every once in a while, you've got to lace them up and let these young pups know, the old dog, he's got some tricks up his sleeve.
When Jahenns Manigat finished his Creighton basketball career in 2014, he technically was not on the team anymore. But he never felt disconnected from his Bluejay family.
That’s a credit to the program’s close-knit culture, and coach Greg McDermott, Manigat said on the latest From the Mall podcast.
Manigat played professional basketball in 10 different countries over the next 10 years. He’d pack up each summer and spend months on the other side of the world.
But it wasn’t unusual to get a FaceTime from a Creighton teammate. Or to trade texts with a member of the coaching staff. During the offseasons, Manigat often found himself on campus, working out in the practice gym.
“Coach Mac did a great job of building that family tradition that we all kind of hold onto so dearly, and it makes it easy for a guy like me to come back and be a be a part of the team because I was never really plugged out of that system,” Manigat said.
So, when Manigat decided it was time to start pursuing a coaching career, he knew where he wanted to be. Creighton happened to have an opening. Manigat joined the men’s basketball program in August.
During his appearance on From the Mall, Manigat discussed what he’s learned since returning to the Jays’ elite men’s basketball program and reflected on his favorite Creighton games. Scroll down to read a snippet of the conversation.
Listen to the full From the Mall episode to learn more from Manigat, including:
- All the nicknames the current players have for him already
- Why he framed a photo of a layup and hung it on the wall in his mom’s basement
- The moment he knew that Doug McDermott was really good
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The following questions and answers have been edited for space and clarity.
Creighton is ranked No. 15 nationally and will start its season on Wednesday, Nov. 6, against UT-Rio Grande Valley. How special is it now to be back working with Coach McDermott and all the familiar faces?
It’s been great. It's been a learning experience for me. Obviously as a player, you only think about what you’ve got to do on the floor. Now I'm in the film room, I'm cutting up film, I'm trying to show players their mistakes, how they can be better. I'm trying to show them also, ‘Here are the things that you're doing well and what we need you to do more of.’
I'm getting a whole lot of background knowledge of how an organization like Creighton men's basketball actually works. As players, we get so nearsighted with what we have to do that we don't understand that it's a bigger concept. There's a lot more people working behind the scenes for you to be able to play on a Thursday night in front of 18,000 at the CHI Health Center.
So, it’s been a great learning experience for me, and I'm finding a new love for the game as far as the teaching aspect goes. I'm gaining a broader understanding of exactly what makes a machine like Creighton basketball actually run. For me, being an aspiring coach and someone who feels like I have a lot to teach in the future, I'm just trying to be a sponge out there and trying to soak up all the experience that I can from these guys who have done it at the highest levels. And Coach Mac's been a mentor to me, a father figure for me, and now he's back to being more of a mentor as I embark on this quest to being a coach one day.
The Creighton teams you played on were incredible and memorable. But the program has been elevating its talent ever since. What do you think of this year’s team — have you suited up against these guys?
The talent has elevated, 100%. And the speed of the game is certainly different from when I played. I thought we were moving fast. These boys, they are moving FAST. And you're kind of taken aback sometimes when you're watching it, especially from a former player standpoint. But there have been times where I've had to suit up and kind of teach them a little bit.
A couple of weeks ago we were doing some 4-on-4 drills and I kind of hopped in to try to be protective of some of our players who are going to be logging in heavy minutes. I played really well. And some of the guys who were watching on the sideline were like, ‘Hey, we were kind of unfamiliar with your game.’
The competitive aspect is never going to be something that's going to be taken out of me. I just have to find new ways to channel that, which is obviously more into coaching, but every once in a while, you've got to lace them up and let these young pups know this old dog has some tricks up his sleeve.
What’s your favorite moment from your playing days?
No. 1 for me will always be seeing Doug McDermott hit that 3,000 ball — that was just electric. Senior night against Providence. We're blowing them out. Doug gets to 3,000.
Did Doug go into that game thinking he’d get it?
I'm not quite sure what Doug ever went into a game thinking to be honest. All I know is by the second media timeout, I would look up and he'd already have 21. And I'm just there wondering, ‘How did 21 already happen in eight minutes?’ That was a routine for him, especially at home. So I'm not quite sure what his thought process was going into it.
But Doug hitting that shot and seeing the crowd react, and understanding all that went into that — all the labor, the tough workouts behind the scenes, the stuff that nobody sees that I was fortunate enough to be a part of just by proximity of being his roommate, being able to shoot with him and all that stuff. And Doug always talking about the vision, the goal that he had of himself. That was an inspiring moment for sure.
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Listen to more From the Mall.
