BIG EAST To Host Fourth Annual Freshmen Fundamentals Program

NEW YORK -- The BIG EAST Conference will host its fourth annual Freshmen Fundamentals program, designed to assist men's basketball student-athletes make the transition from high school to college and the elite level of BIG EAST basketball, Senior Associate Commissioner for Men's Basketball Stu Jackson announced today.

Freshmen Fundamentals will be held in New York City on Sept. 15-16. All scholarship and walk-on freshmen from the league's 10 schools are invited to attend. Thirty-two student-athletes are expected to participate.

"We are very excited to host our fourth Freshmen Fundamentals program," said Jackson. "Our incoming freshmen players have to deal with many new challenges on and off the court as high-profile athletes in the BIG EAST Conference. Panelists and presenters for this year's program will lead our most comprehensive topics and discussions to date. Freshmen Fundamentals is an effective supplement to the ongoing efforts of our institutions to assist student-athletes with practices they can use during their college years and throughout their lives."

The Freshmen Fundamentals schedule for Sept. 15 will include a panel of former BIG EAST players, including former Creighton star Doug McDermott, instruction from nationally acclaimed experts in media training, a presentation on relationship management and safety along with a presentation on student-athlete mental health. The freshmen also will hear from former NBA general manager Billy King, who will offer his insights on careers in professional basketball.

At the conclusion of the Saturday sessions, the players will visit the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in lower Manhattan.

On Sunday, the players will tour Madison Square Garden, the home of The BIG EAST Tournament, and will hear a presentation by Jackson on the NCAA/NBA Draft Eligibility process.

The panel of former BIG EAST players will be moderated again by Tarik Turner, a standout St. John's guard from 1995-98, who has enjoyed a successful business career in finance. He also serves as analyst for BIG EAST games on FOX sports, the league's television partner.

Turner will lead a discussion with McDermott, who plays for the Indiana Pacers, former DePaul guard Billy Garrett Jr. and former Providence forward Dickey Simpkins. McDermott won National and BIG EAST Player of the Year honors in 2013-14 while at Creighton. Garrett Jr. was a four-year starter at DePaul who scored 1,154 points in his career. As a senior, he won the BIG EAST Basketball Scholar-Athlete Award and the BIG EAST Sportsmanship Award. Simpkins was a standout forward at Providence who helped the Friars win the 1994 BIG EAST Tournament. He was a first-round draft choice of the Chicago Bulls and played on three NBA championship teams while with the Bulls. He is a television analyst for FOX and the founder of Next Level Performance, a basketball skills development training organization based in Chicago.

King, a 1988 graduate of Duke, played for the Blue Devils under coach Mike Krzyzewski. He helped Duke to a 112-27 record and two Final Four Appearances. After four-year tenures as an assistant coach at Illinois State and the Indiana Pacers, King became the Vice President of Basketball Administration for the Philadelphia 76ers in 1997 and was promoted to President and General Manager in 2003. After 12 years with the Sixers, he served as General Manager of the New Jersey Nets from 2010-16. King also has served as a member of the USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team Program.

Dr. Alfiee M. Breland-Noble will conduct the Mental Health Awareness discussion. She is the Director of the AAKOMA (African American Knowledge Optimized for Mindfully-Healthy Adolescents) Project and Principal Director of the AAKOMA Center and MDIL Consulting. Dr. Breland-Noble is a licensed psychologist and clinical investigator and is recognized nationally as a gifted scientist, public speaker and author. Last year, she spoke at the BIG EAST Well Being Forum.

Kalimah Johnson, founder and executive director of Sexual Assault Services for Holistic Healing and Awareness (SASHA) in Detroit, Mich., will return to address the group for a session, Relationship Management and Safety. She has worked in the sexual assault and domestic violence field for over 15 years with the Michigan Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, Detroit Police Department and Serenity Services.

The media training session will be conducted by Stacey Osburn, the NCAA Director of Public and Media Relations. She leads the NCAA's development and implementation of communication strategy and messaging. Osburn is responsible for engaging media, campus communications professionals and other entities on the core issues facing college sports in order to foster a deeper understanding of the NCAA and its core values.

About The BIG EAST:
The BIG EAST Conference is an association of ten nationally prominent colleges and universities that foster healthy athletic competition, community service and the pursuit of excellence in academic environments. The athletic programs of BIG EAST institutions provide national-caliber participation opportunities for more than 3,727 student-athletes on over 180 men's and women's teams in 22 sports. Established in 1979 and headquartered in New York City, the BIG EAST's members are located in seven of the country's top 36 largest media markets and include Butler University, Creighton University, DePaul University, Georgetown University, Marquette University, Providence College, St. John's University, Seton Hall University, Villanova University and Xavier University. For more information, visit www.bigeast.com.

BIG EAST To Host Fourth Annual Freshmen Fundamentals Program

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