We have seen some great in-season tournaments in the past (Battle 4 Atlantis, Maui Invitational, etc.), but the Players Era Festival has simply taken things to another level. Last year’s debut featured 8 teams, but this year there is an 18-team field featuring some of the best teams from the best conferences in the country. It is taking place this week in Las Vegas, and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel commences our coverage from Sin City with an interview of Nikki Graves, whose son Nik plays for Creighton.
Your son Nik was born/raised in Durham: did he always want to attend Duke? No: he was always a Carolina fan growing up!
He began his college career at your alma mater (Charlotte): how much of an influence were you on his decision? I stayed out of the recruiting process. People wanted him to go there because I played there, but I wanted to let him make his own decision.
He played in 22 games as a freshman: how was he able to come in and contribute right from the start? He was well prepared after playing for his high school team. Coach Freddy Johnson did a phenomenal job of teaching him how to play the right way and be prepared for the game at the college level.
Last March he scored a career-high 32 PTS/4-8 3PM/10-11 FT in a 2-PT loss at East Carolina: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot he put up seemed to go in because he was “in the zone”? He did hit a lot of shots in that game, but what I remember the most is that his friend Bobby Pettiford played for ECU in the past, so it was kind of a big brother/little brother thing.
Last year he led his team with 17.5 PPG: what is his secret for being a great scorer? He just does what his team needs. He has always been a pass-first guard but Charlotte did not have the scoring pieces last year, so he had to adapt. If you asked him, he would say that he prefers not to shoot as much.
He was also #15 in the nation with 233 FTA: how much of his success is based on his ability to get to the FT line? A lot of it. He has always had a knack for being a smart player and has modeled his game after the great UNC PGs who he watched growing up (Raymond Felton, Kendall Marshall, etc.). He has a high basketball IQ and after seeing something just 1 time he can adapt it to his game.
Why did he decide to transfer last spring, and what made him choose Creighton? He wanted to play in the NCAA tourney, and while he loved his time in Charlotte, the coaching staff encouraged him to follow his dream. Creighton has a family atmosphere and a coach in Greg McDermott who would challenge him.
He got off to a great start with a team-high 15 PTS/5 AST/3 STL in his Creighton debut against South Dakota earlier this month: how does he balance his scoring with his passing with his defense? It just comes to him naturally. There are times that he should be more assertive, but he lets the game come to him. When he needs to turn it on, he can turn it on…and I think he needs to turn it on a little more for the team to be successful. Another key is that he never gets too high/too low.
You played basketball at Charlotte: who is the best athlete in the family? I would have to say me…but my kids might differ from that. My daughter McKenzie is a freshman basketball player at Charlotte, so the athletic gene runs in the family: we each played several different sports during high school.
He scored 13 PTS in a win over Iowa State during an exhibition game last month: any predictions for the rematch with the Cyclones this week? I am going with the Jays!
