The college basketball player who sparked controversy over whether he intentionally touched a cheerleader’s breasts on camera insisted he “didn’t remember” any contact.
Bennedict Maturin, 19, a University of Arizona star, was seen on video spreading his arms to celebrate the Wildcats’ 85-80 overtime victory over TCU in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday.
The footage aired on TV shows Maturin awkwardly touching a member of the TCU dance team known as The Showgirls.
From another perspective, he doesn’t seem to be touching the cheerleader at all, and can be seen sideways around the woman so as not to get too close as he walks by.
Maturin met with the media on Wednesday ahead of the Arizona Sweet 16 showdown with Houston on Thursday and was asked about the incident.
“I actually sent an email trying to contact the cheerleader,” Maturin said. “Through the TCU sports department, I contacted her and that was it.”
He was then asked if he had spoken to the woman, and he replied, “I answered your question.”
Bennedict Maturin, 19, a University of Arizona star, spoke to the media on Wednesday after sparking controversy over whether he deliberately touched a cheerleader’s breasts after a game. Maturin said he did it unintentionally and turned to the woman to apologize.
Maturin met with the media ahead of the Arizona Sweet 16 game against Houston on Thursday night.
Benedict Maturin of Arizona addresses video of him allegedly touching a TCU cheerleader as he walks off the court in San Diego. pic.twitter.com/t28Wb06ZbA
— Savage (@TheWildcaster) March 23, 2022
University of Arizona and TCU officials reportedly got in touch after Wildcats star quarterback Bennedict Maturin apparently rapped the cheerleader’s chest on Sunday.
University athletic director Dave Hicke backed him up before Maturin spoke to the press.
“Shortly after returning to Tucson, I was made aware that people on social media were claiming that a video clip showed Benedict Maturin may have made physical contact with a TCU student as he walked off the court. I contacted the TCU athletics department and spoke to Bennedict,” Hicke told ESPN.
“Although he does not remember any contact, he tried to contact the TCU student through their sports department to apologize.”
TCU Athletic Director Jeremy Donati told Yahoo they were “in contact” with Arizona and “received a message from their student-athlete” but said nothing more.
Videos of the incident circulating on social media have attracted a lot of attention, with Twitter users arguing over whether Maturin deserves disciplinary action or what happened was just an accident.
In the video, the cheerleader does not appear to flinch or react in any of the videos that have surfaced, leading many online to say there has been nothing sinister at this point.
In newer footage of the court, captured by @hostessproblem3 from a different angle, Maturin doesn’t appear to be touching the cheerleader at all, and she can be seen sidestepping the woman to avoid getting too close as he walks by.
The guard may have miscalculated the space he had to extend his arms as he exited the court.
“Definitely unintentional,” the poster captioned the video.
“The weird thing is… if he was guilty of this, don’t you think a cheerleader or an Arizona bb/ben would make a statement? What happened to an innocent until proven guilty??’
Many netizens have spoken out in defense of the Montreal sophomore leading the revival of the Wildcats men’s basketball team. Averaged 17.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, shooting 37.6% from three-point range. Maturin was named Pac-12 Player of the Year and was selected by the Associated Press to the second All-American team.
The standout player overcame tragedy to become one of the most prestigious college basketball players this season – at just 12 years old, the Canadian lost his 15-year-old brother in a bicycle accident, CBC reports.
He and his sister turned to basketball to cope. Jennifer Maturin went on to play in North Carolina State’s powerful women’s program and is currently an Associate Coach at Bishop University.
A video of the incident that has surfaced on social media has attracted a lot of attention.
Twitter users are discussing whether Maturin deserves punishment or what happened was just an accident.
“He celebrated with both arms outstretched, didn’t see her until late, and clearly took his left arm back as he lowered it,” one Twitter user tweeted on Monday.
“IF he touched her (probably didn’t), he was clearly trying to avoid it. It’s not a problem that you shouldn’t legitimize by recognizing.”
Another user dared to say that the TCU cheerleaders were too close to the court exit and needed to move.
‘[Another player] had to slide around them to get into the locker room. YET I haven’t heard the cheerleader complain so either it didn’t happen or she realized it wasn’t on purpose,” the user tweeted.
Others wondered if Maturin was even referring to the cheerleader, arguing that the depth of the angle may have played a role in the video showing something that wasn’t really there.
A Twitter user commented that Maturin should apologize, but the incident turned out to be unintentional.
Many social media users have spoken out in defense of the Montreal sophomore leading the revival of the Wildcats men’s basketball team. Averaged 17.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, shooting 37.6% from three-point range
The standout player overcame tragedy to become one of the most prestigious college basketball players this season – at just 12 years old, the Canadian lost his 15-year-old brother in a bicycle accident.
Maturin, 19, led Arizona to an 85-80 overtime victory over TCU on Sunday.
Maturin is considered the top contender for this year’s NBA draft.
Meanwhile, some blamed Maturin for the incident and condemned that the video was not taken as seriously as it should have been.
The user wrote: “Looks like he instinctively clapped or shook hands on his way to the locker…maybe there’s another corner.”
“It can’t go away. He must be held accountable for his actions,” Twitter user Mike Regalado tweeted.
Maturin, a sophomore at the University of Arizona, scored 30 points in Sunday’s game to lead his team to the Sweet 16.
He is considered the top contender for the NBA draft this year.
Maturin has gone through many clutch situations for Arizona. No wonder he made his best games of the season when the Wildcats needed him the most.
The sophomore shooting guard made a 3-pointer to force overtime and then scored another six points in overtime as top-seeded Arizona swept ninth-seeded TCU 85-80 Sunday night in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Maturin, Pac-12 Player of the Year and AP All-American Second Team, scored 30 points.
After Kerr Kriiza missed 3, Maturin was able to steal the ball from TCU’s Emanuel Miller in the paint and put it in to give the Wildcats an 83–80 lead with 1:11 to spare.
After getting a rebound and scoring a basket, Maturin made a couple of punches near the back line.
“My coaches scolded me for not having enough rebounds. I was very pleased with offensive rebounding,” said Maturin, the sixth player from Arizona to score at least 30 points in an NCAA Tournament game.
“So I just went out there and got a rebound, did it. And I was emotional.”