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Following acquittal, Rick Brunson discusses son Jalen’s recruitment to Villanova

Jalen Brunson

Jalen Brunson

AP

In April 2014 Rick Brunson, the father of five-star 2015 point guard Jalen Brunson, was charged with sexual assault in regards to an incident with his then-massage therapist. The situation came at a time in which the younger Brunson had yet to choose a college, and with Temple being one of the schools in the mix the assumption in some circles was that the two could possibly be a package deal of sorts.

Late last week Rick Brunson was finally afforded the opportunity to tell his side of the story in front of a judge, and he was ultimately acquitted of all charges. With that occurring Rick spoke with the Chicago Tribune about the case, its impact on his son during his senior year of high school and whether or not the two could have gone to Temple together as some speculated.

Rick dismissed that possibility, noting that the job he discussed with Temple head coach Fran Dunphy was a non-coaching position. With that being the case, Jalen (who committed to Villanova last September) wouldn’t have been able to join the program for two seasons per NCAA rules.

“My son always wanted to go to Villanova,” Brunson said. “Nobody understands this. He never, ever wanted to go to Temple with me. I’ve never coached him at any level. Would I have wanted him to play for me at Temple? Of course. Would it have been right as a family? You’re damn right. But would it have been wrong for him? Yes.

“I have a lot of love and respect for Fran Dunphy because he understood that I couldn’t force my son to go to Temple. It was a long shot for him to go there. Jalen wanted to have a chance to play in a Final Four. Of all the schools that recruited him, he felt Villanova has the best shot of playing in a Final Four this coming season.”

Brunson played four seasons at Temple before spending eight in the NBA, with the connection to his alma mater being a factor in discussions between he and Dunphy. With this situation being resolved, it’s a weight off the shoulders of both Rick and Jalen, with the younger Brunson preparing for his first season at Villanova.