Tyler Clement | Point Guard, Shawnee, KS
Tyler Clement has played in 106 games over his four years for the Bluejays as a walk-on point guard, scoring 155 points with 88 assists and a nearly 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. His career highlight is a gutsy, clutch three-pointer with less than four minutes left in the Jays’ Big East Tourney win over Xavier last year.
Greg McDermott on Tyler:
“Every situation is unique, but in Tyler’s case, we wanted a walk-on point guard that had a great feel for the game. That we felt could run the scout team, but that we felt also had a chance to play for us someday. I believed that about him from the start. And the more I was around him, the more I knew I could put him out there in critical situations. I think about the Big East Tournament game last year against Xavier. He was instrumental in us winning that game.”
Manny Suarez | Center, Cliffside Park, NJ
A graduate transfer from DII Adelphi, Manny Suarez has played in 22 games for the Bluejays in his lone season on the Hilltop, scoring a total of 71 points with 58 rebounds. His biggest moment as a Bluejay came in their road win at DePaul, where his defense on Marin Maric slowed down the Blue Demons’ big man and gave CU enough breathing room to mount a comeback.
Greg McDermott on Manny:
“Manny was a situation where we had a need with Justin Patton leaving. It was late, and there weren’t many people still available that were his size. It probably hasn’t worked out as well he would like in terms of playing time, and maybe not as well as I would like either. That has the opportunity to make your locker room toxic, when you take on a fifth-year guy and he doesn’t play. But Manny has added value to our locker room, not taken away from it, because he has an unselfish attitude.”
Toby Hegner | Forward/Center, Berlin, WI
Toby Hegner is the last of the Missouri Valley Conference recruits on the Bluejay roster, and the last player recruited by Steve Merfeld before he was promoted from assistant coach to his current role. After redshirting during the Jays’ stellar 2013-14 maiden voyage through the Big East, Hegner started 28 games as a freshman and tied for the team lead with 45 made threes. He scored a then-career high 21 points in the team’s first conference win of the year over St. John’s on January 28, including four straight free throws in the final seconds of a three-point win.
As a sophomore, he averaged 5.3 points and 3.8 rebounds a game, and was an amazing 12-18 on three-pointers in the final five minutes of games. He began to assert himself on the glass, grabbing five boards in a road win at DePaul and six more in their win over #18 Butler. Last year, Hegner moved to a reserve role full-time, and though his season averages weren’t eye-popping (5.0 points and 3.4 rebounds a game) he seemed to have a knack for clutch plays. He hit a key second-half three in an upset win of #9 Wisconsin, made four 3-pointers in their Paradise Jam championship game win over Ole Miss, made four 3’s in a road win at Arizona State, scored 12 points in a road win at #12 Xavier, and had six points with five boards in a win over #12 Butler.
In his senior season, Hegner moved back into the starting lineup, and has had his best year averaging 8.7 points and 2.9 rebounds a game while making 40.5% of his threes (34-84) and 51.8% overall (85-164). He’s scored in double figures 13 times, sank five triples in a road win at Georgetown, and four 3’s in a road win at St. John’s.
Greg McDermott on Toby:
“This has been a hard year on Toby. He and I had a conversation when he found out when his mom’s surgery was going to be, and that the timing was going to impact her ability to be here for Senior Night. I expressed to him that she can’t know that you’re upset that she’s not here. She’s got a long road ahead and she needs to concentrate on her health. That’s an extremely close family and he’s the baby. His mom means the world to him so I knew it was difficult for him to not have her here. But she made the right decision, and it seems like the surgery went as good as it could go. It’s been a distraction for him the last month, as it certainly would be for any of us, and it’s impacted him in a big way. He’s handled it like a champ.”
“If you want guys to believe in themselves, you have to believe in them. Toby went from a freshman where Doug (McDermott) and Ethan (Wragge) were All-Americans every day in practice with him guarding them, because he couldn’t guard either one of them. He’s had to change his body, he’s had to change positions, and he just keeps on working. I questioned his toughness when he was a freshman and a sophomore, but obviously I can’t question that now because what he’s playing through — people have no idea.”
Marcus Foster | Guard, Wichita Falls, TX
Marcus Foster had one outstanding season at Kansas State — averaging 15.5 points a game as a freshman while starting all 33 games, and scoring 514 points which ranks seventh-most by a freshman in Big 12 history. He was named second-team All Big 12 and to the All-Big 12 Newcomer team. And he had one lackluster year — though he averaged 12.5 points a game as a sophomore and led the team in scoring average, points, field goals and three-pointers, and though he hit game-winning three-pointers in the final seconds to defeat nationally-ranked Oklahoma twice, he was suspended three games in February for violation of team rules and was ultimately dismissed from the team.
Creighton took a chance on rehabilitating Foster both on and off the floor, and has been rewarded with the emergence of one of the best overall players in the country. He averaged 18.2 points as a junior, leading the Bluejays in field goals (245), free throws (75) and three-pointers (73). He exploded for 29 points in a win at Arizona State, 30 points vs Marquette, 35 points on 13-19 shooting against Georgetown, 25 points with eight assists at Villanova, and 23 points with six rebounds and six assists at Seton Hall. And he nailed a game-winning three-pointer in the Big East Tournament to defeat Xavier.
As a senior, Foster’s game has only improved. He’s currently averaging 20.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, all career bests. He’s topped 20 points 17 times, including 23 against then-#23 UCLA, 32 against UT-Arlington, 25 against then-#19 Seton Hall, 29 in a hard-fought loss to #5 Xavier, and 28 in a historic upset of #3 Villanova. He’s making 43.4% of his three-pointers, 49.1% overall, and when he gets to the line (which isn’t nearly enough considering how often he draws contact), he connects at a 76% rate.
Greg McDermott on Marcus:
“Marcus is one of the more interesting stories in my coaching career. I’ve said it before, but had I not known him and his family since he was 15 or 16 years old, I probably don’t take the chance on him. There were too many red flags. (Kansas State coach) Bruce Weber is a good friend of mine. He did not recommend taking the chance. But it was a meeting with Marcus’ mom, and having her look at me and say ‘I want my son back. Can you get my son back?’ that convinced me.
With her help, we were able to do it. Steve Lutz was instrumental in Marcus’ development, holding Marcus accountable that redshirt year when he didn’t have games to play. Coach Lutz was like a father figure to him. There were some bumpy roads, even last year, but this year there’s been nothing. He’s gone to class, he’s been on time, he’s been an incredible leader.
So for me, when I look back when this is all over at some point, it’s going to be one of my greatest achievements to have taken a chance on somebody that a lot of people wouldn’t have taken a chance on, and to be able to look those people in the eye and say, you know what? We did it. I’m extremely proud of Marcus, proud of the person and leader and the father he’s become. The skills he’s learned and the changes he’s made are going to impact him long past the game of basketball. So it’s a pretty cool story. It doesn’t always end that way, but this one certainly has a happy ending.”
