We are profiling each member of the 2013-14 Creighton Bluejays men’s basketball team. Check in daily leading up to Creighton’s regular season opener against Alcorn State Nov. 8 for an introduction to this season’s Bluejays, from newcomers to seniors. Check out all the previews here.
Ethan Wragge (#34 / F / 6-7 / 225 lbs / R-Sr.)
This November, Creighton fans can be thankful for what Ethan Wragge has contributed during four-plus years in a Bluejays uniform.
Wragge arrived on the Creighton campus for Dana Altman’s final season on the Hilltop. The sharpshooter from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, was a key cog off the bench as a freshman, hitting a team-high 68 three-pointers and being hailed as the next Kyle Korver. By the end of the season, Wragge was in the starting lineup and things were lining up for a stellar career as a Bluejay.
Going into his sophomore season, however, Wragge literally started off on the wrong foot dealing with plantar fasciitis. Physical limitations left him in situation where redshirting was the best option. As he sat on the bench and retained a year of eligibility, freshman forward Doug McDermott splashed onto the scene.
For many players, the emergence of McDermott — a guy playing the same spot as Wragge — may have discouraged them enough to possibly look elsewhere to play, but not for Ethan. Instead, he has grown in his role off the bench the past two seasons teaming with McDermott on the court to extend the defense and to torch teams from downtown. In 20 games last season, Wragge was the first player off the bench for the Bluejays, bringing instant offense to one of the most efficient offensive teams in the country.
He scores in bunches of three. It’s that simple. In his three full seasons with the Bluejays, Wragge has shot better than 41% from behind the arc. He shot almost 45% from three last season. He’s made more than four times as many shots from behind the arc (224) as he’s attempted inside the arc (47). Heading into this season, he could be the first men’s player in Creighton history to lead the Bluejays in three pointers made in four different seasons. Although he won’t sit at the top of the list for career three-pointers (ahem, Korver), Wragge should move easily into second place by the season’s end.
The biggest enhancement in Wragge’s game last season was being a much better defender in the post, which is needed for the matchups with bigger players on defense. However, there is nothing better than seeing Wragge dropping one of his #WraggeBombs in the corner to spur a Bluejay rally. They will need his deadeye shooting for the run in the Big East this season. It will be up to him to keep defenses honest.
Here’s the interview we did with Ethan at Creighton basketball Media Day.