Leon Gilmore III guards fellow freshman Ronnie Harrell in summer league action. (Photo by Tom Nemitz/WBR)
On the opening night of summer league basketball Thursday night, there was a wide range of action — a couple of blowouts, an upset, a double overtime game, and even someone getting sick on the court before the night was over.
A large group of fans were in attendance to see the future of Creighton basketball. With the departure of Doug McDermott and three other seniors, new players will need to step up next season for the Bluejays. Between the incoming freshman, the transfers, the redshirts, and even the latest verbal commit, there were a lot of intriguing things to watch. Cole Huff and Ricky Kreklow were not playing, but there was still a lot to be curious about with the newcomers fighting for playing time next season and beyond.
Note: all stats in our recap are courtesy of the Creightonian’s Jacob Padilla (@JacobPad
Mo Watson looks to make a pass during summer league action Thursday night. (Photo by Tom Nemitz/WBR)
- Mo Watson–Easily the best newcomer of the night. Watson, the Boston University transfer, was hot from the get-go for the Zurlo’s team he was on. He easily drove to the lane early in the game, getting past former Bluejay Justin Carter and the waving arms of Wes Wilkinson, to get a basket. His controlled speed completely dictated the pace of the game which eventually led to the defeat of defending MBL champs, Bank of Nebraska. Yes, he’s shorter than a prototypical point guard, but he’s strong, has a high basketball IQ, possesses great court vision, and appears to be a vocal leader — on numerous occasions, he could be seen talking to teammates on where he wanted them to move, and then got the ball to them when they got there. The hype surrounding him is real; if he was eligible this year, he’d challenge for a starting role. Alas, Bluejay fans had better enjoy watching him this summer, because it’s likely you won’t see him play again until next summer since he will have to sit out this season due to transfer rules.
- Toby Hegner–While we are on the subject of Zurlo’s upset victory tonight, you have to include Watson’s teammate, Hegner, who finished with 18 points. He’s noticeably bigger, and displayed some clutch shooting down the stretch of the game against B of N, including a hand in the face three-pointer to put them up seven late in the game. Dare I say, we saw a flash of Doug McDermott there? I know, I know, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, but Creighton will need clutch shooting and scoring in general next season, and Hegner might be part of the answer to go with Zach Hanson and Will Artino. If the shooting range he displayed on Thursday is any indication, he’ll definitely be in the mix.
James Milliken in action at summer league. (Photo by Tom Nemitz/WBR)
- James Milliken–I can’t imagine what last season was like for Milliken. After Grant Gibbs received the extra year of eligibility, it had to have been a pretty tough decision between coach McDermott and Milliken to opt for a redshirt. Milliken, a junior college transfer last season, was expected to play an important role before Gibbs came back. It takes a strong person to stick with things after getting the promise he could play with Dougie McD. But I think that extra year has paid off, based on what we saw Thursday night. Milliken has a nice shot from outside, and also did a great job finishing at the basket. Although his team lost, between him and Devin Brooks, who was on the opposite side, they spent a good chunk of the game going back and forth in the scoring column.
Ronnie Harrell takes a jumper during summer league. (Photo by Tom Nemitz/WBR)
- Ronnie Harrell–Harrell had a solid game tonight and appears taller than advertised. I liked his ball handling ability, and he showed both good shooting range a nice touch around the rim. Unofficially, he had 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists in an overall very nice performance. Harrell has frequently been mentioned as a potential redshirt candidate by posters on the Bluejay Underground, but that’s hard to believe. He needs to get bigger, but he has both the skill and the confidence to contribute immediately.
Ronnie Harrell skies for a dunk during summer league action. (Photo by Tom Nemitz/WBR)
- Leon Gilmore–Gilmore looked nervous and tentative in his first taste of basketball in Omaha, particularly in the first half, and finished the night with 8 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists. He didn’t get a ton of touches, though, which is as much a product of his guards not getting him the ball as anything else — forwards and centers can often look “invisible” offensively in summer league because of that, and given Gilmore’s pedigree, you have to figure that was the case. One thing is for sure, however — he has the coolest hair on the team, and it’s apropos that he’s playing for EQ School of Hair this summer.
Leon Gilmore III throws down a reverse-slam during summer league action. (Photo by Tom Nemitz/WBR)
- Justin Patton–Patton, who will be a senior at Omaha North, was a surprise verbal commit this week for the Bluejays and was a late addition to the Shanks Law Firm team on Thursday night. Amongst all of the college players and pros he was up against, he did a pretty good job holding his own. His height will help him in the long run and this experience will be pretty valuable as he continues to work over the summer into next year. He has a fluid athleticism to him, something you can’t always say about a player who is nearly seven-foot, and his first step is very fast. He also appears to have soft hands and a nice touch, both around the rim and from mid-range. There’s little doubt why Bluejay coaches pounced on him with an early offer. Keeping the local talent at home is important, especially when the player has such a sky-high ceiling.
Recruit Justin Patton guards the rim against Geoff Groselle in summer league action. (Photo by Tom Nemitz/WBR)
So with our over-analysis of the newcomers done, here are some short recaps of Thursday night’s games.
Zurlo’s 78, Bank of Nebraska 72–This one turned out to be the game of the night. It was intense early, as Zurlo’s came out with high intensity and grabbed a 10 point lead that lasted through halftime. Within the first four minutes of the second half, Zurlo’s had extended the lead to 16.
However, the veteran Bank of Nebraska team, playing a little shorthanded, rallied back behind the play of former Bluejay Justin Carter and former Bellevue/Midland star James Parrott. Carter was hitting three pointers, while Parrott was finishing at the rim with his usual spectacular dunks and acrobatic layups. One of those layups, along with a free throw after being fouled on the shot, tied the game. That would be B of N’s last gasp, though. On the very next possession, Mo Watson had a nice drive to the basket, and then Toby Hegner hit a big three to extend the lead to 7. Carter hit a three to cut the lead to four, but then UNO’s CJ Carter sealed the game for Zurlo’s with a couple free throws with 20 seconds left. Watson finished with 22 points and 6 assists while Hegner had 18 points in the win.
Narmi Group @ Baird 87, EQ School of hair 65 –This one was really close in the first half. It was tense early as Harrell and Gilmore were covering each other on defense, and really challenging each other. The score was close at the half, but while everyone was busy watching the newcomers, the Narmi Group started to pull away and by game’s end it was a lopsided victory. Harrell and Avery Dingman had 19 points to lead Narmi while Zach Hanson had 20 points for EQ School of Hair.
Lopers 65, Apex Foster Care 63 2OT–This one was back and forth throughout the game with Apex Foster Care (Peru State) up a single point at the half. Kearney got themselves a 3 point lead with 39 seconds left but found themselves down 2 with 9 seconds left before hitting a buzzer beater to send it to overtime. In the overtime session, the game was tied at 62 with 12 seconds left when play was delayed due to someone getting sick on the court. The game was moved to a different court and with no score, it went into a second overtime. Apex’s Corday Sims hit one free throw to put them up one with 12 seconds left. But the hero of the night was UNO’s Randy Reed — who due to roster shuffling is on the Kearney roster. He dribbled around and launched a three a the buzzer that went in for the victory.
Will Artino and former Jay Kenny Lawson battle for position. (Photo by Tom Nemitz/WBR)
Paragas Law Firm 83, Judd Knispel Agency 78–The outcome was in the balance until about three minutes left to go in the game when Paragas finally put enough distance between them and their opponent, and Knispel couldn’t catch back up. Will Artino made some nice plays against former Bluejay Kenny Lawson, who guarded him most of the night, down the stretch. As it always is in summer league, it’s odd to see Artino shoot from downtown. On the other side, Jahenns Manigat and Austin Chatman had solid performances as well. Manigat continues to drill three-pointers as well as take charges. Chatman was on fire in the second half after taking off the jersey he sweated through in the first half, draining several from downtown and doing a nice job finishing at the basket.
John Higgins Weatherguard 78, Shanks Law Firm 63– Let’s just get this out of the way right now–Devin Brooks loves summer league. The unstructured, freestyle nature of summer league suits his game so well. For the Higgins team on Thursday night, Brooks was shaking and baking, shooting and making three’s from everywhere, and generally being the scorer that he was known for in his days at Iowa Western. The Creighton senior had 25 points unofficially at halftime, and entertained the crowd with more scoring in the second. It helps too when he has a lot of great shooters on his team, as well, to keep what little defense is played in summer league at arms’ length. Expect more fun from this team the rest of the summer.
Northeast 82, ABIDE 48–In the most lopsided game of the night, Northeast CC players were flying all over the court to get the big lead in the first half. The second half was spent mostly trying to create a spectacular dunk. A couple came through, but either way, Northeast rolled.
Stangs 87, Big O Boys 72–The Stangs (Morningside) led this game pretty much throughout in their victory over the Big O Boys. Team ball always has a way of being dominant in this league.
BD 80, UNO Alumni 70–The UNO Alumni didn’t look like the same team that has been playing together for the last several summers. They did manage to have a two point lead at the half, but ended up falling behind in the second half with BD getting the 10 point victory.
Cape Truck ACC 58, Bruins 54–A close game throughout, the Cape Truck (Midland University) team hit a couple more shots at the end and the mini-rivalry continues between the two teams.
Andy’s Lawncare 81, Winning Mentality 56–This game was over early and the veteran team led by John Turek and Deverell Biggs rolled.