We continue our brief profiles of each member of the 2010-11 Creighton men’s basketball team. Join us each weekday from now until the men’s exhibition game against Northern State for an introduction to this year’s Bluejays, from freshmen to seniors.
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Some say it’s a fresh start. Some say it’s just a different way of doing things. Either way, the Creighton men’s basketball team knows what the ultimate goal is under new head coach Greg McDermott.
“We’re just trying to get back to where Creighton used to be,” said senior Casey Harriman. “We got off track for a few years there, and now we’re just trying to get back on track.”
Players, coaches and especially fans can all agree with this sentiment. The problem for the oft-injured Harriman is that he might not get a chance to help out.
Harriman tore the labrum in his left shoulder while lifting weights over the summer. The only way to completely correct the problem is surgery, and surgery would mean missing most or all of the season. Since Harriman’s a redshirt senior, he doesn’t see that as an option.
“It’s still pretty messed up,” he said. “The only way to actually fix it is surgery. It’s getting a little better, slowly, but I just want to get it to the point where I can play.
“We just have to see how it goes. I’m strengthening the muscles around it, and hopefully I can play through some pain.”
Playing through pain certainly isn’t a foreign concept for the 6-5 forward. He had the same injury in the opposite shoulder last year, and he was able to play, averaging three points and more than 2.5 rebounds per game.
“It’s so frustrating, especially since it’s my senior year,” said Harriman. “I mean, sitting here in practice, it eats at me a lot. When we had Bluejay Madness the other night, it just killed me. I would have done anything to be out there.”
If Harriman were out there, he’d be joining his teammates working on a defensive makeover. McDermott has spent a great majority of his practice time working on establishing some defensive toughness that’s been missing for the Jays over the past couple years, and Harriman says that’s exactly where they need to start to get back on top.
“Defense is what we’ve been working on a lot, every practice,” he said. “Basically, all practice it’s defense, and if we respect that, I think we’ll be good.
We expect to win the conference outright and then win the conference tournament, make it to the NCAA Tournament and win a few games.”