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.
***
You can’t coach height. I mean, you can coach tall players, but you can’t magically transform yourself into a taller player. Michael Jordan tried, famously. And after watching the “30 for 30” documentary about Vlade Divac and Drazen Petrovic, I learned the later tried, too. But Air Jordan and “Petro” were still 6’6 and 6’5, respectively.
So the first thing that likely caught Creighton fans’ attention when they learned about Will Artino committing to the Bluejays was his 6’11 frame. There hasn’t been a player taller than 6’9 to suit up for the Jays since Steve Smith, who transferred to South Dakota after five games in two injury-plagued seasons on the CU bench. You have to go back to Joe Dabbert to find an effective big man that is, well, that tall.
Creighton’s coaches have to hope that Artino, the first member of this year’s class of newcomers, develops in the same way Dabbert did. Whether or not that includes a redshirt, like Dabbert took, remains to be seen. But Artino knows he must bulk up to effectively make the transition from being an All-Iowa forward who averaged 18 points and 12 rebounds per game to being a combo post player in the Valley.
“I am working harder than I ever have, just because I know how much of a strength increase and weight gain I need to make,” Artino told WBR. “I feel like I’m seeing great improvement so far; I’ve gained close to 20 pounds of muscle and a great amount of strength since starting the program this summer.”
It was earlier this summer when Creighton fans first caught a glimpse of what the 6’11, 200 pound post player could do. Playing in the Metro Omaha Summer Basketball League, Artino impressed with his versatility and his ability to handle the basketball. At nearly 7’0, he can finish around the rim. But he also has guard skills that he honed before a six-inch growth spurt between the summer of 2008 and the summer of 2009 turned him into a taller, face-up power forward.
It was during the summer in 2009 when Artino committed to Dana Altman and his staff. But when Altman left for Oregon, Artino wondered whether he would still fit in on the Hilltop. He didn’t have to wonder for long, though.
“The change wasn’t something I expected, obviously, but I just sat down with my AAU coach and high school coach and they both thought [playing for Greg McDermott] would still be a good fit,” Artino said. “Then I talked with Coach Mac, he said he was excited to coach me, and that was that.”
In Artino, McDermott and the Bluejays coaching staff receive the gift of potential and patience. With Kenny Lawson returning for his fifth year in the program, and Greg Echenique beginning his highly anticipated first full season with the Bluejays, McDermott has a powerful one-two punch in the post. Whether Artino sees much action this season likely depends on how quickly and smoothly his transition goes from being a face-up “four” to a back-to-the-basket “four”/face-up “five” player.
“I feel like I am a very versatile player and can play a few positions,” Artino said. “I can step out and shoot it, and I want to be able to take slower guys off the dribble.
“My face-up game is one of my strengths, as is running the court for a big man. I rely on my quickness to make up for my lack of strength.”
But Artino knows he won’t have that luxury as his collegiate career develops. It is a situation that likely has a bearing on how much Creighton fans will actually get to see him in action.