In the days leading up to tonight’s highly-anticipated game between Kyle Korver’s Atlanta Hawks and Doug McDermott’s Chicago Bulls, Creighton Athletics has been running a contest for fans to pick their favorite game from their careers on the Hilltop. Here’s a bit of a deeper look at the six games they picked as Korver and McDermott’s best, as well as a couple of others worth noting to make the list an even ten, presented in chronological order.
March 8, 2014 | Doug McDermott Scores 45 Points in his Final Home Game
This game currently leads the Facebook poll by a healthy margin, and with good reason. WBR’s Morning After post the day after the game sums up why this is such a memorable game:
“Memories were being made everywhere from the moment the players came out onto the court for warmups. There was Warren Buffett, festooned with Bluejay temporary tattoos on his face, having a one-on-one discussion with Doug McDermott during shootaround. There was the standing ovation as the Creighton players left the court after shootaround, a louder noise 30 minutes before the game than you used to hear during actual games seven or eight years ago. There was “Oh Canada” being played before the US national anthem, as an obviously touched Jahenns Manigat sang along, choking back both tears and a giant grin. There was public address announcer Jake Ryan introducing Manigat as “The Canadian Red Bull” and Ethan Wragge as “The Lumberjack” and Doug McDermott as…something inaudible, as the roar of the largest crowd to witness any event ever at CenturyLink was so loud no one could hear anything.
And that was before the ball was even tipped.
Once the game started, the memories kept coming. Ethan Wragge’s final three-pointer at home, fittingly a long-range three from in front of the visiting bench. Jahenns Manigat playing the most inspired defense of his career, holding the Big East’s second-leading scorer Bryce Cotton to just three shots and no points in the first half. Doug McDermott’s breakaway slam dunk early in the second half. The roar every time the scoreboard showed an industrious fan who had made a sign with updated point totals tracking Doug’s distance from 3,000 points. The anticipatory roar when that sign was shown during a timeout and “2,998” was next to Doug’s name. Doug surpassing 3,000 points on an absurd step-back three-pointer from 28 feet, holding up three fingers as he ran down court to the loudest noise I’ve ever heard in a sporting venue. The timeout after the next possession when the standing ovation was still continuing, oblivious to the action on the court, so that Coach Mac — Dad — could give Doug — his son — a hug. A determined Doug coming back into the game, intent on setting the arena scoring record, then ratting off nine more points to come within a whisker of breaking Colt Ryan’s record. The crowd singing “Sweet Caroline”, serenading Doug with an acapella version while he shot free throws. A having-the-time-of-his-life Doug yelling to radio analyst Nick Bahe in the middle of the next possession “Here comes Dakota!”, telling him that they were about to run a play they’d executed countless times over the last four years.”
Our Creighton Otter shared a similar sentiment:
“The biggest crowd in Creighton basketball history watched Doug McDermott score a career-high 45 points, pushing him past 3,000 career points in the process and avenging a previous loss to Providence. The Bluejays beat the Friars 88-73 and sent seniors McDermott, Grant Gibbs, Jahenns Manigat, and Ethan Wragge out on a winning note in their final home game in front of a boisterous Bluejays fanbase appreciative of everything the four gentlemen have accomplished during their years on the Hilltop.”
What a night.
March 2, 2013 | Doug McDermott Scores 41 and Leads CU to MVC Title Against Wichita State
“I’ve been attending Creighton basketball games since 1987, when my father starting taking me to the Civic Auditorium. Over a beer Sunday, we estimated that we’ve seen approximately 450 CU home games since then. So I asked my dad where he’d rank Saturday’s regular season finale against Wichita State, all things considered.
Top five, he said. Probably the best, he added.
Ask him, me, or any of the 18,611 other people in the CenturyLink Center a few years from now, and the legendary status surrounding Saturday’s win is sure to have grown. The second-largest home crowd in Creighton men’s hoops history witnessed something spectacular and unfortunately all too rare in recent seasons: the Bluejays’ first outright regular season Missouri Valley Conference championship since 2001.” –Ott’s Thoughts, March 3, 2013
In what would ultimately become Creighton’s final MVC game, Doug McDermott scored 41 points, Creighton won the regular season MVC title outright, and they beat the despised Wichita State Shockers to do it.
Ott’s crystal ball was in good working order following this one, as he wrote, “In what will surely go down as one of the greatest single-game performances in Creighton history, McDermott scored a season-high 41 points. He dazzled fans, coaches, teammates, and his opponents with an array of pivot moves, face-up jumpers, and deft three-point shooting. He went a perfect 10-10 from inside the arc, 5-8 behind it, and 6-6 from the free throw line en route to one of CU’s most spectacular offensive performances ever.”
January 28, 2014 | Doug McDermott Hits Buzzer-Beater to Defeat St. Johns, Scoring 39 Points
“Prior to hitting the game-winner at St. Joseph’s earlier this year, Doug McDermott had never made a last-second shot to win a game for the Bluejays, which was a surprising thing to a lot of people. That one came on the road, making Tuesday night’s game-winner a special moment, and with only four home games left, in all probability a once-in-a-career moment. Knocked to the ground on the shot, after McDermott’s game-winning three-pointer dropped through, he laid on the court for a few seconds not for dramatic effect, but to soak in the immense roar of the fans inside CenturyLink Center.
He was the likely Wooden Award winner as the best player in the country before, but with that shot, he’d given voters his “Wooden Moment” — an indelible memory that all but clinches his coronation. It lit up Twitter like a Christmas tree, with dozens of national analysts from ESPN, Fox, CBS, NBC and elsewhere proclaiming that after that shot, in that moment, every other contender for the award was now playing for second place.
That’s a moment.” -WBR’s Morning After, January 29, 2014
January 11, 2013 | Doug McDermott Makes 14 Straight Field Goals
In a game where Missouri State tried to bully the Bluejays (and Doug McDermott) with rough-and-tumble defense, they pushed too far and instead provoked one of the most determined performances of McDermott’s career.
“McDermott scored 39 points in 33 minutes, setting the JQH Arena record and single-handedly pulling the Jays away from a game Bears team in the second half. McDermott missed just one shot in the second half, going 10-11 from the field, 3-3 from three-point range, and 5-5 from the free throw line. His 28 points in the second half were more than the entire Missouri State team combined (25). He also doubled up his own teammates during the second stanza, 28 to 14.
The Bears pressured McDermott and fellow frontcourt mate Gregory Echenique early and often. McDermott missed three of his first four field goal attempts. But from the 12:11 mark in the first half until the 4:13 mark in the second half, McDermott couldn’t miss. Seriously.
McDermott started the second half on a personal 18-5 scoring run that saw the Bluejays distance themselves from MSU. He made 14 consecutive shots at one point. The biggest applause among the Bears faithful in the second half came when McDermott finally missed. At that point, though, MSU fans had paid witness to the greatest player in recent Missouri Valley Conference history.
Perfect low post position leading to lay ups. Baseline pull-up jumpers. Quick-release three-pointers from the top of the arc. Fade-away, fallback jumpers. Left-handed scoop shots in the lane. Dribble-drives against helpless defenders. Put-back tips in the paint. It was all on display against Missouri State.” -Ott’s Thoughts, January 12, 2013
January 7, 2012 | Doug McDermott Scores Then-Career High 44 Points at Bradley
In this January, 2012 game, Doug McDermott had one of the greatest single-game offensive performances in the storied history of Creighton Basketball. His 18 field goals were one away from the all-time school record, and his 44 points were the most by a Bluejay since Benoit Benjamin scored 45 in a January, 1985 game. At several points during a second half where he scored 31 points, the television crew of Travis Justice and Nick Bahe were so amazed that they were reduced to incredulous giggling. Who could blame them? As he did in the game the previous month against Tulsa, Doug McDermott was playing on a different level than everyone else on the court. Bradley threw every defensive strategy known to man at him in an attempt to at least slow him down, to no avail.
Hilariously, at one point, the Bradley P.A. announcer inside Carver Arena said after a basket with obvious frustration, “Doug McDermott, two more points.” In WBR’s Morning After piece, we wrote that “his ability to break opposing teams’ confidence apparently extends to public address announcers now, as well.”
In his postgame piece, Ott gushed, “I’m banging away at the keyboard while hoisting a cold Heineken to honor McDermott, who etched his name among some fairly special company in the Creighton record books tonight. McDermott’s 44 points are the sixth highest total in a single game in the program’s history, and the highest output since Benoit Benjamin scored 45 points against Indiana State in 1985. In back to back games in 1985, Benjamin made 18 field goals against Southern Illinois and Indiana State. No one at Creighton has made 18 field goals in a game since that week nearly 22 years ago — until tonight. McDermott went 18-23 from the floor, tying him with Benjamin (x2) and Eddie Cole for the second-highest field goal makes in a game in CU history (Bob Portman (x2) and Wally Anderzunas share the record with 19 makes).
Poor Bradley really had no chance. Pop in a tape of the game, sit back, and watch McDermott score with almost any possible low post move. Then track him as he picks and pops on the perimeter, knocking down three of the five 3-pointers he attempted. The Braves tried to play him one-on-one, they tried to double-team him. It didn’t matter. McDermott either went around, over, or even through the defense en route to the hoop.”
February 22, 2003 | Kyle Korver Hits Seven 3-Pointers in ESPN BracketBuster Win
“Creighton came into the game 23-3 and ranked 18th in the country, and playing before their fourth-straight home sellout, the atmosphere was electric. It was so loud in the Civic that even Bilas, the former Duke player, was impressed — telling reporters after the game that he believed Creighton’s crowd affected the outcome. Of course, having Kyle Korver on your side didn’t hurt either, especially on a day when his shot was in vintage form. The senior made seven 3-pointers en route to 27 points, connecting on everything from shots off missed assignments to shots off screens and in one instance, making a shot with two hands draped on him.
His most impressive play came late in the game — on a play where he never touched the ball. With the game in the balance, he set a devastatingly hard pick on Fresno State’s Terry Pettis that knocked the Bulldog guard to the floor. It freed up Tyler McKinney to drive the paint, where he found Mike Grimes for an easy bucket that gave the Jays a 67-62 lead with two minutes to play.” -Bluejay Rewind, August 8, 2013
January 18, 2003 | Kyle Korver Makes Three 3’s in 38 Seconds, Leads Jays to Win Over SIU at Over-Capacity Civic
Perhaps too jacked from seeing their home arena packed to the gills with Bluejay supporters, the Jays played tight in the first half, and an excellent Saluki team took advantage. That huge crowd made the difference in the second half, however. Waiting for a reason to explode, they got one when Kyle Korver hit three 3-pointers in a span of 38 seconds, the first one tying the game, the second tying the MVC record for most three-pointers in a career, and the third giving him the record and the Jays the lead.
From there, the crowd was so loud, so intense, Southern Illinois’ players had trouble communicating — illustrated best by a steal by DeAnthony Bowden late in the game. Following a dunk by Joe Dabbert, the Jays set up their press. Bowden sprinted 25 feet, sneaking up on SIU’s Jermaine Dearman for a steal from behind, and then quickly threw an alley-oop to Larry House that, pun intended, brought the house down. That steal quite simply doesn’t happen without the overwhelming crowd noise — Dearman would have heard him running up behind him in a quieter setting, and been able to prevent the steal. Instead, it was a complete surprise, Bowden picked his pocket, and the rest was history.
January 15, 2003 | Kyle Korver Makes School-Record 9 Three-Pointers
Evansville’s porous defense allowed Kyle Korver wide-open looks all night long, and as a result he went 9-14 from three-point range and 10-16 overall for 31 points. Remarkably, he did it all in just 22 minutes of action, sitting for large chunks of the second half once the outcome was no longer in doubt. How many points could he have scored had he played closer to his season average of 30 minutes? Against a defensive gameplan that Larry House called “stupid” in the World-Herald the next day, he might have gone off for 40 or more.
“A lot of teams don’t let Kyle get shots that he got tonight — he had a lot of open shots,” House told the media after the game. “Kyle can shoot like I’ve never seen a person shoot before. If you leave him open, he’s going to hit it.”
Korver could hardly believe his eyes. “The last time I had that many open shots was probably the exhibition game two years ago. We played Global Sports or someone, and they didn’t have a scouting report. That’s all nice but that’s not going to happen again. It’s not something I expect.”
December 31, 2002 | Kyle Korver Hits 8 Threes, Nearly Leads Late Comeback at #19 Xavier
The New Years Eve 2002 game between Creighton and Xavier has taken on almost mythical proportions in the 12 years since it was played — a hard-fought game between ranked teams that ended on a buzzer-beater would be memorable, win or lose, but it’s the four-straight three-pointers by Kyle Korver in the final three minutes, each further out than the last, that make this a game fondly remembered by Jays fans, even though it ended in a loss.
“The run began with Korver drawing a foul and hitting two free throws. 66-61 Xavier.
Then Sato drove inside and drew a foul for the Musketeers, sinking both free throws. 68-61 Xavier, 2:43 left.
Korver then hit three-pointers on three consecutive possessions (!), while Xavier could manage just one free throw make. Suddenly, improbably, amazingly, it was 69-68 Xavier with 75 seconds remaining.
Jackson drew a foul on Xavier’s next possession, and sank both free throws. 71-68 Xavier. 44 seconds remaining.
Korver promptly hit ANOTHER three-pointer on the next possession. Tied at 71, 36 seconds remaining!” -WBR Flashback, December 13, 2013
November 26, 2002 | Kyle Korver Makes Seven 3-pointers, Logs Double-Double in Guardians Classic Win over Notre Dame
The Jays won a hard-fought game 80-75 to take the crown in front of a partisan crowd that had made the short drive from Omaha to Kansas City. Kyle Korver made a then-career high seven 3-pointers en route to 24 points, and was brilliant in nearly every aspect of the game, from rebounding (he grabbed 10 boards to give him a double-double) to defense to the aforementioned long-range shooting.
One play in particular summed up Korver’s performance. Midway through the second half, Brody Deren came out onto the perimeter to set a screen, and was barreled over by a Notre Dame defender. Both players landed at Korver’s feet — 22, maybe 23 feet out — making a shot hard to get off. So he simply backed up another 18 inches or so and drained a three, touching nothing but the net, like it was no big deal. The analyst on HDNet’s broadcast, former Georgia Tech coach Bobby Cremins, could barely get words out to describe it before simply laughing at the ridiculousness of it.
“Korver was fabulous,” Notre Dame Coach Mike Brey told the media afterward. “I can’t remember a shooter like that. We lost him a couple times at key times, and he really broke our backs.” -Bluejay Rewind, September 12, 2016