I’m curious (worried?) about a few things in the weeks leading up to the start of the 2014-15 Creighton Bluejays men’s basketball season. So, I’m asking some questions and avoiding most answers, all in an attempt to avoid biting my nails off the cuticle waiting for the season to start.
#10 — Can the Bluejays stay healthy?
#9 — What can we expect from Creighton’s newcomers?
#8 — Can seniors Devin Brooks and Avery Dingman put it all together?
#7 – Who is going to #LetItFly?
#6 — How well will the Bluejays defend?
#5 – How will Austin Chatman go out as a Bluejay?
In a season full of unknowns, Austin Chatman is proven.
Creighton’s lone returning starter, the senior Chatman has led the Bluejays from the point guard position since his sophomore season. He’s started the team’s past 71 games, going 55-16 during that stretch.
Check out a gallery and slideshow of Austin Chatman photos from throughout his career.
Like Antoine Young, the guy he took the reins from, Chatman is a capable scorer (8.1 ppg as a junior). He scored in double figures in six of Creighton’s final seven games, making 57% of his shots from the field. For the season, he also made 38.9% of his three-point attempts, one of four Bluejays to crack the top 10 list for that category among Big East Conference players. But because of the wealth of options on offense the past few seasons, Chatman never had to be the ‘go-to’ guy on that end of the court, at least from a scoring perspective.
Instead, Chatman guided one of the nation’s most efficient offenses the past few years while holding ground defensively. He was among the nation’s leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.6:1, 29th) and in the top 100 nationally in total assists (155; 65th) and assists per game (4.4; 95th). Obviously, it helps when you can get the ball repeatedly to Doug McDermott and Ethan Wragge.
Now, with those gunners gone, Chatman will likely need to increase his offensive production without jeopardizing the assimilation of other talented players into the roles vacated by last year’s seniors.
Coach Greg McDermott and his staff will need Chatman’s leadership. According to Rob Anderson, 2014-15 is just the second season of CU hoops during which the Bluejays returned one starter or less (2007-08). That team, with Dane Watts back, couldn’t make it back to the NCAA Tournament after the 2006-07 team advanced to the Big Dance.
Overall, this year’s version of the Bluejays welcomes back 49 combined starts from returnees, the smallest number since that 2007-08 season (44). Chatman’s fellow seniors Will Artino and Avery Dingman both started 7 games apiece last season, the first starts of their careers.
So, while the coaches figure out the right personnel combinations, Chatman must be the steadying force. He must offset the occasional aggressive mistake when paired with the talented Devin Brooks in the backcourt. He needs to communicate well with the rotation of wing players that Coach Mac and staff will entrust to exert dynamic playmaking ability. And he must position teammates as best as he can defensively, taking the responsibility to help Creighton’s defense improve.
His play in last year’s Big East Tournament was outstanding, netting him All-Tournament honors. And his performance in Creighton’s NCAA Tournament win over Louisiana was a revelation. Sure, he had 16 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds in 36 minutes. But it was the savvy he displayed during the game that left everyone watching the Bluejays that day feeling better about how the program would absorb the inevitable loss of Doug, Ethan, Jahenns Manigat, and Grant Gibbs.
Historically, Chatman starts the season already with the tenth-highest number of assists in Creighton history (dating to the ’70-71 season). He’s averaged 3.5 assists per game for his career. Conservatively, Creighton will play 33 games (one in the Big East Tournament, one in another postseason tournament). He has a decent chance to crack the program’s top five for dimes dropped.
But let’s talk about a different type of legacy. Chatman has played in three NCAA Tournaments. He’s won two conference tournaments and played runner-up in a third. He’s won a regular season title as a sophomore and improved his game to translate to a league historically famous for its point guards.
Can he lead this team to the Big Dance again and join a rare group of Bluejays to play in four NCAA Tournaments? Can he be the bridge from the Doug McDermott Era to whatever comes next for Creighton hoops? Those are heavy responsibilities. More than dishing assists and knocking down shots, Chatman’s senior season may be judged on where he leaves this program. He’s been a winner so far. Not sure I’d bet against him during his last hurrah.