For the past few weeks, Creighton fans I’ve talked to weren’t taking the Bluejays’ losses as hard as they had in previous years. I asked some of them why, and many responded that they would wait until Greg McDermott had his full complement of players before freaking out about poor play. Many of them said that the season didn’t really start until December 18, when Gregory Echenique became eligible to play for the Bluejays.
It is a dangerous proposition, hoisting the hopes of a season onto the shoulders of a redshirt transfer sophomore — no matter how broad his shoulders may be. But between practice reports, Echenique’s previous exploits in the Big East, and an almost urban legend-type conjecture about his raw strength and talent, it has been difficult for many CU fans to not feel that this team will be exponentially different with him than without.
The pressure on Echenique to perform immediately upon becoming eligible increased with every game that fans thought Kenny Lawson wasn’t playing well. Lawson, the preseason Player of the Year in the Missouri Valley Conference, is among the league leaders in points and rebounds per game. But in three of Creighton’s biggest non-conference games, the 6-9 senior failed to show up for the full game.
He posted 11 points and 12 rebounds against Northwestern, but he didn’t score a point in the second half as the Wildcats pulled away. When Creighton hosted nationally ranked BYU, Lawson played his worst game of the season: 5 points, 1 rebound, 3 turnovers, and 3 fouls in 17 minutes of action. And one season after dominating Nebraska in Omaha, Lawson scored 7 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in a close loss to the Huskers, against whom he missed all of the 5 3-pointers he hoisted. In fact, after scoring a season-high 20 points and grabbing 7 rebounds in a tie loss against Iowa State, he put up a total of 30 points and 22 rebounds in his next four games (three of which were losses) combined.
So what does Lawson do one week before he gets some help in the low post? In front of former Creighton greats during a snowy and windy Alumni Weekend celebration, he scored 30 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in a win against St. Joe’s. A few interesting notes about Lawson’s night:
- He became the first CU player to post 30 points and 18 rebounds in one game since Gregory Brandon scored 32 and grabbed 18 boards in February 1983.
- He had a double-double in the second half alone (14 points, 11 rebounds)
- His 30 points and 18 rebounds were both career highs
- His 18 rebounds constitute a Qwest Center Omaha record
- His 18 rebounds are the most for a Bluejay since Bob Harstad grabbed 20 against SIU in January 1989.
Oh, yeah, Harstad was in the building for Lawson’s monster effort. The Bluejay legend had his jersey retired during halftime Saturday night, capping what was a great Creighton Basketball Alumni weekend. It was apt, considering Lawson’s box score brought back memories of those by Bluejays past. But he wasn’t the only Creighton player who made a statement against St. Joe’s.
Sophomore sharpshooter Ethan Wragge unleashed a perimeter shooting display against the Hawks that no doubt left Phil Martelli reminiscing about Booker Woodfox and wondering why CU shooters have such solid nights against his teams’ defense. Wragge, hampered by a foot injury all season, scored a career-high 22 points. He made 6 of his 9 3-point attempts; in limited playing time until Saturday, he had made only 3 3-pointers so far this season. In 18 minutes he made 7 of 10 shots from the field, grabbed 3 rebounds, and dished 2 assists. It was his most complete game since he scored 21 points and grabbed 6 rebounds against Xavier in Orlando as a freshman. And it came at the perfect time.
Freshman phenom Doug McDermott played his worst game as a Bluejay, failing to score in just 19 minutes of action. His dad, coach Greg McDermott, said during the postgame radio show that “it was the first night that Doug truly played like a freshman.” But Wragge was there to knock down some shots and replace the steady production McDermott brought to the Bluejays in every game up to Saturday night. Throw in another outstanding effort by Antoine Young (17 points, 5 assists, 2 turnovers, 3 rebounds in 39 minutes) and Creighton used three primary scorers to defeat St. Joe’s.
Still, lost amongst the historic stat line Lawson posted and the scorching shooting Wragge displayed, this game was close until late. In fact, it almost wasn’t close at all. St. Joe’s led by a dozen with just under 7 minutes to play in the first half. But a 17-4 run by the Bluejays over the next 5 minutes tied the game, thanks to 9 points by Lawson and a couple jump shots by Kaleb Korver, Darryl Ashford, and Wragge. In the second half, St. Joe’s led by 2 with 14:20 to play. But the Bluejays mounted a 12-point swing in about 2 minutes to take a 10-point lead, thanks to three 3s by Wragge, a 3 by Korver, and a layup by Young. The Hawks didn’t quit, but every time Martelli’s team got to within 3 or 4 points the rest of the way out the Bluejays had an answer.
On Saturday, it is Echenique’s time to start answering the questions Bluejays fans across the country keep asking. Will he dominate? Will he play alongside Lawson? Will he be overwhelmed by the pressure? Will his presence alone help the Bluejays win more games? It will take some time, but you can bet Bluejays fans will be patient. They’ve waited almost a year to watch Echenique play; what’s one more week?