For the Creighton men’s basketball team this season, wins have been few and far between. However, for one Bluejay, merely stepping on the court every night can be considered a victory in itself.

Redshirt junior Geoffrey Groselle – a native of Plano, Texas – signed with Creighton as part of the 2011 recruiting class. He was a well-regarded three-star prospect with excellent size and the ability to rebound and protect the rim.

However, misfortune struck as Groselle suffered from tendinitis in his Achilles tendons throughout his first few years at Creighton. The 7-footer dealt with constant pain and soreness that restricted his mobility.

Groselle redshirted during his first season, played 47 minutes across 17 games as a freshman and played 19 minutes across 15 games last season. He scored 32 total points in his first two years.

Groselle has matched that production in his last three games, including reaching double figures in points in his last two. Groselle’s path to playing time has been long and arduous, but the center is finally making an impact.

“He’s put in a tremendous amount of work,” senior wing Avery Dingman said. “He has had some rough spot where his Achilles hasn’t felt too well, and it’s slowed him down, so he’s had to be religious in the training room, getting those same specs to where he can run up and down, and he hasn’t quit working as far as his skills go; he’s always in here before and after practice getting in some extra work, so it’s pretty cool to see it pay off.”

Groselle scored 13 points on 5 of 9 shooting at St. John’s on Saturday, and he finished with 15 points on 6 of 7 shooting and seven rebounds in a win at Xavier on Feb. 4. He has appeared in 23 of 25 games this season with two starts and is averaging 4.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 10.5 minutes per game.

“It means a lot,” Groselle said about getting on the court. “It’s been a long journey, a long journey.”

Groselle said the inability to go all out has been difficult for him. Hard work one day often meant having to sit out the next because of the soreness.

“When you wake up in the morning and your feet don’t necessarily feel well or you just don’t move as well as you feel like you should, it wears on you mentally,” assistant coach Steve Lutz said. “I think Geoff’s biggest hurdle that he’s overcome is being able to fight it mentally every single day and have a positive attitude, to come out and continue to work hard.”

Groselle had surgery to alleviate the issue before this season, and although it hasn’t completely solved the problem, it has allowed him to play and practice without the constant pain. For Groselle, that’s good enough.

“It’s not perfect, but I can play,” Groselle said.

Confidence has been key to Groselle’s recent success, and that confidence has come from the work he puts in outside of games and practices.

“I think Geoff’s put more and more time in before and after practice here lately, and you’d like to think when a guy puts in the time in the gym that the rewards will come on the floor,” Lutz said. “I think, first and foremost, that’s where Geoff has helped his confidence most is by getting in extra work.”

This season has brought new challenges for Groselle, however. He is playing, but has not been able to enjoy it as much as he should have because of the team’s struggles.

“We just have to stay focused on our goal,” Groselle said. “We need to win games. That’s all it is. No matter whether I’m healthy or not, if we’re losing, it doesn’t matter.”

Groselle and the other centers, senior Will Artino and sophomore Zach Hanson, will play a large role if the Bluejays hope to turn things around and earn a few more wins in the final six regular season games.

“I think we have to figure out for a way for them to contribute every single night both offensively and then rebounding-wise, and then make an impact defensively,” Lutz said. “If we can get [Groselle, Artino and Hanson] playing at a high level together, that’s certainly going to help us moving forward as we head to the end of the season and the Big East Tournament.”

In a season with limited success, Groselle’s emergence is one thing Creighton fans can take pride in.