Freshmen Derek Sebastian and Matthew Dorwart had no idea they’d be sitting on the men’s basketball team’s bench at the Qwest Center when they decided to come to Creighton. They e-mailed head coach Dana Altman over the summer and were asked to come to some open gyms. These two walk-ons for the team had chosen CU for the academic reputation and decided to try to make the team.
“I thought that maybe I could give it a shot and everything kind of fell into place,” Sebastian said. Both players each had schools show interest in recruiting them, but playing college basketball was an afterthought. The pair is redshirting this year and hopes to keep improving as the season continues.
Both Sebastian and Dorwart stand taller than most of the team, at 6’5″ and 6’7″, respectively. They regularly shoot around at the Kiewit Fitness Center and are involved in the Freshman Leadership Program, living two doors down from each other.
They were both multi-sport athletes in high school. Sebastian played baseball, tennis and basketball at Thompson Valley High School in Loveland, Colo. He averaged 14.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game in his senior basketball season.
Dorwart ran cross country and participated in golf, football and basketball. In his last year at Sidney (Neb.) High School, he averaged 8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. He also shot 38.5 percent from the 3-point line.
Both respect the hard work of head coach Dana Altman.
“Coach Altman knows every aspect of the game and his main focus is teaching us,” Sebastian said.
“He’s intense and he loves the game,” Dorwart said. “He’s easy to talk to and cares about the whole person, not just the basketball player. He encourages us to have the right values.”
Both participate in practice every day and put in extra time lifting twice a week. Even though they have to watch the games from the bench, they still feel like they are part of the team.
“The guys are all really friendly,” Sebastian said. “Booker [Woodfox] is a great athlete and a nice guy that we really look up to.”
They both admire Dustin Sitzmann, the senior who is also a walk-on for the Jays. The guard has been a reserve for the team since his freshman year. “We look up to Dustin because he’s gone through what we are going through right now,” Dorwart said. “He is a great example of perseverance.”
The Bluejays have had a rough start to the season so far. They are 4-2 and will look for a win Saturday at Saint Joseph’s.
Dorwart and Sebastian have full confidence in the team and think a successful postseason is possible. “It all depends on how hard we work,” Sebastian said. “We have the talent to win and go far but we have to do the little things.”