When I first arrived on campus nearly four years ago, I had little idea of what I wanted to become or where my college journey would take me. At the time, I certainly did not see it carrying me to where I am today.
I was born and raised in Omaha, and around the age of 12 or 13 I began attending Creighton basketball games with my family. I quickly fell in love with the game and with the Jays. When the time came to choose a college, I did not even bother applying anywhere else; I was already a Bluejay.
I had made my decision of where to study long ago, but it wasn’t until the very end of my senior year that I settled on a major. There was only one subject I truly had a passion for: sports. My favorite past time was watching and discussing basketball, so a journalism degree with an emphasis on sports writing was the natural choice.
I came to campus with no writing experience, but through my adviser Kris Boyle and Decurion Becky Haworth, I discovered The Creightonian. Almost four years later, joining this newspaper has turned out to be the best decision I have ever made.
Through a series of fortunate events, I was given the men’s basketball beat from day one and with Creighton’s season-ending loss in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals last week, my run too has come to an end.
This beat has taken me on one heck of a roller coaster ride with many highs and a few lows. It has been an amazing experience and I would not trade one second of it for anything (well, a home win over Villanova this year would have been nice). I have been courtside for some of the best moments in Creighton basketball history. I’ve covered more than 60 games over the past four years and have witnessed game winners, improbable blowouts, crazy comebacks, impressive milestones and a whole lot of wins.
This season full of heartbreak was a rough way go out, but even in between the many losses there were some highlights. On Nov. 19, the Bluejays rallied from a 42-24 deficit to defeat No. 18 Oklahoma before a packed CenturyLink Center crowd. Austin Chatman kicked off his senior season by putting the team on his back in the second half and finishing with 17 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.
Two-and-a-half weeks later, the Jays made the drive down I-80 to take on their in-state rivals Nebraska. The Jays had dropped two of their last three while the Cornhuskers were 5-1 on the season and boasted an intimidating home atmosphere. Once again, Creighton fell behind by double digits early, digging themselves a 24-12 hole and once again they fought all the way back, taking a lead late in the first half and pulling away in the second for a 65-55 win.
The Big East slate produced a memorable win as well, despite opening conference play with eight straight losses. With fans wondering if 0-18 was a possibility, Creighton welcomed St. John’s to Omaha after the Red Storm had nearly upset No. 5 Duke in its previous game. The Jays built a double-digit lead in the first half and held on at the buzzer for a 77-74 win behind freshman forward Toby Hegner’s career-high 21 points.
My first three seasons on the Hilltop provided many more peaks than the valleys we saw this season. From Doug McDermott scoring explosions and NCAA Tournament wins to a conference upgrade, I was there to chronicle one of the best runs in school history.
Last season marked the beginning of a new era in Creighton history as the Bluejays embarked on their first season in the Big East. The Jays were welcomed into conference play with a 9 p.m. New Year’s Eve home game against Marquette. The fans were festive and as rowdy as I’ve ever seen them as the Jays rang in the New Year by rolling to an 18-point win and announcing their arrival to their new conference mates. That game set the tone for the rest of the season as Creighton rolled to an undefeated home slate and finished second in the Big East.
Of four years’ worth of games, one moment stands out from the rest. In front of the largest crowd in school and arena history (18,868), Doug McDermott ended his historic career at CenturyLink Center Omaha by eclipsing 3,000 career points and setting a career-high with 45 in a win over Providence. As the shot that put him over the top found the net, the arena exploded in celebration. It was the final time McDermott suited up in Omaha, and a more perfect ending could not have been written.
In the final regular season game of 2012-13, the Jays hosted rival Wichita State with their first outright MVC title since 2001 on the line. Creighton lost in Wichita earlier in the season, but Doug McDermott refused to let history repeat itself and exploded for 41 points to boost the Jays to a double-digit win. Three weeks later, I followed Creighton to Philadelphia to cover the second and third rounds of the NCAA Tournament, where I saw a Creighton win over Cincinnati and Florida Gulf Coast capture the attention of the nation and earn the moniker “Dunk City.”
The best moments of the 2010-11 season came near the end. On Feb. 18, 2012, Long Beach State came to town for a BracketBusters showdown. The 49ers had upset on their minds with a late lead, but the Bluejays held them scoreless over the final 2:32 and senior guard Antoine Young dropped in a game-winning floater with 0.3 on the clock, inspiring a (premature) court storm by the students. Three days later, the Jays pulled out a 93-92 overtime win on senior day against Evansville thanks to a late jumper by junior guard Josh Jones.
Through my time covering Creighton basketball for The Creightonian, I’ve made many friends and have been afforded opportunities I never would have dreamed about otherwise. I learned on the job and through my experiences transformed myself from a fan into a journalist. The knowledge and skills I gained while covering this beat will prove invaluable as I head off into the real world ( a scary thought) and the countless memories I’ve forged will stay with me throughout the rest of my life.