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To celebrate Father’s Day, a look at notable father-son combinations in college basketball

Doug McDermott Greg

Sometimes the best recruiting tool isn’t a beautiful campus or the promise of playing time or the possibility of playing in the NCAA tournament.

Sometimes one person makes the decision easy: dad.

We’ve seen a number of father-son combinations over the years at the collegiate level, two of which made the NCAA tournament this past season.

To celebrate Father’s Day, NBCSports.com takes a look at some notable father-son combinations in college basketball today.

Greg and Doug McDermott, Creighton

McDermott was originally committed to play for Northern Iowa, where his father once coached, but was released from his letter of intent to have the opportunity to play for his dad. It paid off.

McDermott averaged nearly 23 points per game this past season and was named a First Team All-American.

Ray McCallum Sr. and Ray McCallum Jr., Detroit

McCallum Jr. had the opportunity to play at a number of high-major programs, including Arizona, Florida, and Kansas, but chose to head to Detroit to play for his father.

In his sophomore season this past year, McCallum averaged 15.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game, leading the Titans to a 22-14 record and a berth in the NCAA tournament.

Ernie and Trey Zeigler, Central Michigan

The elder Ziegler was fired after the season, making for one of the more interesting rulings by the NCAA, which will allow the younger Zeigler to transfer to Pittsburgh and play right away.

The 6-5 guard averaged 15.8 points per game during his sophomore season and could be a shot in the arm for Pittsburgh’s offense next season.

Dan and Bob Hurley, Rhode Island

Now, these two are brothers, not father and son, but they come from a family with rich basketball tradition. Their father, Bob Hurley Sr., is the legendary coach of St. Anthony High School (N.J.) which continues to produce state and national titles, along with a consistent stream of Division I players.

Dan moved to Rhode Island from Wagner this off-season, bringing his brother, Bob, on the staff with him as an assistant. Both brothers played college basketball, Bob at Duke and Dan at Seton Hall.

Daniel Martin is a writer and editor at JohnnyJungle.com, covering St. John’s. You can find him on Twitter:@DanielJMartin_