Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Doug McDermott returning to Creighton for his senior year

Doug McDermott

Another year of Dougie McBuckets!

Creighton star Doug McDermott announced on Thursday that he would be returning to school for his senior season. Coming off of a first-team all-american season in 2012-2013, McDermott will immediately vault to the top of the National Player of the Year contender list and makes the Bluejays a threat to contend in the new Big East.

McDermott had been back and forth on the decision over the last few weeks, but he decided, in the end, that returning to school would be the best decision.

“If I’m going to play in the NBA, I’m going to play this year or next year,” McDermott told CBSSports.com. “I’m not buying into the fact that I had to go this year because the draft was considered weaker. [Kyle Korver] told me that I’m going to have to beat out guys whether I’m a first-rounder or I wind up going in the second round.”

(CLICK HERE to follow along with who is turning pro and who is returning to school.)

Creighton will lose both Gregory Echenique and Grant Gibbs, two indispensable players that were on the roster last season. Both will be big blows, as Echenique was the kind of big-bodied center that allowed the Bluejays to match up with some of the power conference teams, while Gibbs was a playmaker on the wing that created open looks from three for his teammates.

But McDermott is good enough that he will make Creighton a contender in whatever league that they play in.

Don’t be surprised if the Bluejays make quite a bit of noise in the new Big East next season.

You can find Rob on twitter @RobDauster.