Doug McDermott has never played a single game inside Madison Square Garden.
Now that he’s returning to Creighton for his senior season, he will play there next season, and can compete for a Big East Tournament championship in the World’s Most Famous Arena.
And he will likely be the Big East Preseason Player of the Year during Creighton’s first season in the new league.
“I’ve always wanted to play in the Garden, I never have,” McDermott said after Creighton lost to Duke in the NCAA Tournament. “I’ve been to New York City once for a tournament, but I’ve never even seen the Garden. So that definitely does play into it.
“I feel like we can compete there next year and it’s something to look forward to.”
McDermott ranked second nationally in scoring (23.2) and also averaged 7.7 rebounds per game during the 2012-13 season at Creighton. He was projected as a late-first or early-second-round pick in the NBA Draft, but several NBA scouts thought he should come out this year because of the historically weak draft.
“I do not think he can do more in college to help himself at this point,” one veteran scout said. “He can only stay to enjoy his senior year and possibly get back to the [NCAA] Tournament. He is a first-round pick but probably in the 20s or at best late teens depending on what other underclassmen come out.”
McDermott’s return gives him a chance to join Jerry Lucas, Lew Alcindor, Pete Maravich, Bill Walton, David Thompson, Ralph Sampson, Patrick Ewing, Wayman Tisdale and Patrick Ewing as the only men to earn consensus First Team All-American accolades three times since 1960. With 784 points or more next season, McDermott could also become the eighth man in NCAA history to reach 3,000 career points.
McDermott already owns Creighton records for points (2,216), field goals (811) and three-point percentage (.464), and has also set single-season marks for points (834), three-point percentage (49.0%) and field goals (307) during his time on The Hilltop.
**Who’s In and Who’s Out of the NBA Draft? Read more here.
