Creek works towards potential

In last season’s game against Kentucky, then IU freshman guard Maurice Creek almost single-handedly carried his team to a victory by contributing 31 points.

But despite Creek’s efforts, the Hoosiers couldn’t keep pace down the stretch in a 90-73 loss to the Wildcats.

Creek said he hopes Saturday’s game against the Wildcats ends with a different result.

“I think everybody’s pumped up for this game,” Creek said. “I watched them last night and they looked pretty good. We got a big thing on our hands come
Saturday.”  

After his performance against Kentucky last year at Assembly Hall, Creek’s stock was as high as ever. At that point, he was the top freshman scorer in the
country.

But when he suffered a season-ending knee injury against Bryant two weeks later, Creek had to start over from scratch.

Almost a year after the injury, Creek said he is finally getting back to where he was physically.

“We’re just going to take it one step at the time. I was driving the ball hard the other night, and that was something that I haven’t done in a couple of weeks,” Creek said this past week.

Creek has averaged 11.8 points per game in IU’s eight match-ups this season. As the season has progressed, his shot has been more effective, and he is becoming more comfortable driving the lane.

In IU’s most recent game, a 79-57 win last Saturday against Savannah State, Creek had one of his most efficient performances. He finished with 11 points on 3-of-7 shooting, including 3-of-6 from three-point range.

IU coach Tom Crean said he likes where Creek is right now.

“He’s shooting the ball really well right now, and I hope that carries over into the games,” Crean said. “I think knowing that he’s had success in games like (Kentucky) and had success as a freshman will help. It’s really just a matter of him getting locked in and doing what we need him to do now.”

Creek said he hopes any momentum gained against Savannah State will translate to Kentucky on Saturday.

He also admitted, though, that he doesn’t expect a performance against the Wildcats like he had last season.

“It’s just a normal game, but if I do it again it’ll be an accomplishment,” Creek said. “We can’t just look at last year and say,‘oh I did this last year and I’ll do it again this year.’ It could be somebody else’s turn. We just got to take it as another game and get this win.”