Greg McDermott's Last Stand: Creighton Chases One More Win Before the Coach Walks Away Forever

Greg McDermott is retiring after this season, and on Saturday night in Las Vegas, Creighton gets a chance to send the legendary coach out the right way. The 61-year-old veteran, who has 32 years as a head coach and 16 of those at Creighton, just earned career win No. 646 on Thursday with a 82-69 blowout over Rutgers. Now the Bluejays (16-17) are one win away from the championship game of the College Basketball Crown.

Standing in the way? West Virginia, a team that just pulled off something wild. The Mountaineers trailed Stanford by eight points with less than three minutes left on Thursday before forcing overtime and stealing an 82-77 victory in the quarterfinals. Head coach Ross Hodge, in his first year with the program, has West Virginia sitting at 19-14 and one win away from the program's first 20-win season since 2019-20.

Nik Graves Wants to Give McDermott Three Straight

Creighton's Nik Graves dropped a season-high 28 points Thursday and he's made it crystal clear what this run means to the team. "I want nothing more than to send coach out with three wins in a row," Graves said. The rest of the Bluejays feel the same way. Josh Dix leads the squad with 13.1 points per game, while Graves adds 11.1. McDermott's emotions are real about what's happening, but he's keeping it light. "There's a little emotion involved," he said. "But like I told the guys when we decided to do this, we're going to have fun. We wanted them to enjoy this experience. This has been a very enjoyable group to coach and be around and I think they really enjoy each other's company."

West Virginia's Resilience Is Terrifying Right Now

The Mountaineers aren't just showing up. Fifth-year senior Honor Huff leads the team with 16 points per game and scored 21 in Thursday's comeback victory. Brenen Lorient adds 11.7 per night, and Chance Moore chips in 10.3. Hodge is building something real here. "Our group is about as resilient a group as I've ever been around," he said. "Whether it's a tough loss or games where we're not playing very well and we look down and out, they have an ability to stay together and keep fighting for each other."

These teams have history, too. The last time West Virginia and Creighton met was the 2005 NCAA Tournament first round, and the Mountaineers won that one 63-61. Saturday's semifinal winner heads to the championship game against either Oklahoma or Baylor. This one is about legacy for McDermott, momentum for Hodge, and one more chance to extend the season in Las Vegas.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.