George Washington University Athletics
Raising Higher: Maurice Creek
8/12/2019 10:48:00 AM | Men's Basketball, My GW: Celebrating our Stories
Former GW guard put on a show in The Basketball Tournament last month
The stage was set at The Basketball Tournament's Wichita Regional with a loaded field of former collegiate standouts, record crowds and most importantly, a national television audience on ESPN.
With a slice of the summer spotlight squarely on Wichita State's Koch Arena last month, Maurice Creek didn't take the opportunity lightly.
"My whole thing was I had to show out the right way," said Creek, who has spent the past five seasons playing professionally overseas after leading GW to an NCAA Tournament berth as a graduate transfer in 2013-2014. "Not just all about scoring. Playing basketball the right way. Being a leader to my teammates. Just being there for my guys."
Creek's Sideline Cancer team may have come up short in the Round of 16 vs. a team of Marquette alumni, but the high-scoring guard is confident he made the most of the moment.
Over three games in four days, Creek averaged 19.3 points on 54 percent shooting (19-for-41), including a 12-for-23 effort from 3-point range, and added 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists, as well.
Creek was at his best in the opener, an 87-63 blowout of a team of Kansas alumni in which he scored 23 points in 24 minutes. After posting 22 points in a win over the host Wichita State squad in front of more than 7,000 fans, the Maryland native turned in a stat-stuffing performance with 13 points, six rebounds and five assists against one turnover in the finale.
The tournament – now in its sixth season featuring 64 teams nationwide competing for a $2 million winner-take-all prize – amounted to a successful audition as Creek weighs his options and plots his next move for the 2019-2020 season.
"It was just great," Creek said. "I wanted to prove to everybody that I could still play. A lot of people had doubted my skill, doubted my talent, doubted me because of injuries. There were a lot of doubts going into the tournament, and for me to be averaging 20 points over three games, there should be no more doubts in anybody's mind that I can still play basketball."
Creek flashed that form in his lone season in Buff and Blue when he earned All-Atlantic 10 Third Team honors by averaging 14.1 points per game to power the Colonials to 24 wins and a spot in the Big Dance.
Since then, he's put together a professional career that's included stops in the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Finland and most recently, Ukraine. Last year, he helped Kyiv-Basket to a runner-up finish in the Ukrainian Basketball SuperLeague.
"I've really enjoyed my time overseas," Creek said. "Wherever you go, it's going to be different. Basketball is going to be different, life is going to be different, but you learn to adapt as best as you can and enjoy your time."
Although it's the offseason, Creek is feeling like he's at the top of his game. This was his second straight season playing with Sideline Cancer, which had pledged a quarter of its potential winnings to the charity of the same name that supports the fight against pancreatic cancer.
He was recruited to the team by his former teammate Remy Abell when they were both playing abroad in Finland.
Last year, Creek's squad dropped its opener in a regional in New York. It was a good introduction to the tournament and motivation for a better outcome this time.
Creek proceeded to the lead the team in scoring during its 2-1 run, though he was just as excited to showcase his defense and passing for pro scouts around the globe following the ESPN feed.
"Everybody expected me to be just the scorer that I am," Creek said. "That's great, but when it comes down to it, I'm more than that."
As he awaits what's next, Creek is back in the DMV honing his craft.
Recently, he made the short trip from his Upper Marlboro, Md., home to Foggy Bottom.
Creek has a connection to the new staff in that assistant Nima Omidvar was one of his AAU coaches with DC Team Takeover. He said he was pleased about the hire of head coach Jamion Christian after watching his teams in the past and even more pumped after talking to him about his plans for the Colonials.
"We're going to get up a lot of shots and we're going to play defense," Creek said. "I like that type of ball, so I'm excited."
Creek also landed a special souvenir on his visit. The coaches presented him with a framed picture featuring several angles of his memorable buzzer-beater to down Maryland at Capital One Arena on Dec. 13, 2018.
A photo snapped outside Smith Center that day has become his new Twitter profile picture, and the wall hanging has already found a home in his living room.
"It feels good to reminisce on those times by seeing that picture," Creek said. "Those are some great memories for me that I'm never going to forget."
With a slice of the summer spotlight squarely on Wichita State's Koch Arena last month, Maurice Creek didn't take the opportunity lightly.
"My whole thing was I had to show out the right way," said Creek, who has spent the past five seasons playing professionally overseas after leading GW to an NCAA Tournament berth as a graduate transfer in 2013-2014. "Not just all about scoring. Playing basketball the right way. Being a leader to my teammates. Just being there for my guys."
Creek's Sideline Cancer team may have come up short in the Round of 16 vs. a team of Marquette alumni, but the high-scoring guard is confident he made the most of the moment.
Over three games in four days, Creek averaged 19.3 points on 54 percent shooting (19-for-41), including a 12-for-23 effort from 3-point range, and added 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists, as well.
Creek was at his best in the opener, an 87-63 blowout of a team of Kansas alumni in which he scored 23 points in 24 minutes. After posting 22 points in a win over the host Wichita State squad in front of more than 7,000 fans, the Maryland native turned in a stat-stuffing performance with 13 points, six rebounds and five assists against one turnover in the finale.
The tournament – now in its sixth season featuring 64 teams nationwide competing for a $2 million winner-take-all prize – amounted to a successful audition as Creek weighs his options and plots his next move for the 2019-2020 season.
"It was just great," Creek said. "I wanted to prove to everybody that I could still play. A lot of people had doubted my skill, doubted my talent, doubted me because of injuries. There were a lot of doubts going into the tournament, and for me to be averaging 20 points over three games, there should be no more doubts in anybody's mind that I can still play basketball."
Creek flashed that form in his lone season in Buff and Blue when he earned All-Atlantic 10 Third Team honors by averaging 14.1 points per game to power the Colonials to 24 wins and a spot in the Big Dance.
Since then, he's put together a professional career that's included stops in the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Finland and most recently, Ukraine. Last year, he helped Kyiv-Basket to a runner-up finish in the Ukrainian Basketball SuperLeague.
"I've really enjoyed my time overseas," Creek said. "Wherever you go, it's going to be different. Basketball is going to be different, life is going to be different, but you learn to adapt as best as you can and enjoy your time."
Although it's the offseason, Creek is feeling like he's at the top of his game. This was his second straight season playing with Sideline Cancer, which had pledged a quarter of its potential winnings to the charity of the same name that supports the fight against pancreatic cancer.
He was recruited to the team by his former teammate Remy Abell when they were both playing abroad in Finland.
Last year, Creek's squad dropped its opener in a regional in New York. It was a good introduction to the tournament and motivation for a better outcome this time.
Creek proceeded to the lead the team in scoring during its 2-1 run, though he was just as excited to showcase his defense and passing for pro scouts around the globe following the ESPN feed.
"Everybody expected me to be just the scorer that I am," Creek said. "That's great, but when it comes down to it, I'm more than that."
As he awaits what's next, Creek is back in the DMV honing his craft.
Recently, he made the short trip from his Upper Marlboro, Md., home to Foggy Bottom.
Creek has a connection to the new staff in that assistant Nima Omidvar was one of his AAU coaches with DC Team Takeover. He said he was pleased about the hire of head coach Jamion Christian after watching his teams in the past and even more pumped after talking to him about his plans for the Colonials.
"We're going to get up a lot of shots and we're going to play defense," Creek said. "I like that type of ball, so I'm excited."
Creek also landed a special souvenir on his visit. The coaches presented him with a framed picture featuring several angles of his memorable buzzer-beater to down Maryland at Capital One Arena on Dec. 13, 2018.
A photo snapped outside Smith Center that day has become his new Twitter profile picture, and the wall hanging has already found a home in his living room.
"It feels good to reminisce on those times by seeing that picture," Creek said. "Those are some great memories for me that I'm never going to forget."
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