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Creighton Basketball to Retire Doug McDermott’s No. 3 Jersey on Dec. 20 vs. Villanova

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James Foglio
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James Foglio Sports Editor

James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.

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Updated29 Nov 2023

Creighton Basketball to Retire Doug McDermotts No. 3 Jersey on Dec. 20 vs. Villanova

The Creighton men’s basketball team will retire Doug McDermott’s No. 3 jersey when it hosts Villanova on Wednesday, Dec. 20. The 6-foot-6 forward became the first player in 29 years to be named to the AP All-America first team three times from 2012-14. McDermott, 31, also won the 2014 national player of the year.

He finished with an NCAA-record 135 double-figure scoring games. His 3,150 points rank fifth on the NCAA Division I scoring list, above NBA Hall of Famer Larry Bird. He’s one of three players in NCAA men’s basketball history to record 3,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.

Additionally, McDermott made starts in all 145 appearances through four seasons (2010-14) with Creighton. He averaged 21.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 31.5 minutes per game. Plus, the forward shot 55% from the floor, 45.8% beyond the arc, and 83.1% at the foul line.

According to a few college basketball betting sites, Creighton holds 10th-best odds to win the NCAA Tournament this season. Sportsbooks are showing better odds for Arizona, UConn, Houston, Tennessee, and other schools.


As a freshman in the 2010-11 season, McDermott averaged 14.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 29.1 minutes per game in 39 starts for the Bluejays. McDermott set a Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) record for points by a freshman (581).

During his junior 2012-13 season, he led the NCAA in scoring with 834 points after averaging 23.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 31.6 minutes per game. McDermott led the MVC in shooting percentage (54.8%), free throws (189), and usage percentage (34.3%).

On Feb. 28, 2014, McDermott was named as one of the 10 semifinalists for Naismith College Player of the Year. In his senior 2013-14 season, McDermott was named first-team All-Big East in Creighton’s first season in the league.

Creighton Basketball to retire Doug McDermott’s No. 3 jersey, coach Greg McDermott praises his son

On March 14 during Senior Night against Providence, he scored a career-high 45 points and passed the 3,000-point threshold. He went on to win the Big East Player of the Year award as well.

Furthermore, the two-time MVC Tournament MVP (2012, 2013) was born in Grand Forks, North Dakota, where his father, Greg McDermott, was an assistant coach of the University of North Dakota’s men’s basketball team.

Coach McDermott has served as the men’s head coach for Creighton since 2010. His overall head coaching record is 580-345 (.627). His overall record with the Bluejays is 300-150 (.667), and his conference record is 146-93 (.611).

“We are thrilled to be able to retire Doug’s jersey,” Greg McDermott said in a statement. “His impact on our basketball program was immense. He and his teammates helped usher in a new era of Creighton Basketball as we entered the Big East.”


McDermott’s No. 3 will join Kyle Korver’s No. 25, Bob Harstad’s No. 30, Bob Portman’s No. 33, Paul Silas’ No. 35, and Bob Gibson’s No. 45.

After a jaw-dropping college career, Doug McDermott was selected 11th overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 2014 NBA Draft. However, he was immediately traded to the Chicago Bulls.

The Creighton product played almost three seasons (2014-17) with Chicago, one with the Oklahoma City Thunder (2016-17 season), and one with the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks (2017-18 season).

McDermott then played three seasons (2018-21) with the Indiana Pacers. In August 2021, the Pacers traded him to the San Antonio Spurs. He’s currently in his third season with San Antonio.