Creighton Gets First 2014 Commit

Mar 25, 2013; Knoxville, TN, USA; The Creighton Bluejays head coach pep band cheers their team against the Tennessee Lady Volunteers in the first half during the second round of the 2013 NCAA womens basketball tournament at Thompson-Boling Arena. Tennessee won 68 to 52. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

At Creighton, the Doug McDermott era has been a largely successful and happy. As he enters his final season, Bluejays fans know that those times are now fleeting and that the school’s best player ever won’t have another year left after this one.

While that may sadden a lot of Creighton students and alumni, there can be some good news for the 2014-15 season too. Today, Leon Gilmore III became Creighton’s first 2014 recruit to commit to the program.

A consensus top 150 recruit by ESPN, the 6″7 Gilmore is a versatile forward who can do a little bit of everything on the court. Last season was Gilmore’s best, he made a name for himself both on the Houston hoops scene and nation wide when he had some terrific performances at both the Future 150 camp and the Pangos All-American.

Capable of both playing outside on the perimeter and in the post, Gilmore will provide a boost on offense the second he arrives at Creighton. As a basketball player, he is already quite polished and possesses a lot of athleticism and speed. While Gilmore is a left handed player, he is comfortable attacking the rim with both hands and displays some great dribbling for a player his size.

When it came down to decision time, Gilmore chose Creighton over the hometown, Houston and Texas Tech. The knowledge that he could come in and possibly be the go-to man from day one had to be appealing for Gilmore. While taking over from McDermott will be no easy task, the fact that Gilmore is unafraid to step up to the plate is a good sign for Creighton and the future of the school.