Coach Greg McDermott will be racking up frequent flyer miles at a time when he’d prefer to be close to home with his Creighton basketball team.

McDermott, who took over the Bluejays’ program in late April, has to find replacements for the five players who will be seniors this season. Creighton already has received oral commitments from 6-foot-11 center Geoff Groselle of Plano, Texas, and 6-6 guard Avery Dingman of Branson, Mo.

McDermott would like to get commitments from another player or two this fall.

“Normally, when you’re coming in new, you’d like to spend this time with your team,’’ McDermott said. “But due to the fact that we have five scholarships to fill, I’m going to have to spend a lot of time on the road.’’

Recruiting was among the subjects McDermott touched on in an interview last week as he prepares to begin his fifth month as CU’s coach. Among others were:

• His appreciation for the passion that Bluejay fans have for their basketball team.

• His thoughts on Creighton’s 2010-11 schedule.

• His sense that he’s inherited a team hungry for success after the program slipped a couple of notches during last season’s 18-16 campaign.

• His biggest concern with preseason is practice six weeks away.

McDermott already had an appreciation for Creighton’s program, having spent five seasons banging heads with the Bluejays when he was the coach at Missouri Valley rival Northern Iowa.

But since leaving Iowa State, where he spent the past four seasons, to succeed Dana Altman, McDermott said he’s developed an even greater sense for the commitment the fans have for their team.

“It’s very obvious to me how much people care about this program,’’ he said. “A lot of people have donated their time, talent and resources to make this program what it is today. Because of that, you certainly feel a responsibility to carry the torch and maintain a first-class basketball program.’’

And that puts an immediate priority on recruiting, given the fact that Creighton will have to replace more than a third of its scholarship players after this season.

McDermott said one of the biggest challenges he’s faced in the early months on the job was making sure that he and assistants Darian DeVries, Steve Merfeld and Steve Lutz were on the same page from a recruiting standpoint.

McDermott took the Creighton job in late April. Because of NCAA rules, he and his staff couldn’t get out to begin the evaluation process of prospective players until July.

“I hired three coaches from different areas and they were all involved with numerous recruits,’’ he said. “I had some people that I was involved with at Iowa State. You have to bring that altogether in a short period of time without getting to see them play until July.

“I really had to trust my assistant coaches until I had an opportunity to get out there and get my eyes on some of these prospective student-athletes. We’re trying to find the best players for Creighton, and it doesn’t matter who’s recruiting him or where he’s from. That was a challenge because with five scholarships, you’re probably trying to get your eyes on 25 or 30 guys.’’

The sheer numbers also kept McDermott and the other coaches from being able to spend as much time as they would have liked with some recruits.

“We weren’t able to do some of the so-called baby-sitting in recruiting where you just follow a player around the entire summer,’’ he said. “We had to make it clear to our recruits that in the situation we’re in, we couldn’t do that.

“I think guys appreciated us being honest with them from the beginning. I think most understood, and in some ways, maybe it meant more to them when we were there watching them.’’

McDermott said in a perfect world that Creighton would have finished recruiting before the early signing period in November.

“If we can find the right five, I’d take five by then,’’ he said. “But by no means do we feel we have to get it done in the fall. I definitely want to get to three (commitments), and I’d like to get to four if the fit is right.’’

Of the five players Creighton must replace, one — center Kenny Lawson — was a starter at the end of last season. The other four are guards Kaleb Korver and Darryl Ashford and forwards Wayne Runnels and Casey Harriman.

McDermott has made it clear to those five players how much he’ll depend on them this season to provide direction and leadership.

“I sense this group wants to leave their mark on this program,’’ he said. “All five of them understand how important the leadership role is that I’ve asked them to play this season.’’

Creighton will open the McDermott era Nov. 12 at home against Alabama State. The nonconference schedule includes nine home games, road games at Nebraska and Northwestern and a neutral site contest in Des Moines against Iowa State.

Three of the games will be squeezed into a five-day period shortly before Christmas.

“I don’t necessarily like having to jam three games in before Christmas,’’ McDermott said. “But with Greg becoming eligible, that’s what we had to do in order to get him as much game time before conference play starts.’’

Greg Echenique, a 6-9 sophomore center, transferred from Rutgers last January. He will become eligible at the end of the first semester in mid-December.

Regardless of where Creighton plays, McDermott said, keeping the players in the backcourt healthy is a priority. Point guard Antoine Young started all of last season, while Josh Jones moved into the lineup late in the season.

Korver and Ashford are experienced backups, but after that, the Bluejays will have to count on younger players. Freshman Jahenns Manigat could find himself playing immediately as Young’s backup at the point.

“We have some depth in the front line, a lot of guys that have played there and some newcomers that have the potential to help us,’’ McDermott said. “But in the ball-handling positions, we’re short on numbers. It’s going to be important for Antoine and Josh and Jahenns to stay healthy.’’

Contact the writer:

679-2298, steve.pivovar@owh.com

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