Overview: Creek is 6-5, 200-pound sophomore guard from Oxon Hill, Md. He led the Hoosiers in scoring last year with 16.4 points per game before his season ended with a knee injury against Bryant. He scored 31 points in a loss to Kentucky, after which he was the nation's top scoring freshman. He finished his shortened season shooting 52 percent from the field, 44 percent from the 3-point line. Creek was rated No. 59 overall by Rivals.com in the 2009 class after averaging 18.4 points per game as a senior at Hargrave Military Academy.
Best case: It's almost like Creek never left, and he opens the season with guns blazing and immediately takes over as the team's top scorer within the first six games of the season. As he gets back into the flow of the game, he simply lights it up as a spot shooter. By the time Big Ten season comes, Creek is back to creating his own shot. He develops as one of the team's best defenders and has an All-Big Ten season.
Worst case: Creek takes longer than fans would like to get back to game strength, and his minutes dwindle a bit in the beginning of the season. Once he is back to more of a normal form, he doesn't turn into the top defender coach Tom Crean had hoped. He takes a backseat to Christian Watford or Verdell Jones as the team's top scorer, and becomes more of a role player than the lead man.
Outlook: Creek played in the team's scrimmage Halloween weekend, and it's encouraging to see him playing even before the first exhibition game. But it was evident he hadn't played in even a simulated game in a long time, as he had more turnovers (6) than points (4) in 26 minutes. He should be full tilt come Nov. 12, but how long will it take until he's back being Maurice Creek? Crean said Creek was well on his way to being one of the team's best defenders before his injury, and with a higher team emphasis on defense, he'll need to be back there. It's not exactly known how he'll far in Big Ten play since he missed that part of the schedule as a freshman, but scorers simply score no matter the opponent. He's as close to an unstoppable scorer as IU has, and with a maturing front court and more options around him, he should flourish.
