Jays target versatile small forward

In Creighton's search for more athletes and more versatile players, the coaching staff has made 6-foot-6 small forward Sam Hauser a recruiting priority for the 2016 class. Hauser, from Stevens Point, Wisc., does a little bit of everything for his Stevens Point Black Panthers high school team. They are currently 11-0 with Hauser averaging 20 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks per game, and that's obviously drawn the attention of a lot of schools.

"Right now Creighton, Marquette, UNI and Drake are the schools coming after me the hardest," Hauser said. "I'd like to make a decision before next basketball season. I'm still hearing from other schools aside from those four, and we will just have to see how the summer plays out."

Hauser has taken a few unofficial visits to Creighton and watched some practices recently. Creighton assistant Darian DeVries and the rest of the staff really hope to get him on campus for an official visit, too.

"Creighton is in a really good place with me," Hauser said. "I really like the staff and their new practice facility. I really got a feel for the campus there, and I like how the area revolves around the basketball team. The atmosphere at the home games is amazing -- that place really gets loud."

After the summer, Hauser will have no shortage of scholarship offers, but he's pretty specific in what he is looking for in a school.

"I really want to be at a school with good academics, where I can succeed in basketball and really fit in," he said.

Hauser's high school stat line is pretty impressive, and he is widely regarded as the top prospect in the state of Wisconsin for the 2016 class.

"I'm a wing player who can shoot the ball pretty well, take guys of the dribble and create shots for my teammates," Hauser added. "I also can rebound and I block a lot of shots."

Creighton will have just two scholarships to fill in the 2016 class. It remains to be seen what positions the Jays will specifically target, but a spot can always be found for versatile players like Hauser. Expect to see Hauser and his family in the stands of some Jays games soon.