| Mode: | Basketball |
| Year: | 1961–62 |
| Prev Year: | 1960–61 |
| Next Year: | 1962–63 |
| Team: | Creighton Bluejays |
| Conference: | Independent |
| Record: | 21–5 |
| Bowl: | 1962 NCAA Tournament |
| Bowl Result: | Sweet Sixteen |
The 1961–62 Creighton Bluejays men's basketball team represented Creighton University during the 1961–62 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bluejays, led by third year head coach John J. 'Red' McManus, played their home games at the Omaha Civic Auditorium. They finished the season 21-5. The Creighton Bluejays earned a bid into the 1962 NCAA Tournament where they defeated Memphis State in the Midwest Region Quarterfinals round before falling in the Midwest Region Semifinals to the #2 ranked, and eventual 1962 National Champion, Cincinnati Bearcats. The Bluejays defeated Texas Tech in the Midwest Region Third Place game.[1]
Before the season started, Red appeared before the Quarterback Club in Omaha and with his first words stated that Creighton was going to a post season tournament. A majority of the people felt that McManus had a fatal case of over-optimism. The previous year's 8-17 record was far from good. McManus worked tirelessly to turn Creighton into a basketball power. He utilized sharp recruiting and tough coaching to put the Bluejays back on the road to fame. The hard work paid off. Sophomore Paul Silas would blossom into a force in the middle, leading the nation in rebounding for the 1961–62 and 1962-63 seasons.[2]
| Number | Name | Position | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Herb Millard | Senior | |||||
| 22 | Santos Jimenez | ||||||
| 23 | Pete McManamon | ||||||
| 24 | Chuck Officer | Guard | 6-2 | 175 | Junior | Moline, Illinois | |
| 25 | Harry Forehand | ||||||
| 31 | John Callaghan | ||||||
| 32 | Tom Dowling | ||||||
| 33 | Larry Wagner | ||||||
| 35 | Paul Silas | Center | 6-7 | 220 | Sophomore | Oakland, California | |
| 41 | Carl Silvestrini | ||||||
| 42 | Jim Swassing | ||||||
| 43 | Bob Eickholt | ||||||
| 45 | Jim Bakos | Sophomore | East Chicago, Indiana | ||||
| 52 | Mike Lynch |
|-!colspan=9| Regular Season|-!colspan=9| 1962 NCAA Tournament