Bob Harstad (2002) - Creighton Athletics Hall of Fame

Bob Harstad

Induction:
2002
Class:
1993

Robert Harstad's name can be found on several of the career record lists in the Creighton University men's basketball media guide. During his career from 1987-1991, Harstad became the school's all-time scoring leader with 2,110 points, a mark that stood until Rodney Buford topped it in 1999. The Missouri Valley Conference "Player of the Year" as a junior, Harstad was runner-up for that award as a sophomore and as a senior. He was named a first-team all-MVC performer all three of those years.

Harstad also ranks second on Creighton's all-time rebounding list with 1,126. Surpassing the 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds places Harstad among the elite company of Larry Bird, Oscar Robertson, and Xavier McDaniel as the only MVC players to reach those marks in a career.

The list goes on for Harstad. He started every game in his Bluejay career, an incredible streak of 128 consecutive games, which puts him at the top of the games played list. Harstad ranks third on Creighton's all-time field goals made list with 759, along with being the all-time leader in free throws made and free throws attempted (588-800). He is also the Bluejays' all-time leader in minutes played with 4,308.

Harstad, a career 49 percent shooter from the field, improved his free-throw shooting dramatically during his career at Creighton. He went from a 60 percent free-throw shooter as a freshman to an 80 percent free-throw shooter as a senior.

Harstad's 734 points as a junior are the second-best single-season output in school history (734, 1989-90), finishing just four points behind Bob Portman.

Harstad's Missouri Valley Conference accolades are equally impressive. Harstad, one of the top freshmen rebounders in the country at 8.5 per game in his first year as a Bluejay, was named to the MVC all-newcomer team. As a sophomore, he earned first-team all-MVC honors by averaging 16.7 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. He was also named to the MVC all-tournament team.

During his junior "Player of the Year" campaign, he averaged 22.2 points and pulled down 8.8 rebounds per game. He also set a single-season record for free throws made with 218 (218-273) that season. His performance earned him a spot on the United States Basketball Writers Association's District 5 All-Star Team.

Harstad's final year as a Bluejay ended with a second-place finish in the MVC "Player of the Year" voting to teammate Chad Gallagher, while averaging 17.8 points and 8.6 rebounds. Along with Gallagher, Harstad was part of Creighton University's "Dynamic Duo. "

Harstad toured Europe with the NIT All-Star team the summer before his senior year. He finished his career ranked 10th on the MVC all-time scoring list and eighth on the MVC all-time rebounding list.
After receiving his bachelor's degree in education from Creighton, Harstad went overseas to play in the Spanish Professional League, where he was an all-league player. He played 10 years in Cantabria, Spain, before retiring in 2001.

Harstad currently resides in Edmond, Oklahoma, with his wife, Kathleen, also a Creighton graduate, and their son, Jack. Currently working as a pharmaceutical representative for Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly, Harstad gives back to the basketball community by working at basketball camps throughout the year.