The first thing that comes to mind for some former Creighton players about new Purdue assistant coach Steve Lutz: "Toughness."

Cole Huff and Geoffrey Groselle each played for the Bluejays during Lutz' seven years with Greg McDermott's program. Both tabbed "toughness" above all else when asked to describe him, but with a caveat.

"He's a tough guy, but there's a real balance to him," said Huff, who completed his eligibility at Creighton this past season. "He is a tough, intense guy who doesn't accept you slacking off or losing focus, but at the same time, off the court and on the court, he really cares about his guys. He's like a parent, where he can be pretty hard on you, but just because he wants the best for you.

"He'll test your mental toughness because he'll say some things you might not like, but it'll be the truth. If you're messing up, blowing assignments or just not playing the way you should be, he's going to be the first one to let you know. He definitely gets his point across and more often than not you're going to learn from your mistake so you don't have to deal with Coach Lutz again."

Groselle, a 7-footer now playing professionally in Germany, joked that Purdue players might, "love him and hate him at the same time."

But more of the former, Groselle said.

"If you're messing up, he'll be the first to call you out on it and be brutally honest," Groselle said. "I can't tell you how many times I've heard him yell my name in practice. I've had so many meetings with him and every time, it starts with, 'I'm going to be honest with you, Geoffrey …,' and then, bam, he hits you with it, the truth you don't necessarily want to hear, but you need to hear."

That sort of forthrightness, both players said, built trust, and made Lutz an integral part of Creighton's success. In seven years under McDermott, with Lutz on staff, the Bluejays have averaged 24 wins and made four NCAA Tournament appearances.

"The culture they built those first couple years with Doug (McDermott), it was really a family," Groselle said of his alma mater's success. "That's really why we won so many games. We had an amazing talent in Doug, then in (Justin Patton) and Marcus Foster this year, but the family they built and culture they built was so important, and Lutz was a big part of it.

"It started with recruiting, then continued through my entire career, especially with me. If I ever had an issue, I went to him, and that trust you build with the coaching staff, it really pays dividends on the court, because if you trust your teammates and trust your coaches on and off the court, it's a good recipe for success."

Continue reading below