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Creighton Basketball: Impact of losing Khyri Thomas to the NBA Draft

By Brad Cavallaro

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 08: Khyri Thomas #2 of the Creighton Bluejays handles the ball in the second half against the Providence Friars during the Big East basketball tournament Quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden on March 8, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 08: Khyri Thomas #2 of the Creighton Bluejays handles the ball in the second half against the Providence Friars during the Big East basketball tournament Quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden on March 8, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images) /
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Creighton’s hopes for next season took a massive hit as star guard Khyri Thomas has announced that he will remain in the NBA Draft. Where do the Bluejays go from here?

Khyri Thomas, Creighton’s best player, will sign with an agent and stay in the NBA Draft. This is an enormous loss for the Bluejays as he was an elite defensive stopper and a go-to offensive player. Thomas averaged 15.1ppg and 4.1rpg while shooting 41% from three in his junior season.

With a 6’11” wingspan, Thomas has the versatility to defend multiple positions which is extremely valuable. He also improved his ability to create offense off the dribble and his spot up shooting which makes him a viable offensive contributor at the next level.

Like Justin Patton last season, Thomas will almost definitely be a first round pick and could even crack the lottery. Having two early entrant first rounders at different positions in back to back seasons will be a great recruiting tool, but will definitely hurt Creighton for next season.

The Blue Jays also lose three other starters including their leading scorer, Marcus Foster. Foster and Thomas were heavily relied upon to create offense and hit outside shots and Creighton does not have any proven players to fill that void.

Glue guy PF Ronnie Harrell and stretch five Toby Hegner are also leaving the team and their contributions and veteran presence will be sorely missed. Hegner averaged 8.4ppg and shot 38% from downtown while Harrell averaged 7.0ppg, 6.3rpg, and 2.6apg.

Martin Krampejl was one of the most improved players in the entire country before suffering a season ending injury at the start of Big East play. He will be Creighton’s best player, if healthy, but he needs more help and breakout performances from the guards and wings.

Who Replaces Khyri Thomas in the Starting Lineup?

Mitchell Ballock is the odds-on favorite to start on the wing. Ballock is an excellent shooter with good size (6’6”) and strong passing instincts. He struggled defensively last season, but more than held his own on the offensive end.

So, who will start alongside Ballock?

The leading candidate is fellow rising sophomore, Ty-Shon Alexander. Alexander was primarily the back-up PG as a freshman (behind starter Davion Mintz), but could move off-ball and show more of his scoring abilities.

Alexander can shoot from long-range, but can also attack off the dribble which is a skill that this offense is currently lacking. Creighton desperately needs offense with Thomas and Foster gone, so Alexander and Ballock should have the green light. Both players should appear on breakout player lists throughout the offseason.

The Bluejays also have a pair of talented freshmen (PG Marcus Zegarowski and wing Christian Bishop) and a transfer wing Damien Jefferson. All three players will play rotation minutes, but the more-experienced Jefferson will probably see the most playing time.

Jefferson is an athletic wing who started his career at New Mexico. He averaged 5.3ppg as a freshman and could see time at the small ball PF position in Creighton’s up-tempo attack. Coach Greg McDermott usually takes a conservative approach with freshman so Zegarowski and Bishop may be relegated to minor roles early in their careers.

While there are multiple options to replace Thomas, Creighton still needs more talent in the backcourt. This is why Creighton has been so active in the grad transfer market, but unfortunately they have been unsuccessful up to this point.

Some of the top available grad-transfers like Zach Johnson, Joe Cremo, and most recently Matt Mooney have spurned the Jays for Miami, Villanova, and Texas Tech respectively. The talent on the fifth year transfer market is drying up so Creighton will have to move quickly if they are to bolster this backcourt.

Next: Biggest Snubs from the NBA Draft combine

Replacing Thomas for this season will be an impossible task. No player that is on the roster can match his mix of offensive and defensive abilities. Creighton should take a major step back this season, but the future is extremely bright. Players like Ballock, Alexander, and Jacob Epperson will benefit immensely from the additional playing time they receive this season. There are no seniors in the projected rotation so this year could be a bridge to a breakthrough 19-20 season.

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