Creighton Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Bluejays

Projected Starters

Davion Mintz
Mintz wasn’t used much as a point guard last season but is expected to be used more at that position this year. Now a junior, Mintz is one of the more experienced players that will see playing time and McDermott is hoping to rely on him as a steady hand while freeing up some other players to make more plays off the ball. He could come close to doubling last season’s 3.1 assists per game.

Ty-Shon Alexander
Alexander was used at all three perimeter positions last year, but McDermott is making it a point to use him at shooting guard so he can “run off screens and attack in transition and do some of the things he’s really good at that we’re going to lose with Marcus and Khyri graduating.” It didn’t take the Charlotte-native long to get things going last year, scoring in double digits in four of his first five collegiate games, but only scored in double digits in five more games the rest of the season as his role got muddled. His production should increase with a more defined role.

Mitch Ballock
Ballock played a major role for the Bluejays and actually became the first freshman to lead Creighton in scoring in an NCAA Tournament game since 1978 when he scored 16 in their loss to Kansas State. He often played out of position as a small-ball four – and even sometimes five – last year, yet excelled as a spot-up shooter. The 6-5, 205-pounder will be used more in his natural small forward position.

Martin Krampelj
Krampelj excelled in a big way in his first year in a major role last season, averaging 11.9 and 8.1 points per game. However, he tore his ACL in January and missed a majority of Big East play, an injury that really limited Creighton’s upside down the stretch. If he’s 100 percent healthy, Krampelj is their best rebounder and someone they need on the inside.

Jacob Epperson
Creighton chose to burn Epperson’s redshirt halfway through the season after Krampelj got injured and he exceeded all expectations. The Australian native only played in 12 games and averaged 14 minutes in those games but flashed star potential, particularly on the offensive end. He played at least 14 minutes in each of Creighton’s final six games and combined to shoot nearly 71 percent from the floor. Now that Epperson has had a full offseason to get stronger, he should be able to make a more significant impact consistently.