Busting Brackets
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Big East Basketball: 2019-20 offseason questions facing each team

By Lukas Harkins

PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 21: A detailed view of a Wilson college basketball during the third round of the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Consol Energy Center on March 21, 2015 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 21: A detailed view of a Wilson college basketball during the third round of the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Consol Energy Center on March 21, 2015 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 08: Epperson of the Bluejays reacts. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 08: Epperson of the Bluejays reacts. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images) /

Creighton: Who will step up in the frontcourt?

Creighton is usually one of the most perimeter-centric teams in this conference but every squad needs a reliable big man. And considering the Bluejays lost plenty of frontcourt talent this offseason, three players will need to take a massive step in his development this offseason. Martin Krampelj and Samson Froling are now gone as two of the tallest players in the rotation and this leaves just a few options on the roster. Jacob Epperson and Christian Bishop, who have played just 479 total minutes in their Creighton career, are the two returners while Idaho State graduate transfer Kelvin Jones might need to play a major role.

Starting with Epperson, he checks in at 6-foot-11 and is coming off a knee injury that caused him to miss the majority of this past season. Across his first two seasons with the program, he has only competed in 21 total games. There is, though, plenty of potential with his game if he is able to stay healthy. He rebounds relatively well, finishes at a high rate around the hoop, and can stretch the floor on occasion too. If Epperson is healthy, he should be a strong competitor for the starting center spot from the jump next season. Considering his injury history over the past few months, though, it is hard to predict the level of improvement we will see in his game.

Additionally, Kelvin Jones is coming in as an experienced big at 6-foot-11. While playing for Idaho State last season, Jones was a solid performer but he is about to experience a major jump in competition. Even though the Big East is a fairly perimeter-centric league, the bigs still need to physically battle underneath. Over the course of this past campaign, Jones averaged 9.9 points (55.3% FG), 5.6 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 3.9 fouls per game in a full-time starting role for the Bengals. He does not have to be elite for Creighton but the program needs a solid contributor.

The other alternative then is Christian Bishop, who played some reserve minutes at center behind Krampelj down the stretch of this past season. Now a rising sophomore, Bishop will be expected to show improvement after averaging 4.1 points (67.1% FG) and 2.1 rebounds in 8.2 minutes per game. He also scored at least eight points in each of Creighton’s three NIT games in an expanded role.

Creighton will need at least one of these three, if not more, to show improvement heading into this campaign. The Bluejays have an insanely talented group of perimeter scorers but will not be able to hit their ceiling without a big taking the next step.

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