Creighton Basketball: 2020-21 season preview for the Bluejays

Who will start for the Bluejays?

Even though they only have to replace one starter, that starter was an important one. Ty-Shon Alexander was not only Creighton’s best player, you could tell he was just by how the team performed at both ends of the floor when he was in the game versus when he wasn’t.

The offense was less effective, and defensively opponents were able to be more productive with Alexander on the bench. Even without Alexander, the Bluejays boast one of the best backcourts in the Big East with Player of the Year candidate Marcus Zegarowski and Mitch Ballock.

Ballock is a senior who is coming off a junior year that saw him average 11.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists and after flirting with the NBA, Zegarowski returns for his junior season after netting 16.1 points and dishing out a team-high five assists per game. Where the duo really excelled was from behind the arc, netting nearly 43% of their attempts last season.

With those two spots locked down, the third guard spot in McDermott’s line up is up for grabs. There are two options to fill out the backcourt, one is senior 6’5 swingman Denzel Mahoney, and while Mahoney fits Creighton’s up-tempo style, Mahoney’s penchant to be a bit of a chucker may be better suited to come off the bench.

Another name that could start is Antwann Jones who is eligible after redshirting a year after leaving Memphis where he averaged 4.7 points and three rebounds as a freshman with the Tigers.

The forward spots are spoken for with both senior Damien Jefferson and junior Christian Bishop returning. The two could see a bit of an offensive bump with Alexander and they averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds per game and are two guys that do the dirty work that allows the guards to play fast while not being a huge part of the offense, the two combined to shoot just 26 shots less than Alexander last season.