NCAA Basketball: Top 25 team frontcourts for 2022-23 season

8. Creighton Bluejays

Full disclosure, I had South Dakota State transfer Baylor Scheierman included in the backcourt piece for the Bluejays. But even without him and last season’s leading scorer and rebounder Ryan Hawkins, the Bluejays’ frontcourt still could be one of the best in NCAA Basketball next season.

They return starting center Ryan Kalkbrenner, who was second on the team with 13.1 ppg and 7.7 rpg. He shot 65% The 7’0 big man has the potential to drop 20+ on most nights and was excellent in the last 12 games of last season, averaging around 18 ppg. He’s a solid rebounder and someone with even more room to grow.

The key will be how much forward Arthur Kaluma develops after a good freshman campaign. The highest-ranked recruit in program history averaged 10.4 ppg and 5.4 rpg last season on 44% shooting from the field. Efficiency was an issue but the 6’7 forward showed big flashes towards the end of last season, including a season-high 24 points and 12 rebounds in the NCAA Tournament against Kansas. If he continues on that track, Kaluma will be a star for Creighton.

There’s also plenty of depth, including former top-75 recruit Mason Miller now that he’s healthy, as well as Fredrick King, a four-star center who’s raw but has plenty of potential long-term. He’ll be Kalkbrenner’s backup for one year before likely being a breakout candidate of his own a year from now.