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NCAA Basketball: Duke, Gonzaga, and WVU rise in latest WTE ’23-24 power rankings

By Tristan Freeman

Mar 24, 2023; Louisville, KY, USA; Creighton Bluejays guard Ryan Nembhard (2) dribbles during the second half of the NCAA tournament round of sixteen against the Princeton Tigers at KFC YUM! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 24, 2023; Louisville, KY, USA; Creighton Bluejays guard Ryan Nembhard (2) dribbles during the second half of the NCAA tournament round of sixteen against the Princeton Tigers at KFC YUM! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports /
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Creighton
NCAA Basketball Trey Alexander #23 of the Creighton Bluejays (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

8. Creighton Bluejays

If we were ranking way-too-early starting lineups at the start of the offseason, Creighton had a great case for being No. 1 overall. All five were double-digit scorers and each provided something different to the team that ended up in the Elite 8. Unfortunately, one of them left in Ryan Nembhard, who was the starting point guard.

He’s off to Gonzaga but the program was able to get one of the best replacement options out there in Steven Ashworth. The 6’1 guard led Utah State with 16.2 ppg and 4.5 apg on 43% shooting from three-point range and a 30-point game against Oral Roberts. He’s arguably an even better offensive player than Nembhard when it comes to his shooting ability.

The other newcomer to the roster is Isaac Traudt, a former top-60 prospect that comes from Virginia. The 6’8 forward didn’t play much as a freshman but will be a key building block for the program going forward and could be starting, depending on what starter Arthur Kaluma does in the NBA Draft.

Also with decisions are Trey Alexander and Ryan Kalkbreener. They were able to withstand the departure of Nembhard but losing 2 of the three guys in the process would be a definite backbreaker for Creighton’s chances to win the Big East next season.

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