Busting Brackets
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Big East Basketball: Each team’s best acquisition out of 2023 transfer portal

By Jerran Anderson

Jan 28, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Jayden Epps (3) calls out a play during the first half against the Wisconsin Badgers at the Kohl Center. Mandatory Credit: Kayla Wolf-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 28, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Jayden Epps (3) calls out a play during the first half against the Wisconsin Badgers at the Kohl Center. Mandatory Credit: Kayla Wolf-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

Steven Ashworth – 6’1 Guard – Creighton Bluejays

Steven Ashworth joins the Creighton Bluejays in the Big East following a breakout season with the Utah State Aggies which culminated in his second NCAA Tournament appearance. He spent the past three seasons building up his stock as a shooter and playmaker in the MWC.

Ashworth built up quite the resume as a member of the Aggies. He put up 16.2 ppg, 4.5 apg, 3.3 rpg on 43.4 percent shooting from 3-point range and 45.8 percent shooting from the floor, all career-highs, in 2022-23.

Ashworth came off the bench when he dropped a career-high 30 points along and also his career-high with made 3-pointers of eight in their fifth game of the season, a victory over Oral Roberts back on Nov. 22.

He would tie his career-high in 3-pointers made later on in the season in a Feb. 4 victory over Colorado State when he hit nine to the tune of 26 points. He knocked down at least one 3-pointer in all but one of his 35 appearances while hitting a career-high 3.2 3-pointers per contest.

The 6-foot-1 guard gives Creighton another ball-handler to take the pressure off of Baylor Scheierman that can also knock down shots at volume on the perimeter. He led the MWC in 3-pointers made (111) while finishing ninth among all shooters in all of college basketball. His offensive rating of 131.5 ranked first in the MWC and sixth-best in the NCAA.

He’s also got two games of NCAA Tournament experience under his belt. He put up 12 points, six rebounds and two assists on 5-of-14 shooting and two made 3-pointers for the Aggies as a 10 seed in this past year’s NCAA Tournament.

The Bluejays return Ryan Kalkbrenner, Trey Alexander and Scheiermann though the loss of Arthur Kaluma hurts, adding another shooting presence on the perimeter is certainly a plus. Creighton will look to Ashworth as a key portal acquisition to make another run in the NCAA Tournament.

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