The work for Creighton under Greg McDermott has been largely successful throughout his decade and a half leading the charge in Omaha. The Bluejays made a smooth transition into the Big East more than a decade ago and have actually finished Top 4 in the league standings for nine seasons in a row. McDermott’s crew constantly wins games and is in the national conversation and is coming off another prosperous year.
His Bluejays hit 25 wins for the second year in a row, secured another 2nd place finish in the tough Big East, and appeared in their fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament. While Creighton’s season ended in the second round of the Big Dance, this program has won postseason games for five straight years in this fantastic era of hoops.
However, it’s a very different feeling in Omaha after the departure of Ryan Kalkbrenner, the 7-foot center who became one of the finest players in Creighton history. He was a phenomenal and efficient offensive player and was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year four straight seasons. Not only was finding his replacement important, but the Bluejays had other holes to fill this offseason, losing Steven Ashworth, Pop Isaacs, and Jamiya Neal from the rotation.
Clearly McDermott and his staff didn’t build a program this successful by sitting on their hands. They had a busy offseason and we’ll run through just exactly what they added to this roster and what you can expect from faces both old and new in the months ahead. We’re going to take a brief peak at the schedule and start to wonder just what this Creighton team can accomplish in the post-Kalkbrenner era.
Projected Starters
Guard – Nik Graves (Senior)
Graves slides into a big role in this new-look backcourt for the Bluejays after stellar work over at Charlotte. The 6-3 point guard averaged 17.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game with the 49ers in his junior year and now should run the show for Creighton at the point. He’s not an elite shooter but definitely brings some excitement on both sides of the ball.
Guard – Josh Dix (Senior)
Coming off a really nice junior year with Iowa, Dix steps into an important role for Creighton and is another transfer portal addition. He spent three seasons with the Hawkeyes and just produced 14.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists a game last year. Dix has shot 40% from 3 in each of his collegiate seasons leaving the Bluejays hoping he can be a sharpshooter and playmaker in this backcourt.
Forward – Jasen Green (Junior)
After limited work as a freshman, Green found his footing more last season, finding a spot in the starting rotation and becoming an asset for this team. The Omaha native put up 4.9 points and 3.2 rebounds a game as sophomore. He hasn’t had a ton of chances, which will certainly now come as an upperclassman, but Green is shooting 74% from inside the arc in his career.
Forward – Jackson McAndrew (Sophomore)
Named Big East All-Freshman last season, McAndrew came to town from Minnesota as a Top 40 recruit and lived up to that billing at times. He averaged 7.8 points and 4.4 rebounds a game while showing bursts of brilliance. Now he’s not only the top returning scorer for the Bluejays but also entering a sophomore season that’s very important for his development, especially with a much larger role in this frontcourt.
Forward – Owen Freeman (Junior)
Another transfer portal addition fresh from Iowa, Freeman comes to Creighton as the new answer at the 5. He was named Big Ten Rookie of the Year and then had a solid sophomore season before an injury knocked him out in January. Over 19 games, Freeman averaged 16.7 points and 6.7 rebounds and should be a major asset for the Bluejays, even if he’s not the same type of defensive menace as Kalkbrenner.
Key Reserves
Guard – Austin Swartz (Sophomore)
Few things went right for Miami last season and Swartz arrives at Creighton looking for a fresh start. A Top 50 recruit last season, Swartz didn’t quite find his footing for the Hurricanes, averaging just 5.9 points per game in a limited role. When he’s on his game, he’s a shotmaker and very productive scorer who just might become one of the best bench players in the Big East.
Guard – Blake Harper (Sophomore)
The numbers may have come at Howard, but Harper had one of the nation’s best freshman seasons last year. He averaged 19.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists for the Bison, winning both MEAC Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year honors. Now, Harper transitions from the MEAC’s best scorer into a role in the Big East and it’ll be interesting to see the transition during his sophomore season.
Guard – Fedor Zugic (Junior)
Zugic is a 6-6 guard from Montenegro who arrived last season with the Bluejays and had decent minutes in a backup role. Playing in just over half the games, Zugic averaged 4.5 points and 1.6 rebounds, making a few key shots along the way. The Creighton faithful are hoping he can take a step forward and be an assertive piece off the bench, especially if he can remain an efficient shooter.
Guard – Hudson Greer (Freshman)
The major freshman addition of the offseason, Greer is a 6-6 forward from Florida who’s considered a Top 75 recruit. This 4-star wing has a bit of everything in his game, as he can shoot, rebound, and defend with his size and athleticism. Greer projects as a smart player who’s offensive game still needs work but he can really bring energy.
Forward – Isaac Traudt (Junior)
After an impressive showing at the high school level in Nebraska, Traudt was a Top 50 recruit who chose Virginia, but after a redshirt year without playing for the Cavaliers he landed in Omaha. He’s fresh off a second season in a backup role for the Bluejays, putting up 4.6 points and 2.2 rebounds a night. However, with Kalkbrenner and others gone, there’s a chance for major contributions from Traudt if he can realize his potential.
Schedule Outlook
The fun begins early for the Bluejays this season as they’ll head to Spokane to face Gonzaga on November 11, their second game of the year. Two weeks later it’s Las Vegas and the Players Era Festival, with matchups against Baylor, Iowa State, and then a third team two days later. There’s a sprinkle of home tuneups mixed in November as well.
The Bluejays get their rivalry matchup at Nebraska on December 7 and will welcome Kansas State to town less than a week later in another interesting showdown. After that, the Bluejays actually do begin Big East play at Xavier in the middle of December, though there’s one final nonconference game against Utah Tech right before Christmas.
Since Big East play is a double round robin, Creighton will face every conference foe twice. They do have three of their first four conference games on the road, but should be favored in several matchups this season. The tough stretch for the Bluejays actually comes in late February as they’ll face UConn and St. John’s on the road back-to-back. The regular season concludes at Butler on March 4.
Season Outlook
When McDermott’s son Doug was a player for Creighton, the program experienced great highs and even transitioned into the Big East during that time. There was a tough year after he left town, but Greg McDermott and his coaching staff continued doing what they always do: bringing great talent to replacing the outgoing players. Kalkbrenner may be gone, but this program has won 20 games ten years in a row and has the talent to continue that streak.
The headliner is clearly the new additions from the transfer portal, as that compromised half of the ten players we evaluated earlier. There’s no Kalkbrenner-level talent leading this frontcourt anymore but if anything Freeman is an even better offensive player. He’s a skilled shot maker and rebounder who when healthy can grow into an All-Big East player without question.
Creighton’s backcourt has been filled with notable names in recent years but it truly is a fresh crop of talent leading the charge. Dix showed off as a dynamic scorer in the Big Ten while Graves has the ability to be a successful point guard at this level. If Swartz can develop into a great shooter off the bench, then this backcourt could become one of the best in the Big East.
We can’t forget McAndrew and the importance he’ll have this season. While there were certainly expectations for him last year, there’s even more on his shoulders as he slides further up the depth chart. Players like him, Green, and Traudt get their chances this season and the Bluejays really need at least one of them to really stand out if they’re going to compete for a league title.
On paper, this team had a lot of moving pieces and shed a lot of talent and it won’t be a surprise to see them outside the national rankings. However, there’s a lot of deep potential here as well. A healthy and productive Freeman pairing with McAndrew in that frontcourt could be monstrous and that’s just the start. No one should expect less than another solid year from the Bluejays and another 20-win campaign, but what are the realistic expectations in Omaha?