A new era of Creighton basketball begins this season with Alan Huss assuming the head coaching position with the Bluejays. The last sixteen years under Greg McDermott were filled with memorable moments, great seasons, and phenomenal players, though this past year was certainly a rare exception.
Creighton had won 20 games in ten straight years and made five straight trips to the Big Dance, but both of those streaks were snapped thanks to last year’s disappointment. Even though the Bluejays nabbed 5th place in an unsteady Big East, the team finished the season just 16-18. The combination of injuries and a few players underachieving really led to an inconsistent and forgettable season in Omaha.
Naturally, a number of changes have come to this roster in the offseason. Senior guards Josh Dix and Nik Graves were both double figure scorers who are gone. Owen Freeman is another notable exit, though he greatly underachieved with the Bluejays after he was expected to be a major answer in the frontcourt. However, a few of the younger pieces are coming back and there’s some real optimism with the new look of this lineup.
Nobody is exactly picking Creighton for a deep Tournament run, but Huss knows that just getting the Bluejays back into the Tourney and those kinds of conversations would be a great first step. He has brief experience in rebuilding High Point before spending last year on the Creighton bench, though it’ll be interesting to see how different this program looks under his leadership.
Projected Starters
Guard – BJ Davis (Senior)
The first of several notable transfer additions, Davis is a 6-1 point guard from California who spent his first three seasons out at San Diego State. He stepped into a major role in year two with the Aztecs before fitting better as a reserve last season, putting up 10.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists as a junior. The Bluejays are hoping he can be a significant playmaker and a consistent weapon on both sides of the ball.
Guard – Wes Enis (Senior)
The addition of Enis is among the most notable offseason moves from the Big East as a whole. A former D2 star, Enis did fantastic work at South Florida last season. He averaged 16.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists and saved his best for last, becoming American Tournament MVP while guiding the Bulls to the Big Dance. Creighton is hoping for similar leadership and heroics, as well as even better shooting after knocking down 35% from outside the arc.
Forward – Jackson McAndrew (Junior)
The Bluejays had major expectations for McAndrew last season, but the former Top 40 prospect suffered a season-ending injury after just four games. In his freshman year, he showed great potential with 7.8 points and 4.4 rebounds a night, and his numbers likely would’ve been even better in a full second year. Regardless, McAndrew is healthy again and is important to this team’s potential success.
Forward – Jasen Green (Senior)
Now entering year four at Creighton, Green will continue to play a major role in this frontcourt. The Omaha native continues to shine with his hometown program, averaging 10.5 points and 6.3 rebounds after taking a major step forward as an upperclassman. There’ll be even on his shoulders this season on both ends of the court; don’t be shocked if he becomes an All-Big East forward.
Forward – Oswin Erhunmwunse (Junior)
He’s no stranger to the Big East, as Erhunmwunse comes to Creighton after spending two years at Providence. A 6-10 big originally from Nigeria, Erhunmwunse started a majority of the 65 games he played for the Friars and just had 6.9 points and 8.3 rebounds as a sophomore. He’s a fantastic finisher, rebounder, and shot blocker and Creighton is hoping he fits right into this system.
Key Reserves
Guard – Austin Swartz (Junior)
After a decent showing as a freshman at Miami, Swartz found his way to Creighton last offseason and likely doesn’t regret the results. While the team may have struggled, he carved out a solid role for himself, averaging 10.9 points and 2.8 rebounds while starting a handful of games for the Bluejays. The former Top 50 recruit likely takes another step forward and might be playing starter minutes even off the bench.
Guard – Brody Robinson (Senior)
We don’t for sure know if Robinson will be eligible when the games begin, but the 5-10 guard from Houston is a fantastic shooter and would be a welcomed addition to this backcourt. He went from Chattanooga to JUCO to UT Arlington to Oakland and is fresh off a demonstrative season with the Golden Grizzlies. Robinson put up 17.6 points and 6.7 assists a game and you can bet he’ll challenge for that point guard role if he’s on the court.
Guard – Katrelle Harmon (Freshman)
A 4-star athlete considered a Top 100 recruit, Harmon is a 6-4 shooting guard from Seattle who is clearly the most intriguing freshman addition to this unit. He’s an intelligent backcourt player who’ll likely find his way onto the court thanks to his shooting and space-making ability. We’ll see how this standout translates his game to the college level, but he seems to have a fantastic basketball IQ.
Guard – Kayden Edwards (Sophomore)
The Bluejays grabbed another notable recruit, this time grabbing Edwards after meager work with TCU. The former Top 75 prospect is a craft guard from Fort Worth who saw very limited minutes with the Horned Frogs, averaging just 3.2 points and 0.6 assists a night. Still, he projects as a great two-way player and shot maker and we’ll see if he gets the opportunities to prove his value.
Forward – Trevon Carter-Givens (Freshman)
Perhaps he fits the Creighton mold well because Carter-Givens seems a lot like a traditional big man who might thrive in this system. The 3-star recruit has a long wingspan and great instincts around the rim on both sides of the ball. We won’t compare him to any recent Creighton legends, but there’s hope that he can become a defensive stalwart with a shooting touch as well.
Guard – Hudson Greer (Sophomore)
Yet another top recruit looking for his opportunities, Greer was behind a few people on the depth chart with the Bluejays last year but might finally get his chance. The 6-7 wing from Texas saw time in a majority of Creighton’s games while putting up just 4.7 points a night. The combination of his long-range shooting potential and athleticism still has this staff excited.
Center – Fredrick King (Senior)
There are questions remaining about his eligibility as well, but King could be quite the veteran presence if he gets this fifth season. He actually began his career with three seasons with the Bluejays, largely backing up Ryan Kalkbrenner and the rest of this frontcourt. Last year, Murray State offered him a major opportunity and he averaged 13.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks, leading the MVC in field goal percentage, rebounds, and blocks per game.
Forward – Isaac Traudt (Senior)
Each subsequent season with the Bluejays has been more productive for Traudt, who’s suddenly entering year four in Omaha. You can argue he hasn’t lived up to his expectations as a great recruit, but last year was a great step forward, putting up 6.5 points and 2.5 rebounds with a ton of starts for the Bluejays. He’s a notable long-range shooter and is a great veteran piece in this frontcourt.
Schedule Outlook
After two relatively easy home games open the season, the Bluejays get their first road test on November 10th, heading to Kansas State to face a Big 12 opponent. Just a few days later, they get a feisty Iowa squad in Des Moines, facing a team that was in the Elite Eight last season.
The back half of November is where things really get interesting, as Creighton heads to Las Vegas for the Players Era 16. This is where we’ll truly get a sense of where this program stands, starting against defending champion Michigan before facing TCU or Miami and then another opponent.
The fun doesn’t stop there, even though the rest of Creighton’s nonconference games come at home in Omaha. Their rivalry game on December 5th with Nebraska is always an exciting matchup while they’ll play host to an always-relevant Gonzaga squad just a week later. Big East play then begins a week after that with Villanova coming to town.
The conference schedule is balanced in the Big East, meaning the Bluejays will see each of their league rivals twice. They have a bevy of early home games, though that’ll include early looks at UConn and St. John’s. The road trips to those two schools make up a rough stretch in early February in a conference season that culminates at Providence in early March.
Season Outlook
A few things went wrong in McDermott’s final season and Huss is hoping that his tenure kicks off on a much different note. First and foremost, McAndrew and the rest of this lineup remain healthy, though it’s impossible to know and plan for injuries. However, if King and Robinson are both ruled eligible, then maybe we’ll have some different conversations about this team.
Either way, Huss has built a roster that has notable depth, building through a variety of ways. Creighton has some great talent coming back and are really expecting Green and Swartz to build on those double-digit scoring seasons. The point guard position is still very much up in the air, but between Davis, Harmon, and Robinson there’s potentially a myriad of answers to those questions.
Nobody could step into Kalkbrenner’s shoes last season and Creighton’s frontcourt struggled as a results. No one expects them to suddenly become program legends, but the addition of Erhunmwunse and the return of McAndrew certainly helps matters. King really showcased what he can do as a shot blocker and rebounder last season and his presence would also be killer for this team.
No matter how things play out, Creighton has a talented group of athletes even if those eligibility cases don’t work out in their favor. We didn’t even get around to mentioning what Enis means to a backcourt suddenly full of talent and veteran experience, while the Bluejays are also hoping for some great development from those other returners. Unless the injury bug bites again, expect to see Creighton dancing once again.
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