22. Creighton (4-1)
We’ll get more into this shortly, but a lot of the success this season for Creighton lies on the shoulders of Ryan Kalkbrenner. We can’t say enough about this man, who is jockeying for another Defensive Player of the Year award in the Big East while standing out as an offensive menace in the paint. The 7-footer is the main piece on a talented Creighton lineup, though this past week certainly altered the early trajectory of the Bluejays’ season.
After four easy wins to start the year, Creighton really buckled on Friday night, falling 74-63 at home against rival Nebraska. The Cornhuskers completely owned the game, limiting Kalkbrenner to just one shot attempt while an unbalanced Creighton offense shot way too many 3-pointers. Pop Isaacs had 25 points and 7 rebounds in a loss where the Bluejays put up just ten shots inside the arc for the entire game.
Keeping Creighton in reasonable shape in these rankings is an acknowledgement that this cannot happen again. Greg McDermott and this staff cannot allow their team to become this one dimensional, even if Kalkbrenner is being double or triple-teamed. Luckily, the Bluejays can cast away this sour taste at the upcoming Players Era Festival, with guaranteed matchups against San Diego State and Texas A&M on the docket.