21. Creighton Blue Jays
Creighton must move forward without Ryan Kalkbrenner, but transfers like Blake Harper from Howard (19.5 ppg) and Iowa’s Josh Dix and Owen Freeman should fill the void. Coach Greg McDermott’s group remains built to compete in the Big East.
The Blue Jays reached the Big East final and played in front of 19,812 fans at Madison Square Garden. Kalkbrenner scored 15, but they were blown out by a red-hot Red Storm team from St. John's. That led them to a 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament. In the big dance, the Blue Jays blew by Louisville 89-75. In the second round, the Blue Jays could not slow down Auburn, and their season ended at 25-11.
Ever since McDermott took over at Creighton, the Blue Jays have been a powerhouse out of the Big East. They are still seeking their first-ever trip to the Final Four with McDermott at the helm, but they have reached the dance five straight seasons, including three trips to the Sweet 16. As far as Big East play, the Blue Jays have now finished inside the Top four in nine straight seasons. The last time they did not was during the 2014-15 season, when they went 4-14 and finished in a tie for 9th.
- Head Coach: Doug McDermott (16th season)
- Home Arena: CHI Health Center Omaha, Omaha, NE
- 2024-25 Record: 25-11
- 2024-25 Conference Record: 15-5
- 2024-25 Advancement: Reached NCAA Tournament Second Round. After beating Louisville 89-75, the Blue Jays lost to Auburn 82-70 in Lexington.
- Leading scorer: Ryan Kalkbrenner, 19.2 per game
- Leading rebounder: Ryan Kalkbrenner, 8.7 per game
- First Game: Wednesday, November 5, 2025 vs. South Dakota