Numerous accolades dictate Greg McDermott’s successful run over the last 15 years at Creighton. This past year saw the Bluejays make their fifth straight trip to the NCAA Tournament and their ninth straight season finishing Top 4 in the competitive Big East. This past season featured 25 wins and a trip to the Tourney’s second round, a fifth straight year with at least one win in the Big Dance, but it was also the end of an era.
After five brilliant and historic seasons, Ryan Kalkbrenner exhausted his eligbility after leaving quite the mark on this program. Fellow seniors Steven Ashworth and Jamiya Neal are also gone after major contributions while point guard Pop Isaacs left town after missing most of the season with a knee injury. Significant talent does return in the frontcourt as underclassmen Jasen Green, Jackson McAndrew, and Isaac Traudt all are back.
As has been the case in recent years, McDermott utilized the transfer portal to fill some massive holes this offseason. The new point guard is Nik Graves from Charlotte while Miami’s Austin Swartz adds talent in the backcourt. Many eyes will be on former Iowa center Owen Freeman as the new man in the middle for the Bluejays while Blake Harper from Howard could also be a critical piece at forward.
Arguments could easily be made for Freeman’s importance, but we’re leaning with his former and current teammate Josh Dix. A 6-5 combo guard from Council Bluffs, Iowa, Dix spent his first three years at Iowa, rising from a backup piece to a major playmaker for the Hawkeyes. His junior season saw him put up 14.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game while knocking down 42% of his 3-point attempts.
While replacing Kalkbrenner’s impact on both sides of the ball was a major goal for this offseason, what Dix brings to the table for the Bluejays in the backcourt is even more important. He’s one of the best long-range shooters in the nation and more than replaces Ashworth’s offensive production. Dix is a great ball handler and should be one of the leaders for Creighton this upcoming season, especially if he can keep building on those brilliant offensive metrics.
There are many reasons to believe that Dix will be Creighton’s leading scorer next season as well as one of the best pure shooters in the Big East. The Bluejays are heavy on frontcourt talent but get a real offensive dynamo in Dix and that’ll do wonders this upcoming season. Expect big things yet again from the Bluejays even with a number of moving parts as they picked up three impressive starters in the portal. Can Dix knock down 42% of his 3-pointers once again?