Last season was a disappointing one for Creighton, which finished with a losing record for the first time in 11 seasons. Many injuries stalled the Bluejays’ season. It was an unfitting end to a very good tenure for Greg McDermott. With new head coach Alan Huss and seven transfers, Creighton looks to regain consistency in the Big East.
Creighton’s Departing Players
Like most teams in this transfer-portal era, Creighton lost many players last year. This was also to be expected with a new coach. The Bluejays lost 10 players, eight of them to the portal, with seven of those eight being rotational players. Most notably, Creighton lost its leading scorer, Josh Dix, who averaged 13 points per game, and Nik Graves, who led the Bluejays in assists; both players exhausted their eligibility.
Huss also lost reservesBlake Harper, who scored 8 points per game, and Fedor Žugić. Owen Freeman arrived with major expectations after transferring in from Iowa but struggled to get healthy following an offseason meniscus injury. Freeman played only 12 minutes per game last season and transferred to Auburn.
Huss also had to replace rotation players Kerem Konan and Ty Davis. Ten players is a lot to lose in one offseason. However, everyone that Huss lost was replaceable.
Creighton’s Returning Players
Huss retained six players from last year’s team. Leading the charge is starter Jasen Green, who averaged 11 points and 6 rebounds per game while shooting 55% from the floor. Green was also named to the Crown Basketball All-Tournament Team.
Austin Swartz, a former four-star recruit who began his career at Miami, started to put things together last year, averaging 11 points per game. Playing 22 games as a freshman and averaging 5 points while battling injuries, former four-star Hudson Greer will look to take a big step forward this season.
After just four games, Jackson McAndrew’s sophomore season ended due to a foot injury. McAndrew started 31 games as a freshman and will look to have a big impact this season. Isaac Traudt started in 23 games for Creighton last year, averaging 7 points and 3 rebounds per game. These returners give Huss a solid foundation for his first team at Creighton.
Bluejays Recruits
In his first recruiting class at Creighton, Huss brought in two four-star recruits. 247Sports ranks combo guard Katrelle Harmon as the 61st-best recruit in the country. Harmon is still filling out his frame but can make an immediate impact for the Bluejays by scoring and creating opportunities for his teammates.
Huss also added Trevon Carter-Givens, a 6-foot-10 forward who is exciting around the basket. He will need to fill out his frame but could develop into a strong finishing and rim-protecting center.
Portal
Huss went to work in the portal this offseason, adding seven transfers, five of whom should factor into the rotation. The headliner is South Florida transfer guard Wes Enis, who made 107 threes and averaged 16 points per game last year. He was also a first-team all-conference pick in the American Conference.
Brody Robinson was a first-team All-Horizon League selection, averaging 18 points and 7 assists per game for Oakland last year. The big caveat here is that Robinson is in a fight with the NCAA over his eligibility; he is currently ineligible.
Center Fredrick King also faces eligibility questions. He played his first three seasons at Creighton before spending last season at Murray State, where he was first-team all-conference. Last season, King averaged 13 points and 8 rebounds per game.
San Diego State guard BJ Davis joins Creighton after averaging 11 points per game last season. Huss added a familiar Big East foe in Providence’s starting center Oswin Erhunmwunse. Erhunmwunse averaged 7 points and 8 rebounds per game and should be Huss’ rim protector after averaging 2 blocks per game last year.
Depth Chart and Years of Eligibility
- PG: Robinson (1 year if granted eligibility), Davis (2 years), Harmon, Shane Thomas (2 years)
- SG: Enis (2 years), Harmon (5 years), Kayden Edwards (TCU transfer, 4 years)
- SF: Swartz (3 years), Green (1 year), Greer (4 years)
- PF: McAndrew (3 years), Green, Traudt (1 year), Carter-Givens (5 years)
- C: Erhunmwunse (3 years), King (1 year), Wesley Rosa (Dodge City CC transfer, 2 years)
The Last Word
The Bluejays look much better than last season, but so does the rest of the Big East. Huss will look to put his team back in the NCAA Tournament, but a few major questions remain.
Will Robinson be granted eligibility? If not, who plays point guard? Without Robinson, Creighton may be in scramble mode and without a true point guard. Can Erhunmwunse step up on the offensive end? The rim protection and rebounding are there, but can he score away from the rim and improve his 53% free-throw percentage?
How effective can Harmon be as a freshman? If Robinson is deemed ineligible, Harmon may be asked to take on a larger role; can he handle that as a freshman, and can he run the point in the Big East? Although the Bluejays are much improved, it is realistic to pick them to finish in the middle of the Big East and to land on the NCAA Tournament bubble.
Other News
UConn, Michigan Set For Exciting Title Game Rematch
Holtmann’s Third Year at DePaul Will Tell Us a Lot
Pitino has brought St. John’s back to Madison Square Garden
Photo Credit: Wendell Cruz, Imagn Images via Reuters Contact