When you have one of the best players in the country, you’ve got a real shot at something special. Creighton basketball has that in Ryan Kalkbrenner.
The tradition continues! CBB Review is again ranking the top 100 teams heading into the new college basketball season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Creighton basketball.
Headlined by the return of Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton basketball boasts another stacked roster. The 7-footer will look to be one of the best two-way players in the Big East once again, and will play his second season with Steven Ashworth at point guard. Joining him in the backcourt will be Texas Tech transfer Pop Isaacs. He’s not afraid to take the tough shot – and won’t be the most efficient, but will be fun to watch and will also make some great plays in the backcourt.
Jamiya Neal, Mason Miller, and Isaac Traudt will be three other key players within this Creighton system. Like usual, Greg McDermott has a very offensively talented group, and an underrated defensive team.
I’m also keeping an eye on Fedor Zugic and Jasen Green. Zugic, an international prospect, got some high praise from SI.com as someone who could turn into one of the top players for the Jays this season. Green had a promising freshman year, and could be another key player off the bench.
Creighton has never made a Final Four, but with a talented group around arguably the best big man in the game, 2025 could be the year.
Click here to learn more about our preseason top 100 teams heading into the 2024-25 college basketball season.
Head coach: Greg McDermott (15th season at Creighton, 24th season overall)
2023-24 record: 25-10 (14-6)
2024 postseason finish: Lost to Tennessee (82-75) in Sweet 16 of NCAA Tournament
Notable departures:
- Baylor Scheierman (18.5 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 3.9 APG, 38.1 3P%)
- Trey Alexander (17.6 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.1 SPG, 33.9 3P%)
Notable non-conference games:
- vs. Nebraska (Nov. 22)
- vs. San Diego State (Nov. 26)
- vs. Texas A&M (Nov. 27)
- Players Era Festival (Nov. 30)
- vs. Kansas (Dec. 4)
- vs. UNLV (Dec. 7)
- at Alabama (Dec. 14)
Projected Rotation
PG: Steven Ashworth (6-0, 175, Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 11.1 PPG, 4.2 APG, 3.3 RPG, 34.9 3P%
SG: Pop Isaacs (6-2, 180, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 15.8 PPG, 3.5 APG, 3.2 RPG, 1.0 SPG, 34.9 FG% (Texas Tech)
SF: Jamiya Neal (6-5, 190, Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 11.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.1 SPG (Arizona State)
PF: Mason Miller (6-9, 195, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 5.6 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 0.4 APG, 45.4 3P%
C: Ryan Kalkbrenner (7-1, 270, Gr.-Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 17.3 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.3 APG, 3.1 BPG, 64.6 FG%
6: Isaac Traudt (6-10, 225, So.)
2023-24 stats: 2.9 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 0.4 APG, 8.8 MPG
7: Fedor Zugic (6-6, 215)
8: Jasen Green (6-8, 230, So.)
2023-24 stats: 1.6 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 0.3 APG, 65.4 FG%, 7.2 MPG
9: Jackson McAndrew (6-10, 220, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #38 ranked recruit
10: Fredrick King (6-9, 250, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 2.6 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 0.1 APG, 57.1 FG%, 6.4 MPG
11: Larry Johnson (6-4, 200, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #114 ranked recruit
12: Ty Davis (6-4, 180, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #167 ranked recruit
Creighton Basketball team MVP: Ryan Kalkbrenner
Anyone else in this spot would call into question my knowledge as a college basketball reporter. While Baylor Scheierman and Trey Alexander were both heavily relied on last season, they both left, leaving Kalkbrenner as the easy choice for number one option on this team.
The fifth year senior has accomplished it all, including three straight Big East Defensive Player of the Year awards. Last season, Kalkbrenner surprisingly only made the second-team for the conference, after making the first-team as a junior. Of course, the Big East is always loaded, and the conference had another great big man in Donovan Clingan. But you have to think Kalkbrenner will use that as motivation for his final collegiate season.
Creighton Basketball make-or-break player: Pop Isaacs
While Zugic is the most intriguing and perhaps unknown player on this Creighton basketball squad, Pop Isaacs will need to live up to the hype. He was Creighton’s big-time transfer get and will need to help fill the shoes of Scheierman and Alexander.
Of course, Isaacs isn’t Baylor Scheierman or Trey Alexander. But he can do it all on the basketball court, and that’ll be crucial in terms of how he can set up players within this offense. Steven Ashworth is a solid point guard, but Creighton is used to having a few guys who can playmake and rack up the assists. You have to think Isaacs will be called upon to help make up for what was lost in that department. He had six assists in the exhibition game against Purdue, a small sample of what Isaacs can bring to this team.
Key analytic: APG
Let’s continue that talk about assists per game. Last year, Creighton ranked 18th in the country with 16.8 APG. Again, going to that exhibition game, the Jays dished out 25 assists on 36 made buckets. Crips offense has always been a part of what Greg McDermott wants the style to be in Omaha.
This year, it’ll be up to Ashworth, Isaacs, and potentially Jamiya Neal, to lead Creighton in that department. But 1-5 and everyone off the bench needs to be in tune to the nature of this offense. It’s built on passing, cutting, shooting, and trusting each other to make the correct next play. Creighton has thrived under it lately, but it’s a newer look after losing some of the program’s best players. How it translates to this season will be interesting to watch.
Creighton Basketball 2024-25 projections
Projected conference finish: 2nd in the Big East
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament Final Four Exit