Read below for a full Kansas vs Creighton prediction and preview.
Kansas looks to remain undefeated and #1 in the AP Poll against Creighton. Kansas leads the all-time series 11-6, including six straight wins. These two teams played most recently in 2022 when Kansas won 79-72.
Game Information:
Teams: No. 1 Kansas (7-0) and Creighton (5-3)
Tip Time: 7:30 PM CST (8:30 PM EST)
Watch: FS1
Listen:Â Jayhawk Radio Network
What to know about Creighton:
After starting the season 4-0, Creighton dropped three straight games to Nebraska, San Diego State, and Texas A&M. They responded nicely though, beating Notre Dame by 4. This team has been severely banged up. Ryan Kalkbrenner, Steven Ashworth, and Pop Isaacs have all missed a game due to injury. Plus, the key piece Fedor Zugic hasn’t been cleared to play yet. Things could be turning in the right direction. All three should play, and there are rumors of Zugic’s arrival happening sooner rather than later.
Creighton rebounds the ball at a high level, in big part due to the big man down low in Kalkbrenner. They average 41 a game, top 25 in the country. They are also in the top 50 in free-throw shooting. Where they’ve really struggled though is steals. Creighton is averaging 3.4 a game, 360th best in the country. Pair that with the 13.4 turnovers per game, and you’ve got a bad combo.
The key for them will be the guard play. Isaacs and Ashworth are both great guards, but they’ll need to really step up and force Kansas’ guards to match them, especially if Kalkbrenner limits Dickinson inside. The home crowd should be rowdy, which will certainly help as well.
Latest on Kansas basketball:
Kansas remained at #1 after wins against Duke and Furman. The Duke game was played in Las Vegas, and even without Hunter Dickinson for most of the second half, they were still able to pull off the neutral-court victory. Then, they welcomed a 7-0 Furman to Allen Fieldhouse and took care of business, winning by 35.
KJ Adams is coming off a huge week, dominating defensively against Duke, then leading KU in scoring with 22 against Furman. Dajuan Harris was tremendous as well, averaging 8.5 assists in those two games. What has made Kansas so dangerous this year is the depth. We know what Dickinson, Harris, and Adams will bring every night, but being able to get double digit scoring from Zeke Mayo, AJ Storr, and Rylan Griffen is a big reason for the undefeated start. Plus, you have 5-star Flory Bidunga coming off the bench and providing great minutes anytime he’s on the floor.
Bill Self made a switch last week, moving AJ Storr into the starting lineup and bringing Griffen off the bench. It seemed to work, as Kansas had their best week of the season. As Self continues to test out rotations and depth charts before conference play, it’ll be interesting to see if this strategy remains or if it gets mixed up again.
Kansas will need KJ Adams to bully whoever Creighton throws at him. The power forward spot is Kansas’ biggest advantage, so if KJ can dominate, it’ll open things up for the rest of his team and lead to an easy victory. Don’t underestimate the first true road game of the season, it’s always going to be tough no matter who you’re playing.
Prediction: Kansas by 4