Expectations remain sky high for No. 15 Creighton to continue to pile up wins despite the team enduring significant losses from last season.
The primary reason for optimism begins with Ryan Kalkbrenner, a three-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year and this year’s conference preseason Player of the Year.
While the Bluejays bid adieu to Baylor Scheierman and Trey Alexander, they’ll look to a familiar face in Kalkbrenner when they bid for their 30th straight home-opening win Wednesday night against UT Rio Grande Valley in Omaha, Neb.
Kalkbrenner averaged 17.3 points per game while shooting a scintillating 64.6 percent from the floor last season to help Creighton post a 25-10 record and advance to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 for the third time in four years. The 7-foot-1, 270-pound senior also averaged 7.6 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game in 2023-24.
“Ryan deserves a little more credit,” Bluejays coach Greg McDermott said at Big East media day. “He’s not only gonna be known as one of the better players that have ever worn a Creighton uniform, he’s gonna be looked upon as one of the better centers that’s ever played in the Big East.”
Kalkbrenner won’t have to go it alone, however. Steven Ashworth, a preseason All-Big East third-team selection, also returns after averaging 11.1 points and starting every game last season.
“To return your point guard and your center, it’s a great place to start,” McDermott said. “Their leadership has been incredible so far, and it’s gonna be really important because we’re about to navigate the toughest non-conference schedule we’ve ever played. We’re gonna need them to do it.”
Texas Tech transfer Pop Isaacs and Arizona State transfer Jamiya Neal also will look to make an impact. The former averaged 15.8 points per game last season for the Red Raiders while the latter contributed 11.0 points in 2023-24 with the Sun Devils.
Isaacs collected 24 points and six assists to help Creighton record a 93-87 victory over Purdue in an exhibition game on Oct. 26.
“Let’s just have a couple more dress rehearsals for these guys against some high-quality competition,” McDermott said. “A couple of our freshmen are gonna have to step up and help us, and I think Pop and Jamiya, as the season goes on, they’ll be terrific.”
The additions will need to accomplish a lot to balance out the subtractions of Scheierman (18.5 points per game, 9.0 rebounds) and Alexander (17.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 4.7 assists per game). Scheierman now plays for the Boston Celtics, while Alexander is suiting up with the Denver Nuggets.
UT Rio Grande Valley (0-1) gave Nebraska a scare in its season opener before dropping an 87-67 decision Monday.
The Vaqueros rebounded from a 15-point, second-half deficit and trailed 69-65 after K.T. Raimey’s basket with 5:52 left.
Raimey scored 14 points, Cliff Davis had 12 on four 3-pointers, and Tommy Gankhuyag and DK Thorn added 11 points each while connecting three times apiece from beyond the arc for UTRGV.
“There’s a long way to go,” first-year Vaqueros coach Kahil Fennell said of a team that finished 6-25 last season.
“It’s a pretty big undertaking with everything we are trying to put in place with no continuity from last year. There is a long way to go. There are large swatches of progress yet to be made, but our guys are working exceptionally hard. I am proud of the hard work they are putting in, and I do feel that we are continuing to improve. I am excited about that.”