Coming off five straight NCAA tournament appearances, can the Creighton Bluejays finally reach the Final Four under Greg McDermott?<\/p>\n
The Creighton Bluejays are coming off another NCAA tournament appearance under Greg McDermott. Creighton finished 25-11, including a 15-5 record in the Big East. However, they ended up losing in the second round to the two-seed Tennessee Volunteers. The Bluejays are looking to advance deeper in March despite being one of the Big East’s best teams in recent seasons.<\/p>\n
Creighton experienced significant roster changes this offseason. The Bluejays lost key players to the NBA, such as Steven Ashworth<\/a> and four-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year<\/a> Ryan Kalkbrenner<\/a>. Despite losing plenty of impactful players to the league in previous seasons, McDermott has always done well to reload every season. The same should be expected in Omaha this year.<\/p>\n Creighton is currently ranked #23 in the preseason AP Poll<\/a>. The Bluejays are also ranked #41 in the preseason KenPom rankings<\/a>, third best in the Big East behind UConn and St. John’s. However, Creighton should not be lost in the conversation as one of the elite Big East teams. Despite multiple key losses this offseason, Creighton is bringing in a top-12 transfer class<\/a> and the second best in the conference<\/a>, according to 247Sports.<\/p>\n Transfers such as Nik Graves<\/a> and Owen Freeman<\/a> should have a sizable impact on the Bluejays this upcoming season. Graves is coming off an impressive junior season at Charlotte, where he averaged 17.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 33 games. While Graves lacks the playmaking of a traditional point guard, he more than makes up for it as a scorer. A playmaking leap under McDermott also cannot be ruled out. Graves should be one of the best starting point guards in the Big East.<\/p>\n Owen Freeman is coming off a very productive sophomore season that saw him average 16.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game. His defensive playmaking and ability to stretch the floor should be valuable for the Bluejays. Despite losing Ryan Kalkbrenner, Freeman should be able to form a strong frontcourt duo with rising sophomore Jackson McAndrew<\/a>.<\/p>\n Last year, Creighton was top-45 in both offense and defense<\/a>, according to KenPom rankings. The current projections have Creighton as a top-25 offense<\/a> but 65th best on defense<\/a> for this season. While Creighton will have one of the best offenses in the country, their ability to get defensive stops will decide how far they advance in March. Ashworth and Kalkbrenner are significant losses, but Creighton’s transfer class should make an immediate impact.<\/p>\n Creighton’s projected starting five is expected to be Nik Graves, Josh Dix<\/a>, Blake Harper<\/a>, Jackson McAndrew, and Owen Freeman. They also have rising sophomore Fedor \u017dugi\u0107<\/a> and top-60 freshman Hudson Greer, <\/a>who can both add offense on day one. The Bluejays have an intriguing mix of size and shooting that will make them dangerous. Replicating the same defensive tenacity they showed in their exhibition with #16 Iowa State this week can make them a Final Four dark horse.<\/p>\nCreighton’s roster is being strongly overlooked<\/h3>\n
Creighton’s Final Four ceiling comes down to defense<\/h3>\n
The Last Word<\/strong><\/h3>\n