The stats say No. 14 Creighton is off to a great start to the new season: an undefeated record, a top-20 KenPom adjusted efficiency rating and one of the top scorers in the nation.
But coach Greg McDermott doesn’t have to look far to find areas he wants the Bluejays to improve, with a sharp rise in the level of competition around the corner.
Next up for Creighton is its in-state rivalry game against visiting Nebraska on Friday in Omaha, Neb.
Then, the Bluejays will travel to Las Vegas for the inaugural Players Era Festival, where they’ll play San Diego State, No. 23 Texas A&M and a third opponent to be determined that could also carry a national ranking. No. 1 Kansas will come to Omaha in early December, as well.
After the Bluejays (4-0) beat Kansas City 79-56 last Saturday, McDermott was asked for his assessment of where his group stands through two weeks of the regular season.
“Not even close to where we need to be, I don’t think,” he said. “I think we’re moving that way. I don’t think everybody understands how ready we need to be next Friday night and then jumping on a plane Sunday to head to Vegas for those three games. We don’t get a breath the rest of the season now.”
One issue McDermott harped on was boxing out. Although Creighton outrebounded Kansas City 52-34, the coach was unhappy that the Roos managed to get 12 offensive rebounds. He also has an eye on the Bluejays’ shot selection and making sure they get the shot they want every trip up the floor, though the team has made 52.3 percent from the field this season.
A big reason for that is center Ryan Kalkbrenner, who kicked off the season with a 49-point game on 20-for-22 shooting against UT Rio Grande Valley. He hasn’t come close to replicating that outburst since, but Kalkbrenner is tied for fourth in Division I with 25.8 points per game and third in the country at 89.1 percent shooting.
For the first time this season, Kalkbrenner wasn’t the leading scorer for Creighton against Kansas City. Freshman wing Jackson McAndrew came off the bench for 15 points, 3-of-4 shooting from deep and seven rebounds in 16 minutes, while all five starters scored between nine and 14 points.
McDermott’s team was well-prepared for last year’s edition of the rivalry game, throttling Nebraska 89-60 on the road. But Nebraska turned the tables on its last trip to Omaha in a 63-53 win on Dec. 4, 2022.
The Cornhuskers (3-1) hung tough with Saint Mary’s on Sunday before losing 77-74 in a neutral-site game in South Dakota.
After falling behind by 10 with roughly four minutes to play, Nebraska stormed back to within one point. The Huskers forced Saint Mary’s to the line, Mikey Lewis made both his free throws and Brice Williams missed his 3-point try at the buzzer that would have forced overtime.
Williams still finished with 28 points, his highest total in two seasons at Nebraska. He went 11-for-11 from the foul line and agreed after the game that the physicality resembled a Big Ten matchup.
“We have a lot of growing to do, but we’re just taking steps every night to get better,” Williams said. “From the first exhibition game, we’ve taken steps, we’ve gotten better, we have developed a little bit more chemistry.”
Williams leads the Cornhuskers with 18.8 points per game, while Juwan Gary provides 10.5 points, 2.0 assists and 2.5 steals per contest.
Creighton forward Mason Miller, who has missed the past two games with an undisclosed injury, could return this week, McDermott said.
