Creighton Basketball 2022-2023

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 10:02 am

Gotta think that the Jays will be pre-season Top 25 next year and probably top 15 depending on who returns.

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 10:03 am

https://omaha.com/sports/college/creig ... -top-story

The Gavitt Games are long overdue to return to Omaha. Indiana and Michigan owe a return trip. Bring Purdue or Iowa, too.

For the Big East-Big 12 series, how about sending the Jayhawks up to Omaha for a rematch?

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 3:39 pm

I’m thinking, at a minimum, the Jays will be preseason top 20..

My understanding is after the post game press conference yesterday, Trey Alexander was already asking when he could start working for the 2022-2023 season..

This program was so fortunate to have 3 seniors of great character this season- AOC, Key and Hawk.. The best influences on a young team you could ever hope for. My impression is their attitude, work ethic and leadership has rubbed off…

Ciao..LiO…Peace

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 10:44 pm

Love that they are already thinking about next year and improving, that is the way you get better! The leadership that the freshman received was amazing and hopefully it takes them a long way

Original · Post by **Original** » Mon Mar 21, 2022 9:18 am

Got to think that late-season run, plus Nembhard and Kalkbrenner back, plus what Kaluma showed against Kansas - polling should be high on the Jays. They will have 4 starters who could, if they can just slightly accelerate their development curves, could be lottery picks in 1-2 years, plus whoever they bring in this off-season... maybe have another potential COVID-bonus guy like Hawkins (Trevor Hudgins, maybe, if they can sell him on it as a draft booster...) I think they have the straight-up potential to be in the national champoinship hunt if at least 3 of the 4 of Kaluma, Kalkbrenner, Nembhard, and Alexander take a leap forward, and one other of Mitchell/Miller/Christofilis/Andronikashvili steps up. The chances are that they won't all do that and they'll instead be a top 20 team and competitive in the Big East, but this group has a real chance to be generationally special for Creighton that I personally haven't seen for the Jays since I moved to Omaha in 2010. They've had good groups before, but not quite like this.

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Mon Mar 21, 2022 11:00 am

Kevin Willard, the Seton Hall coach, just took the job with Maryland....glad that he is out of the Big East. Now if only we can get rid of Danny Hurley.

Post by **Brad** » Wed Mar 23, 2022 8:17 pm

Finally!

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Wed Mar 23, 2022 8:31 pm

Great news..

Can’t wait for the official word and the details

…

Ciao..LiO…Peace

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Wed Mar 23, 2022 9:45 pm

From tonight’s W-H-

“Creighton coach Greg McDermott has agreed to a contract extension that’s likely to keep him in Omaha for many years to come, a source confirmed to The World-Herald Wednesday. Multiple news outlets reported the development Wednesday as well.

Official news of the extension is expected as early as Thursday. Creighton didn’t make a habit of releasing contract details under previous athletic director Bruce Rasmussen, who retired over the summer. The deal is expected to be at least four years, The World-Herald has learned.”..

The complete W-H story link:

https://omaha.com/sports/college/creigh ... -top-story

This is fantastic news for the Bluejay nation..with likely more details to follow tomorrow…

Ciao..LiO…Peace

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Wed Mar 23, 2022 10:04 pm

Good news from Creighton.

Creighton coach Greg McDermott agrees to long-term contract extension

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Wed Mar 23, 2022 11:00 pm

About time and we’ll deserved, sounds like more details will be released tomorrow.

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Thu Mar 24, 2022 9:07 am

Data and Dunks: The scientific secret behind Creighton's success

Cool story about how Creighton uses a chip to track player's movements so they can hopefully not wear down as much and be as susceptible to injury.

MadMartin8 · Post by **MadMartin8** » Thu Mar 24, 2022 9:14 am

Omaha Cowboy wrote: Wed Mar 23, 2022 9:45 pm From tonight’s W-H-

“Creighton coach Greg McDermott has agreed to a contract extension that’s likely to keep him in Omaha for many years to come, a source confirmed to The World-Herald Wednesday. Multiple news outlets reported the development Wednesday as well.

Official news of the extension is expected as early as Thursday. Creighton didn’t make a habit of releasing contract details under previous athletic director Bruce Rasmussen, who retired over the summer. The deal is expected to be at least four years, The World-Herald has learned.”..

The complete W-H story link:

https://omaha.com/sports/college/creigh ... -top-story

This is fantastic news for the Bluejay nation..with likely more details to follow tomorrow…

Ciao..LiO…Peace

One of the best pieces of news for the year. Glad he's around for a while.

Curious though on when he will retire.

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Thu Mar 24, 2022 9:45 am

MadMartin8 wrote: Thu Mar 24, 2022 9:14 am
Curious though on when he will retire.

He is 57 right now so hopefully he has 10 years left.

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Thu Mar 24, 2022 10:42 am

Creighton Announces New Multi-Year Contract for Greg McDermott
McDermott has led Creighton to 276 wins in the past 12 years

https://gocreighton.com/news/2022/3/24/ ... rmott.aspx

McCormick Endowed Athletic Director Marcus Blossom has announced that Creighton men's basketball head coach Greg McDermott has signed a new multi-year contract at Creighton.

"Greg McDermott is an excellent basketball coach who has led our men's basketball program to great successes since his arrival in Omaha over a decade ago," said Blossom. "His teams play hard for each other, are well-prepared, and they form a great community. It's a culture that not only generates wins on the court, but resonates within Creighton and Omaha. We have become one of the best programs in the BIG EAST, a regular participant in the NCAA Tournament and I believe the best is yet to come. This contract represents a commitment of mine to retain and recruit talent, and to win championships. We are confident, under Greg's leadership, that we will achieve our goals."

https://gocreighton.com/news/2022/3/24/ ... print=true

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Thu Mar 24, 2022 11:14 am

I was hoping that it would state the terms of the contract, but as a private school, I know that they don't have to divulge that info.

MadMartin8 · Post by **MadMartin8** » Thu Mar 24, 2022 11:22 am

skinzfan23 wrote: Thu Mar 24, 2022 11:14 am I was hoping that it would state the terms of the contract, but as a private school, I know that they don't have to divulge that info.

Agreed. The "rumor" was 4 years, but as with all rumors, grain of salt.

Post by **Brad** » Thu Mar 24, 2022 11:27 am

MadMartin8 wrote: Thu Mar 24, 2022 11:22 am
skinzfan23 wrote: Thu Mar 24, 2022 11:14 am I was hoping that it would state the terms of the contract, but as a private school, I know that they don't have to divulge that info.
Agreed. The "rumor" was 4 years, but as with all rumors, grain of salt.

I heard from someone I really trust. 4 years, with an automatic renewal every 2 years. In the ballpark of 2.5 million which would put him in the top half of the big east as far as salary. The Automatic renewal is basically a work until retirement deal.

MadMartin8 · Post by **MadMartin8** » Thu Mar 24, 2022 11:45 am

Brad wrote: Thu Mar 24, 2022 11:27 am
MadMartin8 wrote: Thu Mar 24, 2022 11:22 am
skinzfan23 wrote: Thu Mar 24, 2022 11:14 am I was hoping that it would state the terms of the contract, but as a private school, I know that they don't have to divulge that info.
Agreed. The "rumor" was 4 years, but as with all rumors, grain of salt.
I heard from someone I really trust. 4 years, with an automatic renewal every 2 years. In the ballpark of 2.5 million which would put him in the top half of the big east as far as salary. The Automatic renewal is basically a work until retirement deal.

Well now, that's fantastic if true (and I have no reason to doubt your source, those terms seem completely in the realm of possibility). Thanks for sharing that Brad.

Post by **Brad** » Thu Mar 24, 2022 12:40 pm

Coach Mac did a zoom meeting today:

WBR_Tom · Post by **WBR_Tom** » Thu Mar 24, 2022 12:44 pm

Mac told us in that media Zoom that the terms are "more than two, less than 10 (years)", which sounds an awful lot like what you're hearing Brad (and I've heard the same, FWIW).

Other news from that press conference: second opinion confirmed Kalkbrenner has a minor PCL injury. He will wear a brace for a month and they anticipate he'll be cleared in June to begin basketball activities. Great news!

The staff is "recruiting" their own players right now and will have their annual end of season download/one-on-one meetings next week before the coaches' convention at the Final Four. If there's going to be any early roster turnover, I'd bet we hear about it in the next 7-10 days.

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Thu Mar 24, 2022 1:41 pm

Creighton coach Greg McDermott receives multi-year extension

Creighton men's basketball coach Greg McDermott, who ranks second in wins in program history, has received a multi-year extension to lead the Jays.

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Thu Mar 24, 2022 8:27 pm

MadMartin8 wrote: Thu Mar 24, 2022 11:45 am
Brad wrote: Thu Mar 24, 2022 11:27 am
MadMartin8 wrote: Thu Mar 24, 2022 11:22 am
skinzfan23 wrote: Thu Mar 24, 2022 11:14 am I was hoping that it would state the terms of the contract, but as a private school, I know that they don't have to divulge that info.
Agreed. The "rumor" was 4 years, but as with all rumors, grain of salt.
I heard from someone I really trust. 4 years, with an automatic renewal every 2 years. In the ballpark of 2.5 million which would put him in the top half of the big east as far as salary. The Automatic renewal is basically a work until retirement deal.
Well now, that's fantastic if true (and I have no reason to doubt your source, those terms seem completely in the realm of possibility). Thanks for sharing that Brad.

For what it’s worth, in Mac’s presser today, when asked about the length of his contract, he stated- “no less than 2 years, no more than 10”..I suspect Mac will hang in until he’s close to 65…

Ciao..LiO…Peace

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Tue Apr 05, 2022 11:08 am

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-baske ... gs-2022-23

9. Creighton Bluejays
Creighton entering the season as the Big East favorite is a big call, but given the way the Bluejays were playing late in the season and the returnees to Omaha, it's hard to argue otherwise. They won 10 of their final 14 games this past season, including an NCAA tournament victory over San Diego State and a 27-point win over Providence in the Big East tournament. Ryan Nembhard and Ryan Kalkbrenner should both be healthy in plenty of time for the season, while freshmen Arthur Kaluma and Trey Alexander are also back as starters. Greg McDermott might need to find a little more scoring pop with Ryan Hawkins and Alex O'Connell gone, but the portal is very much open.

Projected starting lineup:

Ryan Nembhard (11.3 PPG)
Rati Andronikashvili (1.8 PPG)
Trey Alexander (7.4 PPG)
Arthur Kaluma (10.4 PPG)
Ryan Kalkbrenner (13.1 PPG)

Louie · Post by **Louie** » Tue Apr 05, 2022 11:25 am

skinzfan23 wrote: Tue Apr 05, 2022 11:08 am https://www.espn.com/mens-college-baske ... gs-2022-23

9. Creighton Bluejays
Creighton entering the season as the Big East favorite is a big call, but given the way the Bluejays were playing late in the season and the returnees to Omaha, it's hard to argue otherwise. They won 10 of their final 14 games this past season, including an NCAA tournament victory over San Diego State and a 27-point win over Providence in the Big East tournament. Ryan Nembhard and Ryan Kalkbrenner should both be healthy in plenty of time for the season, while freshmen Arthur Kaluma and Trey Alexander are also back as starters. Greg McDermott might need to find a little more scoring pop with Ryan Hawkins and Alex O'Connell gone, but the portal is very much open.

Projected starting lineup:

Ryan Nembhard (11.3 PPG)
Rati Andronikashvili (1.8 PPG)
Trey Alexander (7.4 PPG)
Arthur Kaluma (10.4 PPG)
Ryan Kalkbrenner (13.1 PPG)

That feels a bit aggressive, but its good pub, nonetheless.

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Tue Apr 05, 2022 11:47 am

Yeah there are quite a few putting the Jays in the Top 10 and one article I found listing them as #1 in the Big East.

It will be interesting to see...obviously, these types of polls mean nothing and are just based on who they think is returning and how the team finished. For the ESPN one, I doubt that Rati is in the starting lineup. More likely Reef, or maybe Mason Miller.

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Tue Apr 05, 2022 11:51 am

Rating the Big East for 2022-23: UConn men face tougher path with new coaching hires around the conference

Creighton Bluejays
Coach: Greg McDermott

Predicted conference finish: 1st

McDermott led Creighton to the Round of 32 despite losing his starting point guard, Ryan Nembhard, and starting center, Ryan Kalkbrenner, to injury. Last week, he was awarded a contract extension. While many coaches don’t play freshmen many minutes, McDermott relied on three to play pivotal roles: Nembhard, Arthur Kaluma and Trey Alexander.

With another year of experience for the young players, Creighton should finish around the top of the conference next season. The Bluejays play with a lot of physicality and toughness instilled by McDermott, making them difficult to beat. In their season-ending loss to Kansas, Kaluma had 24 points and showcased why he’s the player to watch next season.

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Wed Apr 06, 2022 9:04 am

Here are a few more:

College basketball rankings:

14

CREIGHTON The Bluejays' ranking is based on Creighton returning five of the top seven scorers from a team that advanced to the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament. Assuming that happens, Greg McDermott will have a roster good enough to win the Big East for the second time in school history. NR 23

Jeff Goodman’s Way-Too-Early Preseason Top 25 for 2022-23

10. CREIGHTON
BACK: C Ryan Kalkbrenner (Jr., 13.1 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 2.6 bpg), PG Ryan Nembhard (Soph., 11.3 ppg, 4.4 apg), F Arthur Kaluma (Soph., 10.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg), G Trey Alexander (Soph., 7.4 ppg), G Shereef Mitchell (Sr., 3.5 ppg), G Rati Andronikashvili (1.8 ppg), F Mason Miller (redshirted)
GONE/LIKELY GONE: F Ryan Hawkins (13.8 ppg, 7.8 rpg), SG Alex O’Connell (11.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg), F Keyshawn Feazell (3.1 ppg)
ADD: G Ben Shtolzberg, PF Jasen Green

The losses of both Hawkins and O’Connell will hurt, but Greg McDermott could return everyone else of note from a team that nearly beat Kansas in the NCAA tourney without Kalkbrenner and Nembhard.

College basketball rankings: Way-Too-Early Top 23 for 2023

14. Creighton
247Sports Composite class ranking: No. 54

How many teams had a better freshman class than the Bluejays, with Ryan Nembhard, Trey Alexander, Arthur Kaluma and Rati Andronikashvili? If players truly take their biggest leaps between their freshman and sophomore seasons, Creighton has a lot of improvement to look forward to. That doesn’t count players like Ryan Kalkbrenner coming back, either. Remember: neither Nembhard, nor Kalkbrenner, played in the close second-round loss to Kansas.

MadMartin8 · Post by **MadMartin8** » Wed Apr 06, 2022 10:22 am

I worry about the Hype Train leading into the season. Hope they can back it up (and hope everyone comes back).

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Wed Apr 06, 2022 1:58 pm

MadMartin8 wrote: Wed Apr 06, 2022 10:22 am I worry about the Hype Train leading into the season. Hope they can back it up (and hope everyone comes back).

Yes that is always concern, that was the nice thing this past year, there was no expectation except to finish the year stronger than they started, and that definitely happened. Hopefully they can come out strong next year and not let up.

And avoid the dang late season injuries.

MadMartin8 · Post by **MadMartin8** » Wed Apr 06, 2022 2:34 pm

Several weird rumors surfacing of Gonzaga joining the Big East. Guess it's time to grab some popcorn and see if anything comes to fruition.

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Fri Apr 08, 2022 1:49 pm

The first transfer news for the Jays:

Modestas Kancleris is entering the transfer portal. (kind of expected/maybe even hoped for by some Jay's fans)

He has been a great teammate but hasn't really seen much action. I remember watching his recruiting highlight film and all it included was shooting FTs and getting rebs. Kinda weird, I never quite saw why we recruited him.

Either way, this opens up another scholarship for someone else to come in and provide min.

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Fri Apr 08, 2022 1:58 pm

55 - MODESTAS KANCLERIS
POSITION Forward
HEIGHT 6-9
WEIGHT 208
CLASS Freshman
HOMETOWN Kaunas, Lithuania
HIGH SCHOOL Varpas Gimnazija

2020-21: Redshirted at Creighton
• Tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on November 4 and missed the 2020-21 season.

Varpas Gimnazija High School
• Spent four campaigns playing and developing with European powerhouse BC Zalgris.
• Named to the All-Star team at the 2019 adidas Next Generation Tournament, where he averaged 13.2 points and 8.0 rebounds per game.
• Was a key member for the U16 and U18 Lithuanian National Teams.
• Averaged 4.8 points and 4.5 rebounds despite battling a sprained ankle during six games with the Lithuanian national team at the 2019 FIBA under-18 European Championship, including a 14-point game vs. Russia and an 11-point showing vs. Serbia.
• At the 2017 FIBA under-16 European Championship, he averaged 9.1 points and 6.9 rebounds in seven games, with a high of 16 points vs. Croatia.
• Competed in the Jordan Brand Classic, NBA Basketball Without Borders, adidas Eurocamp and NBAPA Top 100 Camp.
• Is Creighton’s second player ever from Lithuania, joining Nerijus Karlikanovas (1998-2000).
• Karlikanovas is also CU’s most recent men’s basketball player to wear No. 55.
• Also recruited by Grand Canyon, BYU and UNC Greensboro.
• His name is pronounced Mo-DEST-iss, Con-SLARE-iss.

Year Freshman
Position Forward
Height 6-9
Weight 208
Wingspan 6’10”
Max Vertical 30.125”
Major Undeclared
Instagram @Modestas_Kancleris
Twitter @MKancleris
TikTok @ModestasKancleris

Personal
• Son of Inga Kancleriene and Saulius Kancleris.
• Has a brother Donatas and a sister Živile Kancleryte.
• Nicknames are Mo, Mode and Badis.
• Dream dinner guest would be Luka Doncic, who plays for his favorite pro team, the Dallas Mavericks.
• Favorite actress is Margot Robbie.
• Sports hero is Kobe Bryant.
• Was a motocross racer when he was young.
• Thinks Sylvester Stallone would play him in a movie.
• Favorite meal is chicken alfredo.
• Dream date is Kylie Jenner, but his first celebrity crush was Miley Cyrus.
• Favorite BIG EAST city is Omaha, because it’s his second home.
• Non-BIG EAST team he’d like to play is UCLA.
• Chose Creighton because of the fan base and team chemistry.
• Best summer vacation was a trip to Barcelona, Spain.
• Favorite book is Orphan Train.
• Claims to be unbeatable at ping pong.

MadMartin8 · Post by **MadMartin8** » Fri Apr 08, 2022 2:02 pm

skinzfan23 wrote: Fri Apr 08, 2022 1:49 pm The first transfer news for the Jays:

Modestas Kancleris is entering the transfer portal. (kind of expected/maybe even hoped for by some Jay's fans)

He has been a great teammate but hasn't really seen much action. I remember watching his recruiting highlight film and all it included was shooting FTs and getting rebs. Kinda weird, I never quite saw why we recruited him.

Either way, this opens up another scholarship for someone else to come in and provide min.

He was the one I somewhat expected to transfer. If I had to choose another I'd say Rati as well (but hope he stays).

I hope we can find someone with size to replace.

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Fri Apr 08, 2022 2:15 pm

I don't think Rati will transfer, given the min and production that we saw from him towards the end of the year, but you never know.

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Fri Apr 08, 2022 2:33 pm

Modestas Kancleris ANGT Vitoria-Gasteiz 2019

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Sat Apr 09, 2022 1:37 am

He had a few nice moves there, but some of those shots and layups were almost laughable!

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Sat Apr 09, 2022 1:21 pm

skinzfan23 wrote: Fri Apr 08, 2022 2:15 pm I don't think Rati will transfer, given the min and production that we saw from him towards the end of the year, but you never know.

I hope he doesn’t either. I don’t think he will. Right now, he’s a good defensive player who has a chance to become a real bulldog..He has much to learn and perfect as it relates to his offensive game. No better place to do that than right here in Omaha…

Ciao..LiO…Peace

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Thu Apr 14, 2022 9:29 am

Ryan Hawkins Named to NACDA's I-AAA ADA Scholar-Athlete Team
Sixth-year grad student led Creighton in scoring and rebounding

Creighton University basketball standout Ryan Hawkins has been named by the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association as a member of the 20th Annual Scholar-Athlete Team, presented by ARMS Software.

"On behalf of the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association, I am excited to congratulate this year's men's and women's scholar-athlete teams as well as those selected to receive postgraduate scholarship awards," stated Division I-AAA 2nd Vice President, I-AAA Scholar-Athlete Team Selection Committee Chair and Director of Athletics at the University of San Francisco, Joan McDermott. "These individuals demonstrate excellence on and off the court, and we commend the dedication they have shown to effectively navigate the demanding student-athlete experience."

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Sun Apr 17, 2022 9:12 pm

Creighton just picked up a good transfer today in Francisco Farabello from TCU. He played 3 seasons but because of covid has 2 seasons left to play.

He is a career 40% 3-pt shooter and also a good passer. Played under Coach Miller at TCU. He should fit in nicely with Jays.

Excited to see him, it looks like he has Ballock/Wragge range!