By: Spencer McCraw

As “famed” college basketball insider Jon Rothstein loves to say on Twitter anytime the Creighton Bluejays take the court: Omaha, somewhere in Middle America. After three weeks of play, Creighton sits high atop the Big East and is lauded as one of the best teams in the nation. How did we get here, though?

Greg McDermott took over the head coaching job for the Bluejays in the 2010-11 season, and he oversaw their transition into the Big East three years later. Since then, Creighton has only dropped below .500 once. They have consistently been contenders for the Big East crown, but now they have bigger goals on their mind. 

After going 23-12 last year and losing to eventual national champion Kansas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Coach McDermott was able to return all but one of his starters. The one starter they lost – Duke sharpshooting transfer Alex O’Connell – provided 11.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. So who did the Bluejays replace O’Connell with? Oh, the Summit League player of the year – guard Baylor Scheierman. Averaging 12.0 points and 9.3 rebounds on 44% shooting from three, Scheierman has been an integral part of Creighton’s early season success. Creighton’s starting five is LOADED;  but through all the talent, I believe that Scheierman will be the most important piece. He’s a 6’6 guard who can not only shoot the lights out, but can also rebound like a 7 footer. Who wouldn’t want a player like that on their squad?

Thrust into the starting lineup last season, seven-footer Ryan Kalkbrenner ended the season as the Big East Defensive Player of the Year. Much like the team as a whole, Kalkbrenner also has his eyes set on greater accolades. The junior center currently sits on the Naismith Award watch list, and his early season play has proved why he should be a top candidate. This season, Kalkbrenner is averaging 16.2 points and 6.7 rebounds – helping Creighton to their hot 6-1 start. 

Playing on the other side of the wing as Scheierman is sophomore forward Arthur Kaluma – arguably the Bluejays most deadly scoring threat. Averaging 13.5 points and 5.5 rebounds on 44% shooting from the field, Kaluma can be overshadowed by the production from the rest of the starting lineup, but he remains an integral part of an experienced team. Monday’s win against no. 21 Texas Tech proved how important Kaluma is, as he went for 18 points on an efficient six of 11 night from the field.

Rounding out the wing play is another true sophomore in Trey Alexander. So far this season, Alexander has only dipped into single digits in the scoring column once, as he’s currently averaging 12.7 points on 56.9% shooting from the field. Like Kaluma, people seem to forget about Alexander, but his slashing ability is key to opening up the floor for the Bluejays. 

Anchoring the offense is last year’s Big East Rookie of the Year, Ryan Nembhard. Nembhard began the season on the Bob Cousy Award watch list – which honors the nation’s best point guard – and through the first seven games, he has certainly looked worthy of that honor. So far this season, he is averaging 12.7 points and 5.7 assists per game, while only turning the ball over a total of 9 times. When Nembhard is operating and able to dish the ball to their elite scoring threats, the Bluejays are nearly impossible to beat.

Sure, Creighton has one of the best starting fives in the entire country, but, when that starting five isn’t hitting their shots, the Bluejays can seriously struggle. In the first half against Texas Tech on Monday, the offense was choppy, leading to a close game. The flaws of the Bluejays’ script were very obvious against no. 14 Arizona in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational Championship game.

Kaluma wasn’t able to put the ball in the bucket – ending with 6 points – and that led to the offense stalling out on some possessions. To add insult to injury, Creighton was only able to find 11 points total from their bench. Later in the season – if the starters get in foul trouble – Creighton may not have anyone to turn to. The depth of the Bluejays is going to become a serious problem, but it will be something Coach McDermott will hopefully be able to improve throughout the season. 

The sky’s the limit for this Creighton squad, as they have started the season 6-1 with wins against no. 21 Texas Tech and no. 9 Arkansas, and only losing to no. 14 Arizona – potentially a top five team come Monday – by two in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational Championship game. Creighton has an extremely impressive resume so far, and it will be tested further on Thursday, December 1, when they return to play against no. 4 Texas. If they keep playing up to their potential, their floor is a loss in the Elite Eight and their ceiling is a National Championship.