Tag: Creighton Blue Jays

Creighton big man Ryan Kalkbrenner to return for final year

Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner announces return to the Blue Jays for fifth and final year of college basketball eligibility.

Three time Big East Defensive Player of the Year Ryan Kalkbrenner made it official on Wednesday: he wants a chance to win one more.

Kalkbrenner will use his COVID eligibility to return for one more year with the Creighton Blue Jays, coming off the best season of his career in Omaha.

The 7’0 center averaged 17.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.1 blocks, and 1.3 assists in 2023-24 with coach Greg McDermott’s team, helping lead Creighton to a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament and an appearance in the Sweet 16 before they fell to Tennessee.

McDermott had some fun with Kalkbrenner’s decision, mimicking a tweet from Kansas coach Bill Self last week which encouraged Hunter Dickinson to return to the Jayhawks.

Kalkbrenner then posted his announcement, returning to the Blue Jays alongside point guard Steven Ashworth and forward Mason Miller.

While the program lost Baylor Scheierman and Trey Alexander to the NBA, they already brought in two capable replacements in Texas Tech point guard Pop Isaacs and Arizona State wing Jamiya Neal, and will once again be among the top teams in the Big East – and the entire country.

Texas Tech point guard commits to Creighton in transfer portal

Texas Tech point guard Pop Isaacs committed to Greg McDermott and the Creighton Blue Jays out of the NCAA transfer portal.

The Creighton Blue Jays have been one of the best teams in all of college basketball the past two years. However, after falling to Tennessee in the Sweet 16 last month, concern mounted that coach Greg McDermott would have a hard time keeping his core together for another go-round.

Baylor Scheierman is out of eligibility and hoping to hear his name called in the 2024 NBA draft, and right before the deadline to declare we learned shooting guard Trey Alexander won’t be returning to Omaha either, clearing two big spots in Creighton’s backcourt.

McDermott went to work immediately filling one of those spots, securing a commitment in the transfer portal from Pop Isaacs, a rising junior who averaged 15.8 points, 3.5 assists, and 3.2 rebounds last year as a sophomore at Texas Tech in the Big 12.

Isaacs will pair with returnee Steven Ashworth and fellow transfer portal addition Jamiya Neal (Arizona State) to help keep this Blue Jays team near the top of the Big East standings alongside back-to-back champion UConn and Marquette.

The big question now is if Ryan Kalkbrenner will be back down low for Creighton. If so, this team will once again be among the best in the Big East and should routinely find themselves ranked inside the top 15 as they look to get to a Final Four or beyond in 2025.

How to buy Sweet 16 and Elite 8 tickets in Detroit for 2024 NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional

Want to watch March Madness and the Sweet 16/Elite 8 live in Detroit this weekend? Tickets are still available for as little as $210.

Only 16 teams remain in the 2024 NCAA Men’s Tournament, and four of them will be playing in Detroit, Michigan this weekend.

This year, March Madness returns to Detrtoit as the Little Caesars Arena is set to host a weekend of Sweet 16 and Elite matchups that will eventually send one team onto Phoenix and the Final Four.

SHOP: Detroit Regional Sweet 16 tickets

Tickets to Detroit Sweet 16 action give access to both games and as of publication are still available for as little as $210.

No. 1 Purdue tips off Detroit’s Sweet 16 action when they take on No. 5 Gonzaga at 7:39 p.m. EDT.

That game will be immediately followed by No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 3 Creighton.

SHOP: Purdue vs. Gonzaga and Tennessee vs. Creighton tickets

If you want to catch all the action, weekend passes are still available for as little as $354.

The weekend passes include access to both of Thursday’s Sweet 16 games and Saturday’s Elite Eight showdown between the winners of Friday night’s games.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop NCAA Tournament Detroit weekend passes” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/9OPZQNW”]

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop NCAA Tournament Detroit Sweet 16 tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/0eljBgW”]

How to buy Sweet 16 and Elite 8 tickets in Detroit for 2024 NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional

Want to watch March Madness and the Sweet 16/Elite 8 live in Detroit this weekend? Tickets are still available for as little as $210.

Only 16 teams remain in the 2024 NCAA Men’s Tournament, and four of them will be playing in Detroit, Michigan this weekend.

This year, March Madness returns to Detrtoit as the Little Caesars Arena is set to host a weekend of Sweet 16 and Elite matchups that will eventually send one team onto Phoenix and the Final Four.

SHOP: Detroit Regional Sweet 16 tickets

Tickets to Detroit Sweet 16 action give access to both games and as of publication are still available for as little as $210.

No. 1 Purdue tips off Detroit’s Sweet 16 action when they take on No. 5 Gonzaga at 7:39 p.m. EDT.

That game will be immediately followed by No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 3 Creighton.

SHOP: Purdue vs. Gonzaga and Tennessee vs. Creighton tickets

If you want to catch all the action, weekend passes are still available for as little as $354.

The weekend passes include access to both of Thursday’s Sweet 16 games and Saturday’s Elite Eight showdown between the winners of Friday night’s games.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop NCAA Tournament Detroit weekend passes” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/9OPZQNW”]

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop NCAA Tournament Detroit Sweet 16 tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/0eljBgW”]

How to buy Sweet 16 and Elite 8 tickets in Detroit for 2024 NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional

Want to watch March Madness and the Sweet 16/Elite 8 live in Detroit this weekend? Tickets are still available for as little as $210.

Only 16 teams remain in the 2024 NCAA Men’s Tournament, and four of them will be playing in Detroit, Michigan this weekend.

This year, March Madness returns to Detrtoit as the Little Caesars Arena is set to host a weekend of Sweet 16 and Elite matchups that will eventually send one team onto Phoenix and the Final Four.

SHOP: Detroit Regional Sweet 16 tickets

Tickets to Detroit Sweet 16 action give access to both games and as of publication are still available for as little as $210.

No. 1 Purdue tips off Detroit’s Sweet 16 action when they take on No. 5 Gonzaga at 7:39 p.m. EDT.

That game will be immediately followed by No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 3 Creighton.

SHOP: Purdue vs. Gonzaga and Tennessee vs. Creighton tickets

If you want to catch all the action, weekend passes are still available for as little as $354.

The weekend passes include access to both of Thursday’s Sweet 16 games and Saturday’s Elite Eight showdown between the winners of Friday night’s games.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop NCAA Tournament Detroit weekend passes” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/9OPZQNW”]

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop NCAA Tournament Detroit Sweet 16 tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/0eljBgW”]

Dana Altman to face former team as Oregon takes on Creighton

Dana Altman will coach against his former team, the Creighton Blue Jays, after leading Oregon to an upset win over South Carolina.

Jermaine Couisnard set an Oregon record, dropping 40 points against his former team as the Ducks downed the South Carolina Gamecocks, 87-73, to advance to the Round of 32.

The Ducks played their way into the field of 68 by winning the Pac-12 Tournament, drawing a matchup against Lamont Paris and the Gamecocks – a team projected to finish last in the SEC but who massively exceeded expectations and finished tied for second, earning a six seed in the big dance.

If Couisnard can drop a 40 burger against his former team, perhaps Oregon coach Dana Altman can have similar success against his former team, Creighton, who Oregon will face on Saturday in the second round.

Altman was the head coach at Creighton from 1994-2010, leading the Blue Jays to seven NCAA Tournament appearances while winning 65% of his games in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Altman has led Oregon to eight NCAA Tournament appearances since taking over in 2010, and that includes a Final 4 run in 2017. However, he looked in danger of missing the field for the third straight year this year – which could have been the end of his tenure in Eugene. Now he has a chance to get back into the Sweet 16, while beating his former employer in the process.

March.

Duke slides up one spot to 9th in latest AP Poll ahead of final week of regular season

Duke moves up to ninth in penultimate regular season Associated Press poll.

It is officially March, and we are less than two weeks away from Selection Sunday. Jon Scheyer’s team is playing some of their best basketball of the season, and they look like a team starting to find itself at the perfect time. They enter Monday in second place in the ACC with a week ahead of them that features two games against two of their fiercest ACC rivals, NC State and UNC.

Duke will enter their Monday night matchup on the road against NC State as the 9th-ranked team in the country after they moved up one spot in the latest and penultimate AP poll of the 2023-2024 regular season.

Houston survived a valiant upset bid from Oklahoma on Saturday in head coach Kelvin Sampson’s return to Norman thanks to the late-game heroics of soon-to-be All-American guard Jamal Shead. The Cougars won 87-85. UCONN moved to number two as they secured the Big East regular season title, while Purdue slid one spot to third in the latest poll. Tennessee remained in contention for a number-one seed after they dispatched an electric Alabama team on Saturday in Alabama.

With Marquette’s loss to Creighton, the Golden Eagles fell to 8th, allowing Arizona, Iowa State, and the Tar Heels to take over the fifth, sixth, and seventh spots, respectively. With Duke at nine, Creighton rounds out the top ten after they moved up 12 spots.

Duke and UNC remain the lone ACC teams in the top 25, while none of the other ACC teams are even receiving votes. If Duke takes down NC State and beats North Carolina at home, the Blue Devils will earn at least a share of the ACC regular season title and should put themselves firmly in contention for a two-seed with a great showing in the ACC Tournament.

St. John’s responds to Rick Pitino’s criticism, pulls off major upset over Creighton

Rick Pitino and St. John’s pulled off an upset victory over the Creighton Blue Jays on Sunday, could it put them into the NCAA Tournament?

After St. John’s 68-62 loss to Seton Hall last weekend, coach Rick Pitino lit into his players in a postgame press conference – repeatedly citing their lack of toughness and skill limitations while indicating this season has been the least fun he has had in a while.

Since then the Red Storm have picked up a pair of victories, first a five point win on the road at Georgetown followed by a massive 14 point home victory over the No. 15 ranked Creighton Blue Jays on Sunday.

Creighton, who upset UConn earlier this week, fell to 11-6 in Big East play and 20-8 overall while St. John’s moved to 8-9 and 16-12 overall.

The Red Storm were carried by transfer guards Daniss Jenkins (27 points, six assists) and Jordan Dingle (18 points). St. John’s only turned the ball over three times as a team, while they outrebounded the Blue Jays 42-35.

The win should sneak St. John’s back into the NCAA Tournament bubble conversation, although they will likely need a strong performance in the Big East Tournament to end up in the Big Dance.

But, with regular season games left at Butler, at DePaul, and home against Georgetown, Pitino’s team could carry some momentum into Madison Square Garden – and that could lead to said run, and ultimately a return for Pitino to the NCAA Tournament.

UConn falls to Creighton, extends decade long road losing streak against ranked teams

The UConn Huskies have not won a true road game against a ranked opponent since 2014, a time period where they have won two national championships.

The UConn Huskies suffered their first loss since December on Tuesday night, falling on the road to the No. 15 Creighton Blue Jays in an 85-66 blowout.

It was Creighton’s first ever win over a No. 1 ranked team, ending UConn’s 14 game winning streak and coming just days after Purdue lost to Ohio State to clear a path for the Huskies to take over as the projected No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

However, the most startling fact about this loss for UConn is how common it is, as the Huskies have a long, long history of losing true road games against ranked opponents.

It’s been since UConn beat Memphis in 2014 that the Huskies have won a true road game against a ranked opponent – a decade long span that includes two national championship victories and multiple weeks spent as the No. 1 ranked team in the country.

With tons of home and neutral site wins over ranked teams, and obviously plenty of success in the NCAA Tournament, it’s hard to imagine this team being that inept in those tricky road environments, yet the losing streak was pushed to 21 on Tuesday after an uninspiring 3-16 performance from beyond the arc.

UConn was bound to lose at some point, and Creighton is red hot right now, but this loss highlights a key area where this program has really struggled for the last decade – and considering the success they’ve had in that decade it really stands out.

The Huskies will get a chance to break the streak on March 6 when they head to Milwaukee to take on the No. 7 ranked Golden Eagles of Marquette, with tip slated for 8:30 ET on FS1.

Game of the year? Creighton defeats Seton Hall in triple overtime

The Creighton Blue Jays defeated the Seton Hall Pirates, 97-94, in triple-overtime on Saturday in another instant classic Big East basketball game.

The Big East has a rich history of incredible conference battles. From the infamous ‘sweater game’ in 1985 between Georgetown and St. John’s, to the six overtime battle between Syracuse and UConn in 2009, this conference is never lacking in entertainment value.

That proved true yet again on Saturday when Creighton went to Seton Hall and escaped with a 97-94 victory in triple-overtime thanks to a monster performance from center Ryan Kalkbrenner, who had 28 points, nine rebounds, and seven blocked shots.

The game was close more or less from the opening tip, and when Blue Jays guard Steven Ashworth forced overtime with a lay-in to end regulation, it was clear this was a game folks would be discussing for a long time.

Creighton moves to 5-3 in the Big East and helped erase the sting of losing to UConn on the road earlier in the week. Meanwhile the Pirates see their six game winning streak snap and fall to 6-2 in league play. They had previously picked up wins over UConn, Marquette, Providence, and St. John’s, and had plenty of chances to collect another win over a ranked team.

However, Kadary Richmond, who posted a triple-double in regulation and finished with 21 points, missed quite a few shots in overtime and Seton Hall struggled to slow down Kalkbrenner on the block, resulting in the heartbreaking loss.

The Pirates will get a chance to restart their winning streak on Wednesday when they host Providence, while Creighton will host Xavier on Tuesday.

If we are lucky, more regulation games will rival this one in a Big East that is loaded with talent and physicality this year.