We continue our recruit and return series with the Creighton Bluejays, whose season ended with a first round loss to Kansas State. Here's a look at what the 2018-19 season could hold:
Possible 2018-19 starting five
G: Davion Mintz
G: Khyri Thomas/Ty-Shon Alexander
Who is lost: After a tumultuous two seasons at Kansas State in which Marcus Foster put up good numbers but had inconsistent stretches, he ended up transferring to Creighton. And Greg McDermott will be forever grateful. Foster averaged better than 20 points per game as a senior after putting up 18.2 as a junior. He cemented himself as one of the best shooting guards in the country and carried the Bluejays offensively at times. His scoring will be very difficult to replace. Backups Tyler Clement and Manny Suarez are also gone, as is big man Toby Hegner. Hegner had a five-game stretch of double-figure scoring outings in January but was inconsistent the rest of the way. Like most Creighton bigs, Hegner can step out and make 3-pointers, doing much of his offensive damage from behind the arc.
Who is added: The biggest addition for Creighton next season is ESPN 100 point guard Marcus Zegarowski, the younger brother of Michael Carter-Williams. Zegarowski steadily improved throughout the course of his high school career, and while he doesn’t have the size or ceiling of Carter-Williams, he is a four-year player who will compete for a starting spot from Day 1 for the Bluejays. He is a good distributor but can also create his own shot. Zegarowski can make shots from the perimeter, too. Four-star power forward Sam Froling comes over from Australia. Froling, the younger brother of Marquette’s Harry Froling, can score inside and out and will bring versatility at 6-foot-11. Three-star small forward Christian Bishop rounds out the group.
What it means for next season: The key for next season will be Thomas, and it’s unclear if he’ll be back for Creighton. Thomas has developed into a first-round pick, and he is being projected as such in most 2018 mock drafts. He’s an elite 3-and-D player at the college level and improved as a playmaker during his three seasons with the Bluejays. If Thomas leaves, what will Creighton’s backcourt look like? Mintz will battle with Zegarowski for the point-guard spot. Mintz took on a bigger role late in the season and played well, dishing out six assists in three of the final four games before the NCAA tournament and scoring in double figures in two of them. Freshmen Alexander and Ballock both had impressive stretches and are ready for bigger roles. Ballock moved into the starting lineup late in the season and gave Creighton a crafty playmaker and perimeter shooter from the wing. Alexander is more of a pure perimeter shooter. Up front, the return of Krampelj will be a boost. He tore his ACL in January and missed the rest of the season. While healthy, he was a double-double threat down low and should return to form. Harrell is an energy guy and a very good defensive rebounder who can also step out and hit the occasional 3-pointer. Keep an eye on Jacob Epperson, who shrugged off his redshirt after Krampelj’s injury and carved out a role as a true freshman. He needs to add strength, but his ceiling is very high, and he brings 6-foot-11 size.
Trending: Down. That’s assuming Thomas leaves for the NBA. If not, Creighton might not miss a beat even without Foster. If both Foster and Thomas are gone, it’s hard to imagine the Bluejays finishing in the top half of the Big East, even if there are several intriguing young pieces on the roster. McDermott does a terrific job year-in, year-out, but losing two guys like Foster and Thomas is tough to overcome.