Creighton Doesn't Need To Rely On The Merits Of Doug McDermott And Kyle Korver Any Longer

Kyle Korver and Doug McDermott are the two big names commonly associated with Creighton basketball. Both have sustained rather lengthy NBA careers, the former considered one of the better 3-point shooters of all time, the latter carving out a role as a solid NBA rotation player. Neither have ever been (or will ever be)considered superstars, Korver even being seen by the 76ers as the complimentary piece to Allen Iverson, it just never worked out that way. Alas, star players from the Nebraska University haven’t been plentiful.

That Narrative is going to change.

The Blue Jays are a rather established college program and have been for a number of years, however, a National Power isn’t what many would classify them as. With the upcoming collegiate season upon us, the talk of Creighton being a powerhouse in college basketball has shifted from being on the brink to actual reality, at least as it relates to potential NBA talent, possibly even that elusive star power that the college has not produced. Yeah, there have been names such as Justin Patton, Khyri Thomas, and Marcus Zegarowski that have given some hope of a star, but not much came from any of the three (as of yet, as the jury is still out). Due in large part to a foursome of NBA draft prospects, Creighton not only has the respect of the NCAA fans and analysts but the NBA Draft universe as well.

I had Arthur Kaluma as a first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Watching the then-freshman wing on the court, I was mesmerized by his length and athleticism. Kaluma, who had caught the eyes of many scouts over the course of his freshman season, made his mark on the Creighton campus early. In his first game against Arkansas Pine Bluff, Kaluma joined McDermott as the only Bluejay since 1973 to score 15 points and grab 5 rebounds in his debut game. Kaluma was the highest-rated recruit of the Greg McDermott (Doug’s father and team head coach) era (48th ranked in the 2021 class). The production hadn’t been, and shouldn’t have been, a surprise to anyone.

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Ryan Kalkbrenner is your typical 7’1 big man. He’s not a realistic threat to knock down the 3 and spread the floor with his shotmaking abilities, although he can, the NBA brass likely is not going to exploit that as much. Kalkbrenner isn’t going to run the court like fellow 2023 draftee and 7-footer, Victor Wembenyama, widely considered the top pick in the 2023 class. Kalkbrenner is a class-paint presence. While today’s NBA has seemingly done away with these players, Kalkbrenner is an intriguing player in the mold of Rudy Gobert, DeAndre Ayton, and Walker Kessler.

The Sophomore led the Big East in FG percentage and offensive rebounds. Kalkbrenner was a gold medalist on the FIBA U19 squad that took home gold in 2021. He backed up Chet Holmgren as the team’s center, averaging 5.9 points, 4 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks. The era of the old school big in the modern NBA is alive and well.

Trey Alexander was more of an afterthought going into the 21-22 season. He goes into this upcoming year as the main scorer for Creighton. Alexander took off when Ryan Nembhard (who will be mentioned next) was injured. The freshman guard averaged 11.6 points, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds per game during that stretch. In the NCAA Tournament, Alexander averaged 7.0 assists. His progression is a huge reason many see Creighton as a force to be reckoned with this year.

The final name to warrant consideration for the draft, Ryan Nembhard, was viewed as a sneaky draftee last year after a strong showing at the 2021 FIBA U-19s. He, along with Indiana Pacers first-round pick, Benedict Mathurian, was the straw that stirred the drink for the Canadian roster. Nembhard was 8th among freshmen in assists per game. He suffered a season-ending injury in late February, halting any draft conversation. His best quality is as a leader on the court, one who stays calm and collected running the offense with the precision of a surgeon.

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Of these aforementioned names, all could realistically be first-round picks. That’s obviously unlikely, as even the Blue Blood programs such as Kentucky and Duke have rarely had that success despite their pedigrees as National Powers with the best recruits. However, at certain points of the season, all Creighton four will have their names mentioned in the discussion, whether due to a hot stretch of games or a consistent period of solid play and growth. Kaluma and Alexander are the two who have seemingly the highest upside. Kalkbrenner and Nembhard have NBA talent, just not the same ceiling. Kaluma is the prospect who has the best shot of going in the Top-5 (anything higher and those projected before him would have really fallen off).

The 2023 draft is stocked with big names. Kaluma and Kalkbrenner were pegged by myself as 1st rounders had they come out in 2022. Kaluma, depending on who you ask, is viewed as a lottery name in 2023 (as previously stated a Top-5 projection shouldn’t shock anyone). Kalkbrenner obtained some real hype at the end of the season and into pre-draft workouts. Alexander came on strong with the Nembhard injury and opened enough eyes to put his name in the hat. Nembhard was always a wildcard. Not many saw him as a draftee. He gained momentum up until the injury, but all was halted after he was shut down.

A lot of the draft stock of these four will depend on Creighton’s record. The Blue Jays are seen as a Top-25 team. With the exposure of the Big East, and as a potential player in the NCAA Tournament, we will be hearing a lot more about these names this upcoming season.

Creighton doesn’t usually have this many NBA prospects on the same roster (they never have). However, this isn’t the same Creighton that has relied on the merits of McDermott and Korver for the better part of 15 years. If this team plays up to expectations, this could be the biggest season in school history. Considering some mid-major universities (which Creighton is no longer) have never had one consistent NBA player over their history, Creighton is lucky enough to have had two. And two that were drafted in the first round (along with Patton, who is the third). At the end of the 2023 draft, the number of first-rounders will be higher. As for the consistent NBA players, I’d be optimistic.

Image Source: Grace Hollars/USA Today Sports Images; Courtesy: Creighton Athletics