It is the middle of June and it is time to get back on the basketball court. June you say? Well yes, it is the best hoops entertainment of the offseason–The Omaha Metro Summer League. The action starts on Thursday night at the Omaha Sports Academy.
If you have never been to Summer League before you can get the details here. With eight games on four courts for a two hour period, that is a lot to take in and it is hard to decide what to watch. That is okay. WBR will have you covered with the viewing guide previewing each session’s games. We are a Creighton site, but that doesn’t mean we won’t get the highlights from the other players and games too. There is so much to watch. Not knowing what to expect for players this week, we are assuming everyone will be there. Here are the matchups to watch this week:
Game of the Night
7:45 p.m. Court 1: Judd Knispel Agency vs. EQ School of Hair
Bluejays to Watch: Cole Huff, Marcus Foster, Mo Watson, Geoffrey Groselle, Nick Bahe, Matt Dorwart, Jahenns Manigat.
This, hands down, is the Game of the Night from our standpoint. The hype has been huge for Cole Huff and Mo Watson since last summer when they announced they were transferring to Creighton. After last season, the fans can’t wait to get them on the court in a Bluejay uniform. Watson wowed the crowd last summer during league play and gave Jays fans an early glimpse of what was waiting in the wings. Huff didn’t play in summer league last year due to a hand injury that kept him off the court, however, since practicing with the Jays during the season, many are excited to see how both of them gel together. But for this summer they will face each other on different teams.
Luckily for Huff, joining him is the newest Bluejay transfer, Marcus Foster. Foster, the former Kansas State Wildcat, has to sit out this upcoming season due to transfer rules, but he does get to play in Summer League. So while we won’t see Watson and Huff, I think Foster and Huff will be a great combination for Judd Knispel Agency. Former Bluejays Nick Bahe, Jahenns Manigat and Matt Dorwart join them. Maybe we will just call the Judd Knispel team the “Creighton” team.
On the other side for EQ School of Hair. Geoffrey Groselle joins Watson for that team. Groselle showed many of us last season what the coaching staff knew all along–that he could play. If you remember, Groselle had a pretty good summer league performance last summer that surprised people too. If he can build on all of this, it could be a special senior season for him.
UNO’s Tim Smallwood (Judd), Tim Kositzke (Judd), Randy Reed (EQ) and Zach Pirog (EQ) are also on the respective teams.
If everyone is there, then the stands for that game will be full.
Bluejay Heavy Games
7:45 p.m. Court 2: Paragas Law vs. Narmi Group @ Baird
Bluejays to Watch: Ronnie Harrell, Zach Hanson, Alex O’Neill
Paragas Law will feature Bluejays Ronnie Harrell and Zach Hanson. They are wildcards for Creighton this upcoming college season. Harrell is coming off a redshirt year where where he grew a little bit more and is hungry to get on the court. Fans got to watch him last summer and saw the potential that was out there. A year learning from others, there should be a noticeable difference.
Speaking of potential, Zach Hanson left summer league last year high on many fans list as the most improved player in the offseason. Hanson ended up having an up and down year with the Bluejays, but it isn’t easy to replace a couple significant players in Doug McDermott and even Ethan Wragge for that matter. Regardless, there were great signs of growth toward the end of the season and many hope to see a repeat of last summer to get excited again.
The rest of the Paragas team includes UNO’s TraDeon Hollins and Daniel Meyer as well as a few former Bellevue University players.
On the other side, the Narmi Group @ Baird has their own set of Bellevue University graduates in Derrick Davis, Derek Bryant, Mike Dotson and Jamal Evans. Creighton’s Alex O’Neill will join them along with UNO’s Devin Patterson and Holy Cross transfer Mitchell Hahn. Isaiah Zierden is a part of this roster, but I doubt he will be on this summer league court.
8:45 p.m. Court 1: Bank of Nebraska vs. OFWF
Bluejays to Watch: James Milliken, Toby Hegner, Justin Patton, Marlon Stewart
Bank of Nebraska returns with the normal bunch of players that has had great success in the league–Ben Holling, Cody Levinson, Klaye Rowe, and Derek Paben. However they have an influx of new blood that may revitalize a run to summer time gold. Bluejays James Milliken and Toby Hegner join the team as well as former Cyclone, Omar Bynum.
This is probably the game you will want to watch if you want your Creighton heavy game with current players. Along with Milliken and Hegner for BofN, incoming freshmen Justin Patton and Marlon Stewart look to get their feet wet in the summer scene with OFWF. This will probably be one of the youngest teams on the floor with the roster still all in college. UNO joins in with freshman Zach Jackson from Wichita and Tre’Shawn Thurman looking to make an impact. Patton is the guy many will be watching. He has steadily risen up the ranks with a lot more expectations on him since his last summer league appearance. It will be interesting to see how this team gels together.
8:45 p.m. Court 2: Andy’s Lawn Care vs. Rooferees
Bluejays to Watch: Martin Krampelj, Justin Carter, Austin Chatman, Tyler Clement
Andy’s Lawncare is your defending MBL champions and the same host of players are back for another season to defend their crown. They are led by former Cornhusker turned international standout John Turek. Surrounding him are several great role players including Florida Southern senior Dylan Travis, former UNK standout Scott Abels, Derek Fletcher from Hastings College and MBL league organizer Jason Isaacson.
But the new team in town to watch could be the Rooferees. The former John Higgins Weatherguard team has gone with a new name and a new look. This team is loaded with talented players including several current and past Bluejays. Justin Carter joins this team after a successful run with Bank of Nebraska the past few summers. Austin Chatman will play when available. Current Creighton players Tyler Clement and Martin Krampelj round out the Blue bunch. Krampelj will be someone many Creighton fans will want to see. The incoming freshman doesn’t have a whole lot of video of him to watch, but comes in with high regard. Don’t be surprised if the crowd keeps an eye this way.
After all of that news, the Rooferees have more–They have James Parrott. The high-flyer who spent his days at UNO, Bellevue University, and Midlands University is always fun to watch to see what kind of dunk he might be able to pull off. Add in former Coyote KC Rodenburg and UNO’s Jake White and this team could be a surprise. It would be an even bigger surprise if they knock off the defending champs.
The Rest
7:45 p.m. Court 3: UNO Alumni vs. Shanks Law Firm
Alumni vs. Alumni. That is what you will get in this game. UNO Alumni is back as usual with their normal crew including Mike Jenkins and Andrew Bridger among others. However, they add into their stable a new gun in CJ Carter. He was fun to watch in college while at UNO, but now he gets to play on the other side of the coin with the alumni team.
Shanks Law Firm is made up of former Morningside and Hastings College players who have all played in Summer League before. Their experience may help them get far this summer.
7:45 p.m. Court 4: NE HS Hoops vs. Crusaders (UNK)
Bluejays to Watch: Khyri Thomas, Drew Cayce
We are not exactly sure what to expect in this game. The interesting players to watch in this one are Creighton incoming freshmen Khyri Thomas and Drew Cayce along with UNO’s Alex Allbery and Devin Newsome. It will be interesting to see Thomas’ game since many may have missed watching him after he left Omaha Benson and spent last season at Fork Union Military Academy. So you could call this a bit of a homecoming for him. Cayce is a Bluejay walkon that turned down other scholarship offers to come to Creighton, so he can spend this summer working on his game to get ready for the upcoming season.
The Crusaders roster isn’t online yet, but with the team captain being Kevin Dineen, we think this will be made up of all current UNK players.
8:45 p.m. Court 3: BD vs. Winning Mentality
This will be a good matchup of veteran players. BD is led by former Bellevue University standout Jelani Johnson. He is surrounded by a few former teammates, Ben Imig and Donald Jones (who ultimately finished their college careers at Midland University) and Hussein Diop. Throw in Samford graduate Andy King and a couple other former Midlands players and this could be an entertaining bunch.
On the other side is Winning Mentality who will be looking for a winning mentality to start off summer. This team is pretty diverse with former Husker Steffon Bradford, Matt Culliver, who is now in the D-League with the Texas Legends, and even former Creighton walk-on David Finlea.
8:45 p.m. Court 4: Apex Foster Care (Peru State) vs. Capehart Sales (Midland University)
One thing you will notice right away, is that these schools have their full rosters on each team. That is one advantage that these teams have over all the others is that they are not limited to having only two current players allowed on one team. Creighton and UNO had to be split up across rosters, but these guys don’t. If you have watched summer league in the past, this is a huge advantage and teams have made the most of it. Midlands has been one of the top teams in the league the past couple of summers with a championship game appearance two summers ago. If you like small college hoops, this should be a good one.
