Creighton got their first addition from the transfer portal on Wednesday when former Arizona State swingman Jamiya Neal announced he was transferring to CU. Neal averaged 11 points and 5.4 rebounds per game last year, starting all but one game after coming off the bench his first two years.
For a player coming into Creighton’s “Let it Fly” offense, Neal’s struggles as a three-point shooter jump off the stat sheet, for sure; 142 of his 325 shot attempts were threes a year ago (43.7% of his total shots), which is a problem for a player who only made them at a 27% clip (39-of-142). It’s not a slump or a one-year thing, either. Neal shot 29.2% (19-of-65) on threes as a sophomore, and 21.7% (10-of-46) as a freshman.
Bobby Hurley’s Sun Devils aren’t exactly known for running the most structured system, though, so the hope is Neal can flourish in an offense that stresses shot quality — and where he’s surrounded by shooters who can fill it up from outside, letting him focus on scoring in other ways.
Because he definitely has the ability to score in ways Creighton hasn’t been able to in recent years. Watching his highlight reel, you see a player who can not only get to the rim off the dribble, but has enough creativity and strength to finish at a high rate. 32% of his total shots came at or near the rim (104 of his 325 shot attempts). He made those shots at a 66.3% clip, which is excellent. To add some context to that, Trey Alexander made 55.7% of his shots taken at the rim last season, and Baylor Scheierman made 63%, on similar volume (Alexander took 131 shots at the rim and Scheierman 119).
Even better, just 40.6% of Neal’s made shots at the rim had an assist credited to them, meaning the rest were shots he created himself off the dribble.
With the spacing Creighton’s offense creates, Neal should have driving lanes open for him to exploit. But the defensive end is where Neal could really make his mark — and where he can carve out an immediate role in spite of a middling three-point shot. At 6’6″ with a 6’10” wingspan, he has the length and athleticism on the perimeter to defend a lot of different types of players, and can switch onto just about anyone. And that’s not just theoretical: he averaged about 1.6 steals per game a year ago, coming up with a steal on 1.9% of the possessions he was on the floor. Either number would have led the Bluejays by a good amount a year ago. Add in the fact that Neal was able to be a pest without getting called for many fouls — he was whistled for just 2.1 fouls per 40 minutes — and you get a defensive player who is really disruptive.
“We are excited to add Jamiya to our program,” Greg McDermott said in the school’s press release on Neal. “His blend of skill and athletic ability was exactly what we were searching for. His work ethic and desire to improve will fit perfectly with our roster. We can’t wait to get him to Omaha!”
In talking to people who follow the Sun Devils, the one thing they all mention about Neal is his high basketball IQ — he has a knack for making smart plays and avoiding silly turnovers. For a player who had the ball in his hands as much as Neal did a year ago, committing a turnover on just 10.6% of the possessions he was on the floor for is a really good number. For context, Steven Ashworth had a turnover on 14.9% of possessions a year ago, Trey Alexander was at 14.8%, and Baylor Scheierman was at 14.4%. Even Ryan Kalkbrenner had more turnovers (12.1%) as a percentage of possessions on the floor.
His best game as a Sun Devil may have come in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, where he scored 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting with three steals and two assists in a win over Nevada. He’s all over this highlight package from that win; Neal is #5 and his defensive presence and finishing ability are both on display.
Whether he slots in as the starter at the ‘3’ or as a sixth man depends both on what else Creighton does in the portal, and how far along freshman Larry Johnson is when he arrives on campus. Regardless, Neal should make a positive impact and provide the Jays with a skillset they didn’t have enough of on last year’s roster.