Both of Creighton’s basketball teams were active on Tuesday. Both practices were attended and some information to share from both.
Jays huddling up for a new season (Spomer / WBR)
First with Men’s Basketball:
The two days of practice following Sunday’s organized scrimmage focused almost exclusively on the defensive side of the ball. How to replace a two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year in Khyri Thomas is perhaps the biggest question facing this group heading into the 2018-19 season, and the coaches are still looking for a little more bite on that end of the floor as week three gets underway. The Jays are off Wednesday, so we caught up with longtime assistant Steve Merfeld after Tuesday’s practice to get his thoughts on some newcomers, some position battles, and some injury updates…
On the early impressions of freshman forward Christian Bishop:
“The speed of the game is probably his biggest challenge. When we slow it down and keep it at the half court level, he’s very, very effective, especially on the offensive glass. We haven’t had a guy that bounces like he does for multiple efforts at the rim, and in a lot of cases he’s either getting fouled or finishing it. I think right now the difference is the speed of the game. He’s had a difficult time adjusting to that, but once he does he’s going to be a really, really good player.”
On grad transfer Connor Cashaw’s impact on the court:
“He’s got that old school game. He’s going to do exactly what you want him to do. He’s probably not going to turn it over a lot and he’s going to be in the right place defensively. He’s going to get in the lane and make some plays, and the other thing that he’s been impressive with is he’s been able to post up guards, and be very calm and patient with good poise down there in the low post. A lot of guards are not used to that, but he seems very comfortable, and it’s probably something that we need to take a little bit of an advantage of.”
On senior guard Kaleb Joseph’s transition to playing off the ball:
Kaleb Joseph is looking for a little more time this season my moving to the off guard position (Spomer / WBR)
“I think he’s adjusted to it really well. If there is one guy who has been impressive in that regard, it’s him. Not only shooting the ball, but being able to punch gaps and get to the rim and finish. I think he’s adapted very well to that role. As long as he doesn’t try to do too much with the ball and shoots it when he’s open and makes plays when he has long closeouts, he’s going to be effective for us.”
On the point guard battle between junior Davion Mintz and freshman Marcus Zegarowski:
“It’s tough right now with Marcus being out with that ankle injury — it’s probably going to cost him a week. But both of them are going to have to play. We’re guard-oriented in the way that we push the ball in transition, and if our point guards are playing 25 minutes that’s a lot. We feel comfortable with both of them. I think both of them bring a little different mentality to it, a different kind of game. Obviously the speed is something that Marcus is going to have to get used to, but with limited minutes I think he certainly can handle that.”
On sophomore forward Damien Jefferson’s potential:
“The most important thing is he’s got that cast off. I think that really limited him — or at least he told us it did. Obviously his athleticism on the offensive glass and his ability to drive the ball and get to the rim and make plays. The thing he needs to become better at is he has the ability to become an elite defender, and this team needs a replacement for Khyri Thomas. He certainly has the ability to do that. It’s not going to happen overnight, it’s more of a mentality than a physical thing, but he’s going to have to grow into that responsibility.”
On junior forward Martin Krampelj’s timetable to return from a sprained ankle:
“It’s a bad high ankle sprain. Those things usually take three weeks, but don’t bet against Martin. He’s the kind of kid that will do whatever he has to do in the training room to get back. The other thing too is with his history of injuries you don’t want him to come back too soon, favor that thing, and then have another setback with something else.”
Over on the Women’s Basketball side of things:
If you’ve ever spent more than 30 seconds talking to Jim Flanery about his basketball team, you’d know that he is rarely ever satisfied with where his team is at defensively. Despite the freedom he provides playmakers to thrive in his motion offense, Flan is a stickler about the details on the defensive end of the floor. He’s been true to form in that regard, especially in the last few practices. With four newcomers and seven underclassmen in total, communication is always the biggest hurdle. As every veteran player of the program can attest, if you don’t talk, you don’t play.
Jade Owens ready to get back on the floor for the Bluejays (Spomer / WBR)
- Senior point guard Jade Owens and sophomore guard Tatum Rembao returned to the practice floor this weekend. Juniors Olivia Elger and Jaylyn Agnew remain sidelined, but are nearing a return to the court. Although they’ve been limited to rehab exercises thus far, they have been engaged on the sideline by helping coach up younger players who are making some of the mistakes they used to make during their introduction to the college level.
- The one and only person in the gym who may have an interest in persuading Agnew to take off as much time as she needs is Audrey Faber. The senior forward has laid waste to not only the rest of the roster, but also the practice squad guys as well. Entering the third week of practice, Faber is shooting 65.1 percent from the field and 48.9 percent from the 3-point line.