Getting a hand in a passing lane and springing a run out is becoming a familiar sequence in practice anytime Ty-Shon Alexander is on the floor. The preseason All-Big East guard is adding some defensive chops to his game as he closes in on the start of his junior season in Omaha, and his coaches have taken notice.
“I think he obviously has made it more of a focus,” head coach Greg McDermott said. “Now the next step is to do it consistently. There have been times where he’s been far better than he’s ever been, and now we just need that to happen all the time. I think we’re moving in that direction.”
The Bluejays wrapped up their 20th practice of the preseason on Tuesday evening. The team managers chart every play when the team is doing live 5-on-5 reps, and in that time Alexander has 23 steals against just 16 turnovers. Turning defense into offense has been a particular point of focus for the 6-foot-4 shooting guard.
“It has 100% been a point of emphasis for me,” Alexander said. “Now since we can trust everybody to guard the basketball better we can leak out to more passes now. We let a lot of guys drive baseline early in the season … now it’s in our heads and everything is just so quick and easy for us now.”
Creighton went through an organized 40-minute scrimmage this past Saturday, and Alexander’s ball-hawking tendencies produced five steals that either led to an uncontested run out or a trip to the free throw line.
“He had some nice anticipation plays that he turned into steals, and generally that turns into easy baskets,” McDermott said. “He’s always had a pretty good feel for that. I think another year and more understanding of our defense has helped him be in a better place in that regard.”
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McDermott hopes that the next evolution of his game on that end of the floor comes in the form of guarding an elite scorer like Seton Hall’s Myles Powell or Marquette’s Markus Howard, two guys who were named preseason First-Team All-Americans on Tuesday afternoon. Alexander isn’t declaring himself a “stopper” of guys at the level just yet, but he gets to experience a daily simulation of what those types of assignments entail in the form of Memphis transfer Antwann Jones, who will be the top option on Creighton’s scout team this season during his mandatory redshirt year.
“Antwann does a fantastic job of bringing a lot of energy to the scout team,” Alexander said. “He’s strong, can handle the ball, and do all that type of stuff. He’s the type of guy we’re going to be facing in the Big East, guys like Myles Powell or Markus Howard. If you’re not on your game in practice it’s going to show.”
Practice Notes:
- On Monday the Jays worked quite a bit on their zone offense. Transition defense drew more focus on Tuesday. They finished each day with a few rounds of end-of-game simulations.
- The blue team, which consisted of Marcus Zegarowski, Ty-Shon Alexander, Mitch Ballock, Damien Jefferson, and Jacob Epperson, was as sharp as anyone has been all season for one of those drills. The rules were simple: 75-75 with 2:00 on the clock, go. The first possession saw Zegarowski bring the ball up the floor, swing it to Alexander, who then made an extra pass to Ballock for a wide open three in the left corner. The second possession ended with Zegarowski flipping the ball back to Ballock for a rhythm three in transition. The third saw Ballock pick-off an outlet pass and find Epperson for an easy lay-in. After a few more stops on the defensive end, Alexander hit a pair of free throws to cap off an 85-75 win.
- On Tuesday, junior wing Denzel Mahoney made key plays for his stint with the blue team. He nailed a couple threes from the left wing; the first coming on a nice flip back by freshman point guard Shereef Mitchell, and the second coming after he scooped a loose ball along the sideline before sizing up his defender and burying the shot. Later in the session he came up with a key deflection on a swing pass to the corner that eventually resulted in a shot-clock violation.
- Senior guard Davion Mintz is still sidelined with a high ankle sprain. He currently does not have a timetable for his return to action.