1. HEADLINER: Jackson McAndrew’s Career High
When I watched the North Dakota-Creighton game last season, I noticed quickly in the second half that something was wrong with Jackson McAndrew. It wasn’t anything I saw; it was almost exactly the opposite. It was what I didn’t see that concerned me, as McAndrew wasn’t playing.
Creighton announced just a few days later that McAndrew would miss the 2025-26 campaign with a foot injury. It dashed the hopes of Creighton’s starting power forward being able to live up to the preseason All-Big East Third Team selection. He averaged 7.8 points per game, shot 35.4 percent from three and made more three pointers in a season than any freshman before him at Creighton. A season on the bench in street clothes wasn’t going to help fuel the hype he generated that preseason.
The foot injury excuses some of his shooting woes in that abbreviated sophomore campaign, but even when he came back this season and hype had built itself back up, McAndrew wasn’t shooting well enough to justify that excitement. In seven contests (including both 2026-27 exhibitions), Jackson had shot a combined for just 10-of-38 shooting from distance, good for a 26.3 percent split. It was a matter of time before his shooting came back, but through the Kansas City game last Monday, it had been a little over 19 months since McAndrew made more than two three pointers in a game.
Then he very quickly proved himself against Le Moyne. He had 19 points with five made threes, all of which happened in the first half, and established a new career high because of his shooting performance. It was one of those performances that you want as a fan, not just because you want the player and the team to succeed, but also because you want the person to get their moment after a setback.
This game will neither define Creighton’s season or McAndrew’s success. A buy game in the first week of the season almost never does define either unless it’s for the worse. In this case, everyone was just reminded of what the junior forward is capable of doing for the Jays this season.
Somebody get a hand up!
Creighton 35
Le Moyne 9
H1 https://t.co/HTHSxKniBM— Creighton Men’s Basketball (@BluejayMBB) November 6, 2026
2. Trevon Carter-Givens’ Defensive Dominance
I was skeptical of Carter-Givens’ role at the start of the season because of who surrounded him at the five. Oswin Erhunmwunse, Jasen Green and Fredrick King all seemed to be higher in the rotation to start the season because of their experience. While I was hoping for Carter-Givens to make a splash, I worried he would not crack a competitive center spot for Creighton without a little more time developing.
Boy was I wrong, and I am so glad to be wrong. Carter-Givens was a high-flying lob threat in the first two games and swatted four shots against Kansas City. These blocks included a three-point attempt where he was behind the shooter, a dunk attempt that was erased and, on the next defensive possession, a strong rejection into the stands on a baseline midrange shot. Carter-Givens’ immediate production gives Head Coach Alan Huss more creative freedom using Green at the four and helps solidify the center rotation for the foreseeable future.
3. Point Guard Play Has Shined
Another position that I wasn’t sure would look this solid this quickly, the point guard rotation has provided Creighton with two different types of players. BJ Davis is a strong defensive presence while also being a steady hand offensively; he has no turnover in regular season play to this point. He creates instant offense from his defensive tenacity and does a great job of being smart with the basketball and not giving away free possessions.
On the other hand, Katrelle Harmon is bigger, has a greater ability to make plays and has a pace that freshmen don’t usually possess right away. He has 11 assists and his drives to the basket have been strong, oftentimes ending in a lob for the centers or an attack at the rim himself. The competition hasn’t been stellar—Creighton hasn’t played an elite defensive team yet—but to show these flashes early gives me a lot of confidence.
4. Wes Enis and the Alpha Dog Issue
I felt like last season Creighton lacked a true “go out there and shoot the ball” kind of player. Josh Dix was some of that last season, but his skillset as a spot-up shooter wasn’t totally built around him getting a significant number of shots per game. Creighton had Austin Swartz for a while in December and January, but that wasn’t sustained and Creighton suffered as he became hampered by injuries.
Wes Enis solves this issue. Through two games, he has 37 shot attempts and 41 points. The shooting percentage might not be as high as it could be, but to know that Creighton has a player who is assertive enough to go and force the issue is comforting. The number of shots might make me irate at some point this season, but to know that Enis can put up attempts truly makes me happy… for now.
5. Three-Point Shooting Off Bench
Creighton has shooters. We’ve already spoken about McAndrew, Davis and Enis all providing some amount of spacing in the last few notes. What worries me right now is that the bench hasn’t been nearly as productive hitting shots as the starters. Bench players are a combined 1-for-13 from distance up to this point in the season despite playing a total of 113 minutes.
It isn’t time to ring the alarm, but if we get to Las Vegas or get to the end of November and Creighton lacks a bench shooter, the Jays might be depending a little too much on starters to win games. The track record of some of these shooters means that we should not be worried yet. Isaac Traudt hit 60 threes last season, mostly in a starting role, and Hudson Greer hit 19 off the bench. The shooting is there, but much like McAndrew, it may take some time for the results to come into place.
6. 40 Minutes of Play
My other worry isn’t about any facet of the game, but rather the level of control the Jays have shown in these games. Creighton has either gotten off to slow starts (UMKC), blown double-digit leads (Iowa State, Minnesota) or let their foot off the gas a little too much (Le Moyne). Granted, two of those games were exhibitions and none of these performances have resulted in a loss, but in a real game situation I worry about Creighton’s ability to shut down the opponent and their runs.
The style Creighton is playing with is demanding and it has not gone unnoticed that Huss is playing around 10 rotation players significant minutes. I imagine those two factors hurt Creighton’s ability to really extend these leads because the successful five-man unit getting moved around like the Ship of Theseus. As each player moves in or out, Creighton needs to find their rhythm again. The rotation will tighten up and the continuity won’t be an issue later in the season, but the control has been frustrating in the moment.
7. LOOKING AHEAD: Road Environments
These six notes on the two-game season so far culminate to what Creighton has coming up. A hostile, true road game in Manhattan against Kansas State and a game in Des Moines against Iowa both loom as early opportunities for Creighton to get good wins that will help bolster an early-season resume.
These games are for more than just Creighton as well; the Big East has been desperate for wins from the middle of the conference against other power conference teams. So far, the Big East’s biggest non-UConn win is DePaul’s win over South Florida or Georgetown’s win over Maryland. If the conference wants to increase the number of teams in the expanded NCAA Tournament, and if Creighton wants to help their chances early in the season, a win or two this week out of the Jays would go a long way.