Report: Creighton to Join Alabama, Houston, More in $1M NIL-Driven CBB Tournament
May 11, 2024
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 23: Head coach Greg McDermott of the Creighton Bluejays reacts during the first half of a game against the Oregon Ducks in the second round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 23, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Creighton has reportedly been tabbed as the eighth and final team to compete in the NCAA men's college basketball Players Era NIL tournament during the 2024-25 season.
According to Matt Norlander of CBS Sports, Creighton had been scheduled to be part of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament, but the organizers of the new NIL tourney will buy the Bluejays out of their contract.
Norlander and Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports reported earlier this week that the inaugural Players Era NIL tournament will be played during Thanksgiving week in Las Vegas later this year with $1 million in NIL (name, image and likeness) payouts on the line.
Alabama, Houston, Rutgers, Notre Dame, Oregon, San Diego State and Texas A&M are reportedly the other schools slated to take part in the event.
Per Norlander and Dodd, the tournament will provide $1 million to the NIL collective representing each team in the field, and the winning team's players can earn additional NIL money.
The eight-team tournament is planned to have games played at the Vegas Golden Knights' T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas Aces' Michelob ULTRA Arena, and the MGM Grand Garden Arena, but talks of expansion in 2025 and beyond are already occurring.
Organizers of the Players Era Festival want to expand to 16 teams for the 2025-26 season, and Virginia, Duke, Gonzaga, Syracuse, Michigan and Kansas are reportedly teams in the mix to be added.
Additionally, Norlander and Dodd reported that "many" of the teams in this year's tournament have already committed to play in it each of the next three years.
Creighton is a significant addition to this year's field since the Jays have been one of the best teams in the nation in recent years.
Head coach Greg McDermott has led his team to four consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. During that stretch, the Bluejays have made it to at least the Sweet 16 three times, and they reached the Elite Eight in 2023.
Creighton also won the Big East regular-season title in 2020, however, the NCAA tournament was canceled due to COVID-19.
With three-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year Ryan Kalkbrenner withdrawing his name from the 2024 NBA draft and deciding to return for the 2024-25 season, Creighton could be a strong threat to win the first Players Era NIL tournament.
Creighton's 2OT Win over Oregon Hyped as Best Game of March Madness by CBB Fans
Mar 24, 2024
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 23: head coach Greg McDermott of the Creighton Bluejays talks with Trey Alexander #23 in the first half of the game against the Oregon Ducks during the second round of the 2024 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 23, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
Creighton and Oregon delivered arguably the best game of the NCAA tournament so far on Saturday night.
The No. 3 Bluejays held on in double overtime to beat the No. 11 Ducks 86-73 to advance to the Sweet 16 where they will face No. 2 Tennessee. The score was lopsided in the end, but the game was one of the best through the first two rounds of the tournament.
Creighton had four players in double figures, with Steven Ashworth leading the way with 21 points. Of Ashworth's 21 points, 10 came in overtime. Guard Trey Alexander had 21 points and big man Ryan Kalkbrenner added 19 points and 14 boards.
On Oregon's side, Jermaine Couisnard and N'Faly Dante put together huge games. Coisnard had 32 points and Dante had 28 points and 20 rebounds. Their efforts fell short as Creighton slipped away in overtime.
The double-overtime thriller had fans declaring Saturday night's Round of 32 matchup as the best game of the tournament so far.
Baylor Scheierman didn't want his college hoops career to end without getting off a more punches -- 2-for-2 at the FT line, then a game-tying mid-range fader with 8 seconds left.
Creighton and Oregon are headed to overtime in Pittsburgh. Winner gets Tennessee in Detroit.
Now, Creighton will head to its third Sweet 16 in the last four seasons. The Bluejays reached the Elite Eight and were one possession away from the Final Four a year ago, and last year's loss will certainly continue to be fuel for them.
No. 15 Creighton Impresses CBB Fans With Dominant Upset Win Over No. 1 UConn
Feb 21, 2024
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 17: Creighton Bluejays guard Steven Ashworth (1) passes to a teammate during the men's college basketball game between the Butler Bulldogs and Creighton Bluejays on February 17, 2024, at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Down goes No. 1.
The No. 15 Creighton Bluejays defended home-court advantage with a dominant 85-66 victory over the top-ranked UConn Huskies in Tuesday's Big East men's basketball showdown at the CHI Health Center. Creighton's victory snapped a 14-game winning streak for the reigning national champions.
UConn is still 24-3 overall and 14-2 in Big East play, which puts it in line for a No. 1 seed come Selection Sunday even with this uncharacteristically poor performance.
It was a more important result for Creighton, which defeated the No. 1 team for the first time in program history and continues picking up momentum at the right time with four straight conference wins. The Bluejays are 20-7 on the season and 11-5 in Big East play.
lol I don't even think Connecticut can be mad about this? Creighton is just burning the nets out. Running good stuff to get free but like, my god the fire in the nets for creighton
Creighton's now made nine straight shots, five of them threes, and all of them with Donovan Clingan on the bench. The Jays can absolutely fill it up when they get hot.
The issue for UConn tonight is that they haven't been able to get many clean looks out of their offense. Creighton's done a terrific job fighting over screens and utilizing Kalkbrennar to negate anything going to the rim. Clinic defensively. https://t.co/v0lmrI9n5b
It obviously helps that Creighton basically hasn’t missed, but the Bluejays have consistently gotten open looks they want. UConn’s defense has been much more porous than normal
Creighton jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first half and was in full control throughout the majority of the contest. The story for much of the game was its three-point shooting, as the home team ended up 14-of-28 from long range.
It also played impressive defense on the perimeter and held UConn to an ugly 3-of-16 shooting from three-point range.
Steven Ashworth led the way for the Bluejays with 20 points and seven rebounds, while Ryan Kalkbrenner (15 points and six rebounds) and Trey Alexander (16 points and four assists) played impressive supporting roles.
Tristen Newton did what he could for UConn with a double-double of 27 points and 12 rebounds, but he was the only member of his team to score more than 12.
Creighton will look to keep things rolling when it travels to St. John's on Sunday, while the Huskies will attempt to bounce back and further solidify their hold on a No. 1 seed when they host Villanova on Saturday.
Last-Second Foul Call on Creighton Sparks Twitter Debate as SDSU Moves to Final Four
Mar 26, 2023
LOUISVILLE, KY - MARCH 26: Darrion Trammell #12 of the San Diego State Aztecs shoots the ball against the Creighton Bluejays during the Elite Eight round of the 2023 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held at KFC YUM! Center on March 26, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Grace Bradley/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
March Madness indeed.
San Diego State survived what can only be called a rock fight with a dramatic 57-56 victory over Creighton in Sunday's Elite Eight showdown to determine the South Region champion in the 2023 NCAA men's basketball tournament. A back-and-forth defensive struggle ended in controversial fashion, as Darrion Trammell converted one of two free throws in the final second to win it.
Ryan Nembhard committed the foul, but the timing of the whistle and what was at stake led to no shortage of debate on Twitter:
If you decide a foul isn't a foul because the game is tied with a couple of seconds left, then you are giving the defensive team an unfair advantage. Refs don't "decide" a game by calling a foul. The player decides it by fouling. Not the way anyone wanted that game to end.
In most years, fifth-seeded San Diego State reaching the Final Four would be the Cinderella story of the tournament. This year, however, the Aztecs now have a date with underdog Florida Atlantic in the Final Four after escaping with the narrowest of wins Sunday.
One of the biggest storylines coming into the game was Creighton's offense that averaged 81 points per game in its three tournament victories against San Diego State's defense that is fourth in KenPom.com's rankings.
The defenses on both sides won out with Ryan Kalkbrenner and Nathan Mensah protecting the rim, although one could argue ugly offense was even more prevalent than stifling defense.
Missed layups and jumpers dominated the afternoon, and it was fittingly an offensive mistake that almost ended San Diego State's run to the Final Four. The Mountain West representatives turned it over on an inbounds pass while nursing a two-point lead in the final 40 seconds, and Baylor Scheierman converted the opportunity to tie the game.
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 26, 2023
Yet Trammell was there to save the day with his drive into the lane on the ensuing possession, although Bluejays fans will surely be thinking about the foul call that prevented their chance at the first Final Four in program history for years to come.
Watch March Madness Live to stream every tournament game through the Final Four.
Princeton's Cinderella Run Celebrated on Twitter After Sweet 16 Loss to Creighton
Mar 25, 2023
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - MARCH 24: Matt Allocco #14 of the Princeton Tigers reacts during the first half in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at KFC YUM! Center against the Creighton Bluejays on March 24, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
A historic run for Princeton in the men's 2023 NCAA tournament finally came to an end Friday with an 86-75 loss to Creighton at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky. And it was a run that won't be forgotten anytime soon by college basketball fans.
The Tigers reached the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1967, eight years before head coach Mitch Henderson was born.
In the process of making history, they came up with one of the biggest upsets of the tournament when they took down Pac-12 tournament champions Arizona, who were the No. 2 seed in the South Region. The Tigers did it in dramatic fashion as well, storming back from a late 10-point deficit in the second half against the Wildcats.
In the round of 32, the Ivy League tournament champion pulled off another stunner, taking down one of the more talented teams in the SEC in seventh-seeded Missouri with an impressive offensive display, pouring in 78 points.
Even in their loss against No. 6 Creighton, the Tigers didn't bow out without giving the nation a show. They scored 75 points while shooting 42.9 percent from the three-point line and gave the Bluejays a bit of a fright.
Princeton put on a performance not seen often from an Ivy League program. Cornell was the last team from the conference to make it to the Sweet 16 over a decade ago in 2010.
Twitter gave Princeton nothing but respect.
What a ride for Princeton:
Ivy league champs Upset No. 2 Arizona Beat No. 7 Mizzou First Sweet 16 app. since 1967
Last fall, Creighton was ranked as a preseason top-10 team for the first time ever. Bluejays officially match the hype by pushing through to the Eight.
Princeton, thanks for one of the best Cinderella runs ever, but mostly: good luck to all in finding work after college.
Despite all of the admiration for Princeton, it'd be hard to ignore the history that Creighton is making in its own right. The Bluejays have been uber-impressive through the first three rounds behind an elite starting five who all average double-digit points.
The program will now advance to its first Elite Eight since 1941 and will look to go to its first-ever Final Four against San Diego State on Sunday. The Aztecs just eliminated Alabama, which was the top overall seed in the tournament.
Watch March Madness Live to stream every tournament game through the Final Four.
No. 1 Kansas Survives No. 9 Creighton's Upset Bid to Advance to Men's Sweet 16
Mar 19, 2022
Creighton guard Trey Alexander (23) defends as Kansas guard Remy Martin (11) works to the basket in the first half of a second-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, March, 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
The Kansas Jayhawks are in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2018 after their 79-72victory over the Creighton Bluejays in the 2022 NCAA men's basketball tournament on Saturday.
Kansas has now won seven consecutive games since its March 3 loss at TCU. Head coach Bill Self's team cruised to an 83-56 win over Texas Southern in the round of 64 on Thursday.
The Jayhawks had lost in the second round in each of their previous two tournament appearances dating back to 2019.
Creighton advanced to the round of 32 with a come-from-behind overtime victory against San Diego State on Thursday. Head coach Greg McDermott's squad entered this matchup with eight wins in its final 11 games between the regular season and Big East tournament.
KeyShawn Feazell's layup with 1:47 remaining capped off a quick five-point run that allowed Creighton to close the deficit to 73-72.
Creighton got the ball back after a missed layup by David McCormack, but Feazell lost possession when Ochai Agbaji was able to get a steal and an easy layup of his own to put Kansas back up by three in the final minute.
The Jayhawks closed the game on a 6-0 run to hang on for the victory in a hard-fought matchup.
Remy Martin was the hero of the win for Kansas. He scored a season-high 20 points off the bench. Agbaji finished with 15 points, but it came on just 5-of-14 shooting.
Creighton's Arthur Kaluma led all players with 24 points. The Bluejays' starting five scored all 72 points in the loss.
Arthur Kaluma (CU): 24 points (4-of-10 3PT), 12 rebounds
Alex O'Connell (CU): 16 points (3-of-9 FG), 3 assists
Jayhawks Hold On Despite Ugly Performance
On a day when neither team put its best foot forward, the Jayhawks were able to make enough plays on both ends of the court to advance.
Kansas hasn't shot the ball well in two of its past three games (40.9 percent vs. Creighton). Texas Tech held it to a 43.1 percent field-goal percentage in the Big 12 title game. The total included a 5-of-22 mark from three-point range.
Saturday was yet another day in which the team's shooting from behind the arc was erratic, at least early. Martin, the fifth-year senior who transferred to Kansas after spending four years at Arizona State, was the one saving grace with his best game of the season.
This is the NCAA Tournament game that might make the Remy Martin experience all worth it for Kansas. On a day where Ochai and Braun are 3/13, Martin and his shot-making have just totally kept Kansas afloat.
Martin did the bulk of his damage in the first half, scoring 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting. His season high in scoring was 17 points on Nov. 26 in a 74-73 loss to Dayton.
Remy Martin is one point away from his season high in points, and it's halftime. We just watched a half where everybody else struggled to go get their own shot, and Remy made it look effortless. Considering the athleticism disparity, he should be able to get his all second half.
The Jayhawks needed all of Martin's contributions in the first half because they only had a 39-38 lead at the intermission.
Agbaji and Christian Braun finally started to get going in the second half when the Jayhawks pulled away. Kansas' two leading scorers during the regular season combined for eight points in the first half. They matched that total less than nine minutes into the second half.
Another bench player who made a key contribution to the win was Jalen Coleman-Lands. The senior guard only had five points, but he made them count with three coming on a key three-pointer midway through the second half to give Kansas a 66-57 lead.
Self and his staff now have six days off to study what was off with this game and how to improve for the Sweet 16. They were at least able to play well enough to advance.
2-Point Shooting Woes End Creighton's Season
Perhaps the most surprising part of this game was how well Creighton shot the ball from three-point range. The team finished the regular season tied for 330th out of 358 Division I programs with a 30.3 percent success rate behind the arc.
The trend continued in the first round against San Diego State when it finished 2-of-14 on three-point attempts.
Whatever the Bluejays did to work on their long-range shooting between Thursday and Saturday paid off. They scored half of their points on three-pointersagainst Kansas (12-of-28 from deep).
Kaluma seemed to evolve into a star over the course of this game. The freshman from Uganda set a career high in scoring and tied his career high in three-pointers made (four).
Hell of a showing from Creighton freshman + Uganda’s own Arthur Kaluma: 24 PTS, 12 REBS, 3 AST, 4-of-10 from 3P while playing all 40 minutes in the biggest game of his young collegiate career. Never afraid of the moment. Eventually going to play in the NBA for a long, long time. pic.twitter.com/oXPw7MmMz4
It turns out the biggest problem for Creighton on Saturday was when it attempted shots inside the three-point line. The team was just 9-of-31 on two-point attempts against Kansas.
The Bluejays made just two two-point field goals in the final seven minutes. Feazell was the only player who made at least half of his two-pointers (2-of-4).
Some of the credit for those offensive issues goes to the Jayhawks defense. Creighton didn't have anyone who could match David McCormack's size (6'10", 250 lbs). Kansas as a team had seven blocks.
McCormack's second block of the game came when Trey Alexander tried driving to the basket but was denied to keep the score 75-72 with 33 seconds remaining.
Those missed opportunities in the paint and from mid-range are ultimately what prevented Creighton from being able to pull off the upset.
Despite the difficult ending to the season, the future does look very bright for the Bluejays.
As long as Arthur Kaluma is back next year, I am so ready to invest in Creighton as a 2023 title contender. Nembhard and Alexander, Kaluma and Kalbrenner inside. McDermott will find another Hawkins-y transfer. This team rules.
The Big East isn't a particularly deep conference right now. Villanova is the most reliable team from season to season, but the door is open for someone to take the No. 2 spot in 2022-23.
If Creighton returns its key players next season, there's no reason to think this team won't be a championship contender after the development from Kaluma, Ryan Kalkbrenner and Ryan Nembhard over the course of this year.
What's Next?
Kansas will play the Richmond-Providence winner in the Sweet 16 on March 25.
Collin Gillespie, No. 5 Villanova Beat Creighton to Win 2022 Big East Championship
Mar 13, 2022
Villanova's Collin Gillespie (2) uses a screen by Eric Dixon (43) as Connecticut's R.J. Cole defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Big East men's tournament Friday, March 11, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Second-seeded Villanova continued to assert its dominance in the Big East with a 54-48 win over fourth-seeded Creighton on Saturday at Madison Square Garden to capture the men's conference title for the fourth time since 2017 and the sixth time overall.
Saturday's game was the first time Villanova and Creighton had met in the Big East title game since 2017, a game the Wildcats won 74-60. The Bluejays have never won a Big East Championship and are now 0-4 in the big game.
Villanova now has the third-most Big East title wins with six, breaking a tie with Syracuse, who has five. The Wildcats reached the Big East Championship with wins over No. 7 St. John's and No. 3 UConn.
Saturday's game got off to an extremely slow start, with Villanova entering halftime up 19-18. And while the second half was far more entertaining, both teams struggled to score, specifically from deep.
Villanova made just eight of 32 three-pointers, while Creighton made just three of 29. In addition, the Wildcats shot just 33.3 percent from the floor, while the Bluejays shot 32.8 percent.
Villanova never seemed to lose control in this game, especially down the stretch, thanks to Big East Player of the Year Collin Gillespie, who finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.
Creighton, however, had the best player on the floor, with Ryan Kalkbrenner finishing with 19 points, eight rebounds and one assist. His performance just wasn't enough, as the Bluejays' second-best player was Alex O'Connell, who finished with just 10 points, three rebounds, two assists and one steal.
With Saturday's win, Villanova punched its ticket to the NCAA tournament for the ninth straight year, excluding the 2019-20 season when no postseason was held because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Wildcats are looking for their first national title since 2018 and third since 2016.
TyTy Washington Decommitted from Creighton Due to McDermott's 'Plantation' Comment
Apr 15, 2021
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 11: Head coach Greg McDermott of the Creighton Bluejays looks on in the second half against the Butler Bulldogs during the Quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 11, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
TyTy Washington is one of the most highly sought-after recruits in the 2021 recruiting cycle, but there was a time he was headed to Creighton.
He told Kyle Tucker of The Athletic he decommitted from the Bluejays because of Greg McDermott's "I need everyone to stay on the plantation" comment that led to a suspension for the head coach.
"It was definitely the controversy," he said. "I really wanted to attend Creighton. It felt like the situation and the plan Coach McDermott had for me was really good. So it was kind of heartbreaking once I found out what he said. I just felt like the day and age we're living in—a police officer just killed another young black man for no reason—him saying something like that, it's just not right."
It was certainly a major loss for Creighton.
Washington is a 4-star prospect and the No. 30 overall player and No. 3 point guard in his class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.
Tucker noted he averaged 24 points, seven assists and six rebounds while helping lead AZ Compass Prep to a 30-2 record. He can shoot from the outside, attack the rim in half-court sets, get out in transition, rebound from the backcourt and facilitate for his teammates when defenders collapse on him.
That skill set has attracted the attention of Kentucky head coach John Calipari.
"Man, it's super cool," Washington said of the interest from Calipari. "I'm not going to lie, the first few times he called, I screen-shot his name because I couldn't believe it. I'd be like, 'Bro, you're never going to guess who is calling me.' My friends think I'm lying. So I had to show them."
Kentucky is accustomed to landing prospects like Washington and will look to bounce back from its 9-16 record in 2020-21 by winning on the recruiting trail.
Greg McDermott Reinstated by Creighton After Suspension for 'Plantation' Remark
Mar 8, 2021
Creighton head coach Greg McDermott during an NCAA college basketball game against Villanova, Wednesday, March 3, 2021, in Villanova, Pa. (AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson)
Creighton athletic director Bruce Rasmussen announced Monday head coach Greg McDermott would be reinstated and cleared to participate in all team activities, including this week's Big East tournament, after his racially insensitive comments in late February.
A statement from Creighton Athletic Director Bruce Rasmussen regarding the Creighton Men’s Basketball Program: pic.twitter.com/tNBJqlxcMl
"Specifically, I said: 'Guys, we got to stick together. We need both feet in. I need everybody to stay on the plantation," McDermott told reporters several days after Creighton's 77-69 loss on Feb. 27. "I can't have anybody leave the plantation."
The school suspended McDermott March 4 after initially saying any punishment would remain confidential.
"Fr. Hendrickson and I engaged with other senior leaders in dialogue and discussion regarding appropriate sanctions for the remarks made by Head Men's Basketball Coach Greg McDermott that were not in alignment with Creighton's commitment to racial equity, diversity and respect," Rasmussensaid in a statementafter McDermott was suspended.
He added: "Coach McDermott and our Athletic program must use this incident as an opportunity for growth and learning, as clearly more work needs to be done."
McDermott said he agreed with the school's decision:
I made a mistake and I own it. Mistakes come with consequences, and I accept and agree with the suspension. https://t.co/pYOT0X0nMx
Assistant Al Huss served as the interim head coach while McDermott was suspended.
McDermott, 56, has been Creighton's men's basketball coach since the 2010-11 season, leading the Bluejays to a 249-123 record in that time and five NCAA tournament appearances (that number would have been six after Creighton went 24-7 last year, but the NCAA tournament was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic).
This year, the Bluejays are 18-7 and sit second in the Big East standings, with another March Madness berth on the horizon.
