Creighton Reaches Elite Eight Behind Multiple NBA Prospects

The Bluejays have at least five players on the current roster that will have a real chance to play at the NBA level some day.

By the end of today, there will only be six teams remaining in the NCAA Tournament, one of which is the Creighton Bluejays. A loaded roster with a ton of experience, they’ve got what it takes to go the distance.

During the regular season, Creighton had five players average double-digit scoring numbers. All five of those players also have legitimate NBA upside and will look to make the jump either this summer or further down the road.

In the meantime, they’ll look to carry the Bluejays to the championship. Their skillsets all mesh well, which is why Creighton has made it this far.

Let’s take a look at the top five NBA Draft prospects at Creighton.

---

Ryan Kalkbrenner

Stats: 15.7 PPG | 6.2 RPG | 2.2 BPG | 70.6% FG

The 7-footer is ultra efficient from the floor and a great shot blocker. Kalkbrenner has put up big numbers all season, but is now making more of a name for himself nationally on the big stage.

He’s gotten much better in each of his three college seasons as a Bluejay, showing positive improvement every year. He’s starting to get more comfortable taking shots from beyond the arc, so it will be interesting to see how that progresses.

Kalkbrenner notched 31 points against NC State in the tournament and 22 against Princeton. He’s a dominant big that scores very efficiently.

Arthur Kaluma

Stats: 11.8 PPG | 6.0 RPG | 1.7 APG | 31.7% 3PT

A sophomore wing, Kaluma was a breakout candidate this season that frankly didn’t live up to expectations. He has 3-and-D upside with good size on the wing. We didn’t see a tremendous amount of growth from him this season, but he still is an NBA caliber prospect.

Kaluma has been somewhat quiet in tournament, but has still been impactful. Doing the little things that don’t always show up on the stat sheet, he is a key piece of the success of Creighton.

Trey Alexander

Stats: 13.6 PPG | 4.2 RPG | 2.6 APG | 42.3% 3PT

Alexander has seen a huge uptick in his production this season as a sophomore, nearly doubling his scoring output as a full-time starter.

He’s a fantastic perimeter shooter that helps with the spacing of the offense. Alexander is also a disruptive defender that forces turnovers.

While he hasn’t been the most efficient in the tournament, Alexander’s two-way impact as a 6-foot-4 guard can’t go unnoticed.

Baylor Scheierman

Stats: 12.5 PPG | 8.2 RPG | 3.2APG | 35.5% 3PT

It’s Scheierman’s fourth college season, but his first at Creighton after transferring from South Dakota State. In a new role and system, his efficiency really fell this season, especially from deep. In the two seasons prior to becoming a Bluejay, he shot 45.6% from from beyond the arc.

With that in mind, he’s had some big moments in the NCAA Tournament. Most recently, he produced 21 points, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range, in the Sweet 16.

Ryan Nemnhard

Stats: 12.4 PPG | 4.8 APG | 4.0 RPG | 37.3% 3PT

The brother of Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard, Ryan is the offensive facilitator for Creighton. He recently had a massive outburst of 30 pounds against Baylor in the NCAA Tournament, but is also a fantastic passer when he’s not scoring.

While he is undersized, he’s a productive rebounding guard. Nembhard is also a good 3-point shooter. At this rate, it’s all about how teams think his skillset will translate at the next level with the lack of height. 

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.