Creighton returned five of the top seven scorers from the team that advanced to the Round of 32 in the 2022 NCAA Tournament and played Kansas tough before ultimately falling 79-72. So, the Bluejays were always going to be ranked heading into this season. But the reason they were also named the favorite to win the Big East is not solely tied to the returning players. A big part of that was the addition of Baylor Scheierman, the reigning Summit League Player of the Year who averaged 16.2 points and 7.3 rebounds last season for a South Dakota State team that made the NCAA Tournament and finished 30-5.
Thursday night showed why.
The 6-foot-7 forward took 10 shots, made seven of them and finished with 17 points and six rebounds in an 80-51 victory over UC Riverside. It was a performance that helped Creighton improve to 4-0 heading into next week's Maui Invitational, where the Bluejays will open Monday against Texas Tech.
"Transferring to Creighton, a big reason why was to play the high-level games," Scheierman said. "[The Maui Invitational is] going to be on a national stage, and it's going to be a lot of fun."
If Creighton beats Texas Tech on Monday, the Bluejays will likely play Arkansas on Tuesday in the Maui Invitational semifinals. On Wednesday, they could then meet Arizona, San Diego State or Ohio State, meaning Creighton's next three games will likely be against the teams ranked 26th (Texas Tech), 8th (Arkansas) and either 16th (Arizona), 18th (San Diego State) or 21st (Ohio State) in Friday morning's updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings. After that comes a game against a Texas team ranked 1st in the Top 25 And 1, followed by a home game against Nebraska and then consecutive games against BYU and Arizona State in the Jack Jones Hoopfest in Las Vegas.
Creighton remains No. 12 in the Top 25 And 1. The Bluejays have won their four games -- against St. Thomas, North Dakota, Holy Cross and UC Riverside -- by an average of 26.3 points.
Top 25 And 1 rankings
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Tyrese Hunter finished with 26 points and three rebounds in Wednesday's 93-74 win over Gonzaga. The Longhorns' next game is Monday against Northern Arizona. | -- | 6-1 |
| 2 |  | R.J. Davis finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds in Tuesday's 72-66 win over Gardner-Webb. The Tar Heels' next game is Sunday against James Madison. | -- | 4-3 |
| 3 |  | Marcus Sasser finished with 20 points and six assists in Wednesday's 83-48 win over Texas Southern. The Cougars' next game is Sunday against Oregon. | -- | 4-2 |
| 4 |  | Jalen Wilson finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds in Tuesday's 69-64 win over Duke. The Jayhawks' next game is Friday against Southern Utah. | -- | 6-0 |
| 5 |  | Drew Timme finished with five of Gonzaga's 20 turnovers in Wednesday's 93-74 loss at Texas. The Zags' next game is Sunday against Kentucky. | -- | 7-1 |
| 6 |  | Joey Hauser finished with 23 points and eight rebounds in Tuesday's 86-77 double-overtime win over Kentucky. The Spartans' next game is Friday against Villanova. | -- | 6-2 |
| 7 |  | CJ Fredrick finished with 17 points and three assists in Thursday's 106-63 win over South Carolina State. The Wildcats' next game is Sunday against Gonzaga. | -- | 7-0 |
| 8 |  | Ricky Council IV finished with 19 points and two assists in Wednesday's 71-56 win over South Dakota State. The Razorbacks' next game is Monday against Louisville. | -- | 5-2 |
| 9 |  | L.J. Cryer finished with 20 points and four rebounds in Monday's 95-62 win over Northern Colorado. The Bears' next game is Friday against Virginia. | -- | 5-2 |
| 10 |  | Amari Bailey finished with 11 points and five assists in Monday's 86-56 win over Norfolk State. The Bruins' next game is Friday against Illinois. | -- | 6-1 |
| 11 |  | Dereck Lively II was limited to just four points and five rebounds in Tuesday's 69-64 loss to Kansas. The Blue Devils' next game is Friday against Delaware. | -- | 5-2 |
| 12 |  | Baylor Scheierman finished with 17 points and six rebounds in Thursday's 80-51 win over UC Riverside. The Bluejays' next game is Monday against Texas Tech. | -- | 4-3 |
| 13 |  | Trayce Jackson-Davis finished with 21 points and six rebounds in Thursday's 101-49 win over Bethune-Cookman. The Hoosiers' next game is Friday against Xavier. | -- | 5-2 |
| 14 |  | Johni Broome finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds in Tuesday's 89-65 win over Winthrop. The Tigers' next game is Friday against Texas Southern. | -- | 7-0 |
| 15 |  | Isaac McKneely finished with 15 points and two rebounds in Friday's 89-42 win over Monmouth. The Cavaliers' next game is Friday against Baylor. | -- | 5-2 |
| 16 |  | Kerr Kriisa finished with 24 points and five assists in Thursday's 104-77 win over Utah Tech. The Wildcats' next game is Monday against Cincinnati. | -- | 3-4 |
| 17 |  | Josiah-Jordan James finished with 18 points and six rebounds in Wednesday's 81-50 win over Florida Gulf Coast. The Vols' next game is Wednesday against Butler. | 2 | 7-0 |
| 18 |  | Jaedon LeDee finished with 14 points and four rebounds in Tuesday's 74-62 win over Stanford. The Aztecs' next game is Monday against Ohio State. | 2 | 3-2 |
| 19 |  | Brandon Miller finished with 19 points and eight rebounds in Tuesday's 65-55 win over South Alabama. The Crimson Tide's next game is Friday against Jacksonville State. | 2 | 6-1 |
| 20 |  | Zach Edey finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds in Tuesday's 75-70 win over Marquette. The Boilermakers' next game is Thursday against West Virginia. | 2 | 7-1 |
| 21 |  | Brice Sensabaugh finished with 20 points and four rebounds in Wednesday's 65-43 win over Eastern Illinois. The Buckeyes' next game is Monday against San Diego State. | 2 | 5-2 |
| 22 |  | Yuri Collins finished with 22 points and nine assists in Tuesday's 90-84 win over Memphis. The Billikens' next game is Saturday against Maryland. | 2 | 4-2 |
| 23 |  | Terrence Shannon Jr. finished with 30 points and eight rebounds in Monday's 103-65 win over Monmouth. The Illini's next game is Friday against UCLA. | 2 | 6-1 |
| 24 |  | Tristen Newton finished with 22 points and 11 assists in Tuesday's 84-64 win over Buffalo. The Huskies' next game is Friday against UNC Wilmington. | 2 | 4-3 |
| 25 |  | Kris Murray finished with 29 points and 11 rebounds in Wednesday's 83-67 win at Seton Hall. The Hawkeyes' next game is Monday against Nebraska Omaha. | NR | 6-1 |
| 26 |  | Kevin Obanor finished with 15 points and eight rebounds in Monday's 64-55 win over Louisiana Tech. The Red Raiders' next game is Monday against Creighton. | NR | 6-1 |
