Alan Huss Trades Half-Court Polish for Disruptive Speed at Creighton

Trading haymakers inside Manhattan’s loud Bramlage Coliseum on Tuesday night, 6-foot-1 senior guard BJ Davis kept attacking off the dribble for 25 points and three assists to pull Creighton within striking distance before Kansas State’s six-triple barrage from Brandon Rechsteiner sealed an 89-82 Wildcats win. Even in its first setback of the season, head coach Alan Huss’s Omaha roster refused to back down on a Big 12 road floor.

At 2-1 with a +36 overall scoring differential following comfortable CHI Health Center Omaha victories over Kansas City (76-61) and Le Moyne (83-55), Creighton already looks noticeably faster and far more disruptive along the perimeter in its first season under Huss. Swiping 12.3 steals per contest while blending veteran guard shot-making with classic 6-foot-10 stretch-four spacing, the Bluejays now pivot toward Sunday’s pivotal neutral-floor test against Big Ten neighbor Iowa.

BJ Davis, Wes Enis, and Jackson McAndrew Headline a Balanced Core

Creighton’s opening three games have showcased an enviable trio of offensive tone-setters capable of carrying the scoring load on any given night when defensive matchups shift. In the November 3 season-opening 76-61 victory over Kansas City, 6-foot-1, 200-pound senior guard Wes Enis exploded for 25 points while 6-foot-4 freshman guard Katrelle Harmon handed out six assists. Three nights later against Le Moyne, 6-foot-10 junior forward Jackson McAndrew poured in 19 first-half points to ignite an 83-55 rout after grabbing seven boards in the opener.

Then came Tuesday’s true road test at Kansas State, where Davis took center stage with 25 points and three assists just days after posting an all-around eight-rebound, five-assist performance versus Le Moyne. Supported in the backcourt by junior guard Austin Swartz, sophomore guards Hudson Greer (6-foot-7) and Kayden Edwards, and seniors Brody Robinson and Shane Thomas, Huss possesses deep perimeter options capable of pushing tempo off turnovers.

12.3 Steals Signal a Defensive Shift While Shooting Efficiency Lags

For years, Omaha basketball was synonymous with ultra-low opponent foul rates and passive drop coverage that rarely gambled for steals. Through three games under Huss, Creighton is averaging a blistering 12.3 steals per contest, turning live-ball deflections into an 80.3 points-per-game scoring pace while holding Kansas City and Le Moyne to 58.0 points apiece at home before surrendering 89 in a high-possession track meet at Bramlage Coliseum (68.3 PPG allowed overall).

Where the Bluejays must sharpen immediately is half-court shot selection and ball security. Creighton is shooting just 41.3 percent from the floor overall and 32.7 percent from three-point territory, buffered by a dependable 75.4 percent mark at the free-throw line. Handing out 16.0 assists against 13.0 turnovers per game yields a 1.2 assist-to-turnover ratio—total assists divided by giveaways—leaving ample room for cleaner early-clock reads.

Frontcourt Muscle Around Oswin Erhunmwunse, Fredrick King, and Isaac Traudt

Matching up inside the physical 11-team Big East requires legitimate paint bulk alongside stretch shooting, and Huss holds intriguing frontcourt combinations to deploy beside McAndrew. Junior 6-foot-10, 240-pound forward Oswin Erhunmwunse led Creighton on the glass with six rebounds at Kansas State and brings elite vertical bounce around the rim, complemented by 6-foot-9, 270-pound senior center Fredrick King and 7-foot-2, 270-pound senior center Wesly Rosa.

Spacing the floor around those interior bruisers are 6-foot-10 senior forward Isaac Traudt, rugged 6-foot-8, 240-pound senior forward Jasen Green, and 6-foot-10 freshman Trevon Carter-Givens. Pulling down 38.0 rebounds and blocking 3.0 shots per game so far, Creighton needs Erhunmwunse and King to provide firmer vertical rim deterrence against straight-line drives after Kansas State repeatedly exploited perimeter gambles on Tuesday night in Manhattan.

Iowa in Des Moines, No. 20 Michigan in Vegas, and No. 25 Nebraska in Omaha

Huss’s squad faces a packed three-week runway of high-major resume builders before Big East play tips off in late December. On Sunday, November 15, Creighton travels east down Interstate 80 to Casey’s Center in Des Moines for a neutral-court showdown against 2-1 Iowa (+61 point differential). After returning to CHI Health Center Omaha to host Bethune-Cookman on November 19, the Bluejays fly to Las Vegas’s T-Mobile Arena on November 24 to challenge No. 20 Michigan.

Following a December 2 home date against Oral Roberts, Omaha circles December 5 on the calendar when in-state rival No. 25 Nebraska (2-0) visits CHI Health Center Omaha. Navigating Iowa, Michigan, and Nebraska successfully will be critical entering an 11-team Big East race where every single club currently holds a winning record—led by No. 4 UConn (3-0, +90 differential), No. 13 St. John’s (2-0), unbeaten Xavier (3-0, +113), unbeaten Marquette (2-0, +96), unbeaten DePaul (3-0), Villanova, Butler, and Providence.

2026-27 Big East Trajectory and NCAA Tournament Verdict

Dropping a seven-point road game at Kansas State in November while shooting 41.3 percent on the young season is far from a fatal flaw—especially when Davis and Enis have already demonstrated 25-point microwave scoring upside against athletic defenders and CHI Health Center Omaha remains one of college basketball’s premier, loudest home-court edges throughout the winter months.

If Huss dials back overaggressive defensive gambling against power-conference shooters and McAndrew and Traudt lift Creighton’s three-point percentage closer to 36 percent, the Bluejays have the veteran guard punch and interior size to battle for an upper-half Big East finish and an at-large berth in the 2027 NCAA Tournament. Protecting home court in Omaha while stealing two or three neutral-site wins before Christmas will define their March runway.