The offseason is underway for Creighton men’s basketball, and Coach Greg McDermott is already at work setting the Bluejays up for the post-Ryan Kalkbrenner era. The transfer portal opened on March 24 and the coaching carousel is spinning at full speed.
To keep you updated on all the comings and goings, we’ll update this offseason tracker whenever news drops.
>> March 17: Murray State names former Creighton assistant coach Ryan Miller as its next head coach.
🤝 𝗚𝗢𝗧 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗚𝗨𝗬!@CoachRyanMiller has been named the 18th head coach of Murray State Men’s Basketball!
🔗: https://t.co/GPzjrVxZD1#GoRacers🏇 pic.twitter.com/495u1ANorE
— Murray State MBB (@RacersHoops) March 17, 2025
Miller spent four seasons in Omaha, helping Creighton reach four-straight NCAA Tournaments including trips to the Sweet 16 in 2023-24 and the Elite Eight in 2022-23. Miller was a key recruiter for the Jays while also playing an integral role in shaping both the defensive and offensive schemes during his time in Omaha.
Miller’s departure leaves McDermott with a big hole to fill on his staff.
>> March 26: Junior guard Pop Isaacs shares intention to to enter the transfer portal.
Creighton junior guard Pop Isaacs is entering the transfer portal, his agency PNW Sports Group told @TheFieldOf68.
Isaacs averaged 16.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 3.9 apg before shutting it down after 8 games to have surgery. He had 27 points in a win over Kansas in his final appearance… pic.twitter.com/e2HhwDKXk0
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 26, 2025
The Las Vegas native spent two seasons at Texas Tech before transferring to Creighton prior to the 2024-25 season. Isaacs averaged 16.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists while shooting 38.3% from 3 in eight games at Creighton before undergoing season-ending hip surgery. He put up 27 points, seven rebounds and four assists in a win over Kansas in his final game before surgery.
>> March 26: Junior forward Mason Miller enters the transfer portal.
Creighton F Mason Miller has entered the transfer portal. https://t.co/m8SVdKuP9Y
— Verbal Commits (@VerbalCommits) March 26, 2025
Miller spent four years at Creighton, redshirting in 2021-22 before playing the past three seasons. He averaged 2.3 points and shot 37% from 3 in 9.0 minutes per game as a redshirt freshman, then led the Big East in 3-point shooting at 45.4% as a sophomore. He started all 33 games and averaged 5.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 21.8 minutes per game.
However, Miller broke his leg in the offseason and missed an extended period of offseason workouts and preseason practices. He got cleared in time for the start of the season, but fell into a season-long shooting slump (17.1% from 3) and saw his role reduced. Miller averaged 1.1 points and 1.6 rebounds in 11.8 minutes per game, starting four games.
**Update: Miller has committed to Murray State, following his uncle Ryan,
>> March 26: Iowa big man transfer Owen Freeman announces his commitment to Creighton.
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The 6-foot-10, 245-pound center played 19 games this season before undergoing season-ending surgery for a finger injury. He averaged 16.7 points on 63.8% shooting, 6.7 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 26.4 minutes per game for the Hawkeyes as a sophomore.
The Moline, Illinois, native was the Big Ten Rookie of the Year last season, averaging 10.6 points on 61.4% shooting, 6.6 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 22.9 minutes per game, starting 25 games as a freshman.
Freeman visited Omaha on Tuesday before announcing his commitment Wednesday evening.
>> March 28: Junior center Fredrick King announces his plans to enter the transfer portal.
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The Bahamas native spent three seasons in Omaha backing up Ryan Kalkbrenner, averaging 2.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 7.0 minutes per game across 103 games. He started four games that Kalkbrenner missed, three of which came during his freshman season in 2022-23. The 6-foot-9 post has shot 61.7% from the field in his career.
King entered the portal last season before withdrawing to return to Creighton.
**Update: King has committed to Murray State, following Ryan and Mason Miller.
>> April 2: Charlotte junior transfer guard Nik Graves commits to Creighton.
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The 6-foot-3 North Carolina native will have one season of eligibility in Omaha, filling Creighton’s need for a lead guard. He was a two-year starter for the 49ers, averaging 17.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists this season. He shot 41.7% from the field including 32.8% from 3 with a 1.9 assist-to-turnover ratio for an 11-22 Charlotte team that ranked 322nd nationally in 3-point percentage.
Graves averaged 1.6 points and 0.8 assists in 22 games off the bench as a freshman in 2022-23, then upped that to 10.4 points and 2.8 assists as a 30-game starter as a sophomore. He’s a career 33% 3-point shooter but shot 77.3% on 7.1 free-throw attempts per game this season.
Graves was planning to visit LSU and Missouri but committed to Creighton after his visit to Omaha.
>> April 4: Iowa transfer guard Josh Dix commits to Creighton.
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The 6-foot-6 wing from Council Bluffs, Iowa, chose Creighton over interest from Indiana, Illinois and Kansas among others for his final season of eligibility following the coaching change at Iowa. Dix averaged 14.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists while shooting 50.7% from the field, 42.2% from 3 and 76.6% from the free-throw line.
Dix suffered a broken leg late in his senior season at Abraham Lincoln in Council Bluffs but recovered to play 31 games as a freshman, averaging 2.0 points in 9.2 minutes per game. He developed into an important rotation piece for the Hawkeyes as a sophomore, starting 20 games and averaging 8.9 points on a 62.7 effective field goal percentage in 24.4 minutes per game. He started all 32 games this season, averaging 32.3 minutes per game.
Dix is reuniting with former Iowa teammate Owen Freeman in Omaha, giving the Bluejays two of the most efficient offensive players in the portal. He also played his grassroots basketball for Omaha Sports Academy.
>> April 6: Serbian 7-footer Aleksa Dimitrijević commits to Creighton.
NEWS: Serbian 7-footer Aleksa Dimitrijević has committed to Creighton, his agent Stevan Petrovic of @Agency55NIL tells @On3sports.
The 18-year-old center has been playing professionally in Europe this season.https://t.co/6xkJuiOCAF pic.twitter.com/WMy3FLzGUf
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) April 7, 2025
The 7-foot-1, 215-pound big man averaged 3.5 points and 3.8 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per game across 18 games with KK Partizan and KK Metalac Valjevo in Serbia this season. Dimitrijević, who will turn 19 in late May, competed for Serbia at the 2024 U18 Euro Championship when he was 17. He averaged 10.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.7 blocks and 2.1 assists while shooting 51.1% from the field in seven games as Serbia won the silver medal.
He visited Michigan, Creighton and Illinois in February before committing to the Jays. His addition pushes Creighton’s roster total to 12, leaving the staff with up to three more spots to fill.
>> April 10: Creighton announces Alan Huss is returning as associate head coach and coach-in-waiting, filling the vacancy on McDermott’s staff and setting up a transition plan for when McDermott decides to retire.
“Returning to Creighton, my alma mater, to work alongside Coach McDermott and contribute to the future of this program is an extraordinary opportunity and, honestly, my dream job,” Huss said in a release. “The chance to build upon the foundation of Bluejay basketball while preparing to lead this program is incredibly special. I am extremely grateful to Fr. Hendrickson, Marcus Blossom, and Coach McDermott for their faith in me. Our family is absolutely thrilled to rejoin the Bluejay community.”
Huss, a Creighton alumnus, spent six seasons on McDermott’s staff before leaving Omaha to take the head coaching position at High Point, where he guided the Panthers to a 56-15 record over the past two seasons.
“I am excited to welcome Alan back to our program, not only as a valued member of our coaching staff but as the future head coach of Creighton men’s basketball,” McDermott said. “I have known Alan for nearly 20 years and can attest that his dedication and vision perfectly align with our commitment to a winning culture. When the time is right, he will be the ideal coach to keep Creighton men’s basketball among the nation’s best. A big thank you to Fr. Hendrickson and Marcus for their teamwork and for bringing Alan on board.”
Per the release, athletic director Marcus Blossom and university president Fr. Daniel Hendrickson “identified a diverse national pool of outstanding professional and collegiate basketball candidates” while incorporating insights from McDermott before honing in on and hiring Huss, who will begin his tenure on April 11.
>> April 13: Miami transfer Austin Swartz commits to Creighton.
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The 6-foot-4, 200-pound guard spent his freshman year at Miami, averaging 5.9 points in 18.3 minutes per game, logging seven starts for the Hurricanes. He scored in double figures five times, including a 15-point outing on 4-of-6 from the field (3-of-4 from 3) and 4-of-4 from the foul line against Charleston Southern and 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting late in the season against Georgia Tech. The North Carolina native as a four-star recruit coming out of The Cannon School in Concord, ranking 66th in the final 247Sorts Composite Ranking for the 2024 class.
“We are thrilled to welcome Austin to Omaha,” McDermott said in a release. “His size, strength and ability to stretch the floor with the three-point shot is a perfect fit for our fast-paced offense. His work ethic and desire to improve is very impressive. We can’t wait to get him on campus!”
Known as a talented jump-shooter and volume scorer as a recruit, he’ll look to improve on his 30.4% clip from deep within Creighton’s shooter-friendly offense. He adds depth and upside to a Creighton backcourt that includes fellow newcomers Nik Graves and Josh Dix alongside returners Fedor Žugić, Ty Davis and Shane Thomas.
>> April 27: Howard transfer Blake Harper commits to Creighton.
you can’t say i ain’t earn it??
RDJ🐦 pic.twitter.com/jzNwp0MqBc
— Blake Harper (@bharp__) April 27, 2025
The 6-foot-8, 210-pound wing was one of the most productive freshmen in the country this past season, averaging 19.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists while shooting 44.7% from the field, 40.4% from 3 (and 3.1 attempts per game) and 82.5% from the free-throw line. He earned MEAC Rookie and Player of the Year honors. He also led all HBCU players in scoring and earned HBCU player of the Year as well as the inaugural HCU Impact Award.
“Blake Harper has talent with the drive and maturity to match,” McDermott said. “After a great freshman season at Howard, he’s proven he can impact the game. What excites me most is how seamlessly his versatility and work ethic fit into our culture. Bluejay fans are going to love what they see.”
Harper scored 20 or more 11 times and hit the 30-point mark in five of them with a high of 35. He notched three double-doubles (including 23 points and 10 rebounds against CIncinnati) plus a 30-point, 13-rebound, 10-assist triple-double against a non-Division-I team. He scored 16 points on 60% shooting with four rebounds and three assists against Kansas in his first collegiate game.
Harper was named a team captain on a roster featuring seven seniors and four juniors. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie and CJ Moore have Harper ranked 41st on their list of top-100 transfers, joining fellow Creighton commits No. 11 Josh Dix and No. 22 Owen Freeman on the updated list.
He chose Creighton over Ohio State, LSU and a return to Howard, which is located in his hometown of Washington D.C. He adds even more firepower to a loaded transfer class that will join a strong group of returners. Harper’s addition pushes Creighton’s roster total to 14.
>> May 28: High Point transfer Liam McChesney commits to Creighton.
The 6-foot-10, 202-pound forward from Prince Alberta, Canada, began his collegiate career at Utah State, redshirting in 2019-20. He appeared in three games the following year before suffering a season-ending injury.
McChesney transferred to Illinois State in 2021, playing in 32 games with eight starts while averaging 4.5 points and 3.1 rebounds in 17.2 minutes per game. He played in 28 games with 19 starts during the 2022-23 season, averaging 6.5 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting 34.4% from 3 in 19.2 minutes per game.
He was part of Alan Huss’ first recruiting class at High Point in 2023 but did not play in a game for the Panthers as medical issues sidelined him for the entirety of the last two seasons.
He visited Creighton in early May and will now reunite with Huss in Omaha, adding depth to Creighton’s frontcourt.
June 26: The Charlotte Hornets draft Ryan Kalkbrenner with the 34th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
The Hornets also signed Jamiya Neal to an Exhibit 10, which means the two former Jays will reunite in Las Vegas for the Hornets’ Summer League team, July 10-20. Additionally, Steven Ashworth signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Indiana Pacers.
Exhibit 10 contracts are essentially training camp deals that include a bonus if the player gets cut and signs with the organization’s G League team.
June 27: The NCAA grants Fedor Žugić eligibility.
Žugić’s uncertain status has been hanging over the program throughout the offseason after Greg McDermott revealed in May that he had been ruled to have exhausted his eligibility. Teammates Jackson McAndrew and Blake Harper first teased the news, Zugic shared it himself as well and Hurrdat Sports received confirmation.
Žugić became eligible midseason last winter, appearing in 22 games off the bench and contributing 4.5 points in 11.8 minutes per game, shooting 48.4% from the field and 40% from 3 despite spending the whole offseason and first month of the season on the scout team. With Žugić, Creighton has a full roster of 15 players.
