Year one with Creighton men’s basketball saw Jackson McAndrew earn a starting spot, knock down 69 3-pointers and play his way onto the Big East’s All-Freshman Team. In year two, he’s hoping to make an even bigger splash.
The 6-foot-10 sharpshooter from Wayzata, Minnesota, is the highest-ranked recruit in program history according to the 247Sports Composite, a 4-star prospect ranked. 38th nationally in his class. He started 31 of Creighton’s 35 games in 2024-25, averaging 7.8 points and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 35.4% from 3.
McAndrew found his stride down the stretch of the season, upping his numbers to 10.9 points and 5.3 rebounds in 30 minutes per game over his last seven, shooting 44.8% from the field including 41.7% from deep on nearly seven attempts per game.
McAndrew scored in double figures in both of Creighton’s NCAA Tournament games and rode that momentum into the offseason, which he spent expanding his game.
“I think just all around, just working everything,” McAndrew said. “I think my body was the big emphasis in the offseason; credit to Jeremy [Anderson] on that one. I think he’s helped me a lot, and it goes offensively and defensively too, and just working on all areas of my game and being more versatile. It’s definitely a big jump from last year, definitely a lot more comfortable.”
The Creighton practice gym hasn’t sounded the same this summer and fall without Ryan Kalkbrenner firing up his teammates during warmups and belting out ball screen coverages during live play, or without Steven Ashworth directing traffic. McAndrew said he’s tried to be more vocal to help fill the void, and Coach Greg McDermott has noticed the effort from the sophomore and other returners — along with McAndrew’s gains in the weight room.
“We lost some great leadership off last year’s team, so somebody’s got to fill that void,” McDermott said. “I think he and Ty [Davis] and Jasen [Green] and Isaac [Traudt] have done that. Jackson’s worked really hard … We have one of the best in the country helping him with that in Jeremy Anderson, but Jackson’s got to do the work. He’s done it. He’s stronger. He’s more explosive. We’ve really worked at his ability to score in the paint in one-on-one situations there, which isn’t something he did very much last year. I think the added strength has really helped him.”
McDermott said McAndrew has added 15 pounds to his frame and 4.5 inches to his vertical since he arrived on campus. He’s listed at 225 pounds heading into the 2025-26 season.
“I feel great,” McAndrew said. “I feel heavier, and it’s all good weight too. I feel even with getting heavier, I feel quicker, faster, able to jump higher … [It’s helped] I think defensively, and then I also think not getting bumped off my line, being able to post up more and just be able to use it all around.”
McAndrew set a program freshman record with 69 made 3-pointers, but he was far from a shooting specialist in high school. He only attempted 48 shots inside the arc as a freshman (making 27 of them for a 56.3% clip). With his added strength, the 6-foot-10 forward is hoping he’ll be able to take advantage of his skill in the post and attack closeouts more aggressively when defenders chase him off the arc without getting pushed off his spot.
The Jays were busy during the offseason, incorporating nine newcomers during summer and fall workouts. With preseason practice officially underway, however, the coaches have ramped things up, and with one preseason camp under his belt, McAndrew knows what to expect.
“You’ve just got to be ready,” McAndrew said. “There are no days off, and it’s exciting. Just the pace and everything last year coming in, there’s a lot of running, a lot of fast-paced going to the next.”
Could a significant year two for Jackson McAndrew leap be in the cards for Creighton? With the firepower lost from last year’s squad, the opportunity is there for him to grow into a focal point of the offense, and with the worm he’s put in throughout the offseason, he appears poised to take advantage of that opportunity.
