The expected breakout season for Creighton men’s basketball forward Jackson McAndrew ended before it even began last year. After a season spent on the sideline, McAndrew is back working to make the most of his second attempt at a sophomore season.
The 6-foot-10 forward from Wayzata, Minn., is the top-ranked player Creighton has landed according to the 247Sports Composite. He cracked the starting lineup six games into his freshman season in Omaha, averaging 7.8 points and 4.4 rebounds in 21.9 minutes per game while shooting 35.4% from deep (including 37.3% in conference play). He played some of his best basketball down the stretch, scoring in double figures in five of his last seven, including both of Creighton’s NCAA Tournament games.
Based on his performance during summer workouts and preseason practice, McAndrew looked poised to make a leap as a sophomore, but a foot injury suffered shortly before the season began disrupted his momentum. He tried to play through it, starting Creighton’s first four games in 2025-26, but only averaged 6.5 points on 31% shooting (28.6% from 3) in 20.5 minutes.
After playing just eight minutes against North Dakota, his dad’s alma mater, on Nov. 19, the staff shut him down to undergo season-ending surgery to address the injury. He had to watch from the bench as the team struggled that season, finishing 16-18.
“It was hard,” McAndrew said. “I was really looking forward to playing with all the guys, and a lot of them aren’t here anymore. So that was tough, but it was just a fun group. You want to play, you want to be out there helping, and it was tough when there were a lot of ups and downs, obviously, and not being able to be a part of that on the floor was tough.”
McAndrew said the biggest thing he learned from his year away from the court is to not take anything for granted.
“In basketball, I hadn’t had any really major injuries, so it was a tough year, just sitting back, not being able to play and help the guys,” McAndrew said. “So I think gratitude, just knowing God’s got a plan for me and for this whole group, and I’m excited to glorify Him through it. Just taking little things — I think you see things different as a player watching, almost from like a coach’s perspective, so just little nuances that you see that you might not when you’re in the heat of the moment, just taking things like that and just trying my best to help these guys.”
Now, McAndrew said he’s close to 100%. While the team hasn’t done any five-on-five work yet, he’s participated in all the summer skill work that started last week.
“That was the beauty of this whole thing,” Coach Alan Huss said. “The bad piece is he missed the entire season; clearly, we needed him last season. But for him, for his mental, to be able to have a full offseason and really chip away at this thing, that’s awesome for him, because the mental component is as important as the physical, and when you’re kind of rushing back and trying to get through practices in the fall and get to that first game, and you’re trying to mix in rehab from an injury, it can be a lot, and so for him to have this entire summer and be able to work through some of that mental stuff, I think, will be invaluable to him as he tries to be impactful on the court this season.”
The nature of his foot injury prevented any real basketball activity until late in the season. Instead, he spent most of his time with head coach of athletic performance Jeremy Anderson, working to strengthen his body. McAndrew said that work has paid off now that he’s back on the court.
“I couldn’t really play basketball last year, so I was in there with Jeremy working, lifting every day, a whole lot of curls,” McAndrew said. “He’s been great, he’s helped transform my body so much, and he’s been such a blessing for me to be around. I feel like I’m at the point where I’m not only as strong as I’ve been, but also I feel the best movement-wise, jumping, running and all that sort of thing. I don’t really have any specific numbers, but just feeling the best I have as a player.”
The added wrinkle of the season-ending injury is that McAndrew wasn’t able to play during what became Greg McDermott’s final season as Creighton’s head coach. McAndrew’s dad, Steve, played under a then-assistant McDermott at North Dakota, and that relationship played a big role in Jackson choosing Creighton. However, he chose to stick with the Bluejays through the coaching transition, a big early win for Huss as head coach.
“It’s definitely been good,” McAndrew said of playing for Huss. “He recruited me out of high school, actually, so I met him there, and then when he came back, I started to build a good relationship with him last year, and just getting to know him more. He’s obviously a great guy, great coach, and then these last couple months, too, just even on a different level, and just getting to know him and spend time with him has been great. He’s a great dude, and I’m looking forward to playing for him.”
Now healthy — and feeling better than ever — McAndrew will get a second chance at a breakout sophomore season. For Creighton to get back to postseason contention in year one under Huss, the Jays will need him to capitalize on his significant potential.
