WHO: Marquette University vs. Creighton University
WHEN: December 30th — Milwaukee, WI
RESULT: Marquette 72-67
A big-time matchup between two top-25 teams, Creighton and Marquette featured a plethora of interesting prospects ranging from fringe 1st-round, two-way contract status, and future prospects. For Memphis followers, this game featured two local talents — Marquette’s Kam Jones (all-time leading scorer at ECS) and Creighton’s Mason Miller (son of Mike Miller).
Must add, if you want to watch college basketball teams that emulate a pro style of play the most, it’s Marquette and Creighton. They operate in a ton of space and have multiple playmakers that can keep the offense flowing.
Trey Alexander
18 points (7-15 shooting, 1-4 from 3, 3-3 from the free throw line), 6 rebounds, 6 assists (4 turnovers), 3 steals, 3 fouls in 40 minutes
Offense: Alexander handled primary playmaking responsibilities for the Creighton offense. It’s a mixed bag thus far. He coughed up a bit of turnovers by misjudging some reads. However, he showed some really interesting stuff out of the pick-and-roll. His downhill balance is extremely functional, utilizing his “jail” dribbles and his pivot foot to get to his desired spots. His balance is also on display as a mid-range shooter with a nice stop-and-pop jumper.
Defense: Alexander defends well at the point of attack, smartly using his physicality and length to his advantage. His activity is nice both on and off the ball, identifying the right moment to crash the passing lane. His size and defensive awareness makes him a perimeter defender capable of defending positions 1-3.
What I’m monitoring: Complementary elements. Alexander will be tasked with primary initiation responsibilities, ones he won’t have at the next level. However, he can be a solid tertiary playmaker within a wing/combo guard rotation due to his ability to make the right read and create an advantage off closeouts. So when playing off Scheierman and Kalkbrenner, his catch-and-shoot prowess will be one to watch, as it projects closer to his ideal NBA role.
Oso Ighodaro
7 points (2-11 shooting), 16 rebounds (9 offensive), 2 assists (2 turnovers), 3 fouls in 33 minutes
Offense: Ighodaro doesn’t have a jumper at the moment, and his mechanics suggest he has a lot of work to go to be someone defenses need to keep an eye on from out there. However, he’s such an intelligent big man. He’s Marquette’s DHO hub, leveraging his screening and his passing to generate looks for his teammates. He loves the floater and jump hook, though his efficiency suffered due to Kalkbrenner’s presence. Even without the jumper, he should thrive at the next level due to his connectivity and play-finishing.
Defense: Ighodaro is a sound defender, even without defensive events. He can handle switches into the perimeter, staying active and avoiding biting on fakes and aggressive closeouts. He demonstrates great verticality at the rim as well, even if it doesn’t result in blocks. He’s active on the glass on both sides of the ball, and is a big man trusted on to grab rebounds and initiate transition offense.
What I’m monitoring: Defensive production. Ighodaro has the chops to be a good connective big in a rotation, perhaps early into his career. How he holds up as a defender -- rim protection, switching, event creation -- could determine his upside for his role at the next level.
Tyler Kolek
15 points (5-13 shooting, 0-2 from 3, 5-5 from the free throw line), 8 assists (4 turnovers), 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 fouls in 36 minutes
Offense: Kolek is the driver of Marquette’s offense with how he controls the pace of the floor. He loves the “jail” and “Nash” (wrap-around baseline) dribbles. Both elements are integral for him to unlock his scoring and playmaking. He leverages his angles well as a finisher around the rim and as a playmaker looking for his teammates — doing so in a crafty manner. His physicality is a big key here, muscling his way through contact to draw his desired shot. His forcefulness is a bit much at times, as he’s a bit daring on his reads that leads to turnovers. Also, I try to 1:1 avoid player comps, but so much nostalgia with his game with Beno Udrih in mind.
Defense: It’s tough to gauge his defense, because he hid on defense so much — guarding Mason Miller, Creighton’s lowest-usage player. He remains physical as opponents try to get downhill, but he’s mainly a tertiary perimeter defender.
What I’m monitoring going forward: His defensive role and impact. What kind of defender Kolek will be determines his upside at the NBA level — particularly with how many minutes he earns as a backup point guard. Is he “hidden” to preserve himself for offense? Are there concerning limitations that could be exploited and hunted at the next level? He plays with an edge to battle through his physical limitations, so how he manages a NBA defensive role with more spacing and schemes that seek mismatches will be something to watch.
Baylor Scheierman
23 points (7-15 shooting, 7-13 from 3), 8 rebounds, 2 assists (4 turnovers), 2 fouls in 40 minutes
Offense: Okay, so I caught him on a career-high night, as he drilled 7 three-pointers. His movement shooting at his size is rather impeccable, and will always garner eyes at the professional level. He keeps his release point high enough where it’s nearly unblock-able. His off-the-dribble game isn’t quick, but it’s deceptive — primarily as a playmaker. He coughed up the ball a lot, primarily due to his ball-handling though.
Defense: Scheierman is pretty risk-adverse defensively. He sags off the perimeter, so it’s tougher to gauge how he defends in space. He’s not much of a rim-protector either, deferring more of those responsibilities by funneling to Kalkbrenner.
What I’m monitoring: His shooting prowess. At the next level, Scheierman won’t be relied on to be a source of scoring pop or rim protection. However, shooting is always needed, especially at his size. How prolific of a shooter he becomes could be the difference of landing a main-roster deal sometime within his 1st 3 years and ultimately bouncing around the G League and overseas. Nonetheless, he should garner two-way looks with his movement shooting.
Other Notes + Local Prospect Takeaways
Ryan Kalkbrenner: Most huge centers are a focal point at the college level, but I didn’t come away super impressed with Kalkbrenner. His defense caught me by surprise — possessing nimbleness on the perimeter, and knowing how to leverage this size with verticality. Offensively, he didn’t get great post position a lot of the time, and when he did have looks inside, his touch wasn’t that great.
Kam Jones: Jones had tweaked his ankle earlier in the game, which could’ve impacted his offensive output. However, he possesses great complementary and OTD offense at an ideal perimeter size. He’s someone to watch for a two-way spot.
Mason Miller: A sophomore starter, Miller is likely going to be a 2026 guy. He needs more strength, which could help him become a better defender.. However, he hustles on the glass (6 rebounds, 3 offensive) and has a sweet shooting stroke. He’s currently shooting 87.5% on 2’s and 52.1% on 3’s — although in a low-usage role. His production once he gains more experience and strength — while climbing up the pecking order — will be something to watch in the coming years.
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